Cumbria's Experience of the Year

We only went and won Cumbria's Experience of the Year!

The Mystery Shopper looked at every aspect of our small business and wrote a lengthy, and very useful, report. Their conclusion was...

"...All in all the experience was excellent. It was well curated but informal in style. It felt intimate and relaxed. It was fun and yet we learned so much along the way. The others on the visit seemed to equally enjoy their afternoon..."

“The winners of the Cumbria Tourism Awards 2022 were announced on Wednesday 6 July at a glittering award ceremony at the Castle Green Hotel in Kendal.  Due to the pandemic, this was the first time the awards have been held since 2019 and 260+ guests came together in an evening of celebration to honour and recognise our high-achieving tourism businesses. The awards celebrate the very best of Cumbria’s vibrant tourism economy and the winners have shown that they are offering fantastic quality, service and care to our visitors against a backdrop of one of the most challenging periods in the industry’s history. The majority of winners (including us!) will now go forward to represent Cumbria at the Visit England Awards for Excellence in 2023.”

How was it judged?

At some point, two mystery shoppers visited the Shed and took part in our "Make Your Own Gin" experience. We love hosting our Gin Experiences and this one is very hands-on. Keeping groups small we start with a welcome Gin and distillery tour. Then settle down in our unique and quirky Visitor Space. We, the owners and distillers, guide you through your choice of botanicals. show you how to measure and blend and then your mix goes into a mini-still where the alchemy truly begins.

While your Gin is being distilled here at Cumbria's Experience of the Year relax with a few elements of our Afternoon G&Tea. The next phase is finding your perfect ABV%, again helped by us. Finally, provide us with an image and name and we create a personalised label for your very own, signature, London Dry Gin.

Thank you for all your support and encouragement. We can't wait to host you here at The Old Calf Shed.