THE managing director of a prestigious Ribble Valley hotel and restaurant has been awarded a national prize for his work this year.

Craig Bancroft, who leads Northcote in Langho, was named The Caterer magazine’s Hotelier of the Year at the 2016 Cateys Awards.

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He founded Northcote in 1983 with chef patron and fellow managing director Nigel Haworth.

Mr Bancroft paid tribute to the whole team at the hotel after receiving the prize.

He said: “This is an incredible honour to receive this amazing recognition for all the hard work that we have put in over the years of creating Northcote.

“It is, in my eyes, an award for the whole Northcote family over the 33 years of its journey and everyone past and present who has contributed to our overall success.”

The award, now in its 33rd year, celebrates the UK’s most exceptional hotel keepers.

The Cateys states on its website that the 2016 Hotelier of the Year should have exceptional personal attributes, housekeeping skills, commitment to employees and social responsibility.

Mr Bancroft received the award at a special lunch at Soho Farmhouse before attending the official Cateys ceremony in London.

The award tops off a successful year for Northcote as it has retained its Michelin star for the 20th consecutive year and has also been named Hotel of the Year: England in the 2016 AA Hospitality Awards and won the Lancashire Tourism Awards Hotel of the Year.

Mr Bancroft is now hoping that Northcote can push on in the future with the help of this award.

He said: “I hope to be able to use the profile this accolade creates to inspire an industry to help fuel a campaign to get people into hospitality.”