Rufford Abbey Country Park wins award for quality of its food and drink

Rufford Abbey Country Park, a heritage site near Ollerton that dates back to 1147, was told the offering in its restaurant, café and mobile vans was ‘truly deserving of recognition’.

It has now been handed a Quality Food And Drink accolade by Visit England, which is the official tourist board for the country.

A delighted spokesman for Rufford Abbey said: “We have worked so hard to create an offering for all our visitors to enjoy.

"The team prides itself on generating innovative ideas, as well as being able to operate our more traditional and popular products to the highest of quality and standard.

"The fact that we have been awarded this accolade is a credit to how hard the team has worked, and we are incredibly proud of their efforts.”

Rufford is a scenic country estate that spans 150 acres of parks, woodlands and gardens. It offers a range of attractions and activities throughout the year, as well as places to relax and eat.

Hungry visitors can seek out refreshments at a variety of options, which include the Coachhouse Cafe, open seven days a week, serving hot meals, freshly made salads, sandwiches, cakes and pastries.

At weekends, the Pizza Van offers stonebaked pizzas, and the newest outlet at the site is Lord Savile’s Kitchen, a restaurant that serves traditional carveries every Sunday.

The food and drink award was given to Rufford as part of Visit England’s quality scheme, which assesses tourist attractions across the country, ranging from museums and galleries to historic houses and churches.

Participating attractions are supported by a network of highly trained and experienced assessors, who advise them in improving and promoting the quality, accessibility and sustainability of their offer.

The assessors were impressed by the quality and variety of food and drink for visitors to Rufford, which is owned by Nottinghamshire Council, but managed and run by Parkwood Leisure.

Parkwood is one of the UK’s leading leisure operators and is responsible for more than 80 sites in more than 30 local authority areas across England and Wales.