Cedar Court Hotels Highly Commended

The Cedar Court Hotels team is celebrating a proud achievement at the Famtastic Awards 2025. While we didn’t take home the Marketing Campaign of the Year trophy, our “The Pudding Run” campaign earned a Highly Commended honour, a true testament to our creativity, teamwork, and Yorkshire spirit. In a category packed with strong contenders, we’re thrilled to be recognized as one of the top campaigns of the year.

Celebrating “The Pudding Run” and its Recognition

At the Famtastic awards ceremony on 31st October, Cedar Court Hotels’ The Pudding Run was announced as Highly Commended in the Marketing Campaign of the Year category. The top award went to Wyboston Lakes Resort for their innovative campaign “More Than Monday to Friday: How We Unlocked the Power of Weekend Events.” We congratulate the Wyboston Lakes team on their well-deserved win. Being named alongside such outstanding campaigns, including those from leading hotel groups is a huge honor for Cedar Court. It shows that our marketing efforts are resonating within the industry, and we couldn’t be more proud of our team’s hard work.

The Story Behind “The Pudding Run”

The Pudding Run was our bold initiative to take Yorkshire hospitality on the road and directly to our clients and partners. Instead of just telling people about Cedar Court Hotels, we hit the motorway with a van full of Yorkshire pudding wraps and Proper Yorkshire cheer. From city to city, our team served up delicious pudding wraps (thanks to our friends at The Yorkshire Wrapper) and personally met event planners, agents, and corporate clients on their home turf. This creative roadshow brought the Cedar Court experience straight to their doorsteps, complete with warm smiles, brochures, exclusive offers, and a proper taste of Yorkshire. It was marketing done differently: full of connection, creativity, and community spirit.

Why “The Pudding Run” Stood Out

The success of The Pudding Run made it clear why it earned recognition from the Famtastic Awards.

Dozens of Visits, Hundreds of Connections:
Our team travelled across the UK, from Bradford to Birmingham, Harrogate to Hull, generating hundreds of face-to-face meetings and exciting new leads. Each stop helped us reconnect with clients and forge new relationships over a fun, shared experience (and of course, plenty of gravy!).

Experience-Driven Marketing:
We transformed traditional sales calls into a mobile event experience. By serving Yorkshire pudding wraps and chatting in person, we showcased our brand’s personality in a memorable way. The campaign injected storytelling and hospitality into venue marketing, helping Cedar Court stand out from the crowd.

Real Results:
Alongside fantastic feedback, The Pudding Run drove a tangible boost in inquiries and sign-ups. We saw a significant uptick in Cedar Rewards memberships and group booking requests, showing that a personal touch (and a tasty pudding) can deliver real ROI. Even more importantly, it created buzz, many in the industry were talking about Cedar Court’s roadshow, and it’s already inspiring our future marketing ideas.

Team Reflections and a Cherry on Top

Cedar Court’s Gareth Brook (center), flanked by Claire Mills (right) and Emily Oakley (left), proudly accepted the Highly Commended certificate for The Pudding Run at the Famtastic Awards 2025. The recognition highlights the team’s creativity and dedication, even as the top prize went to another deserving campaign.

 

On receiving the award, Gareth Brook, our Commercial Office Manager, shared his excitement:

“The Pudding Run has been an amazing team effort all year long, and to be highly commended at the Famtastic Awards is just the cherry on top. We’ve always believed in this campaign’s potential, and it’s fantastic to see the industry believe in it too.”

The entire awards evening was one to remember. Our team had a great night celebrating with colleagues from across the hospitality and events industry. The atmosphere was electric, full of applause, congratulations, and even some Halloween-week fun. We mingled with peers, cheered for each category’s winners, and exchanged stories over dinner. A huge thank you to the Famtastic Awards organisers and judges for putting on such a brilliant event and for recognizing our work.

Looking Ahead: Hosting the Famtastic Awards 2026 in Yorkshire

As the night wound down, one exciting announcement had us already looking forward to next year: Cedar Court Hotels will be hosting the Famtastic Awards 2026! We are beyond excited to have the opportunity to welcome the industry to Yorkshire for next year’s ceremony. Hosting this prestigious event is an honour, and you can bet we’ll pull out all the stops to make it the best one yet.

“It’s an absolute honour for Cedar Court Bradford to be selected as the host venue for the 2026 Famtastic Awards. Welcoming such a prestigious and fun industry event to our hotel is a privilege, and we cannot wait to showcase our Yorkshire hospitality to the very best in the business.”
— Steven Newby, Group Director of Sales

“The Famtastic Awards are looking forward to working with Cedar Court Hotels in 2026 as we celebrate excellence within the event industry in Bradford, City of Culture from 2025. Not only does the hotel provide us with the opportunity to expand an increasingly popular event, but offers us the flexibility to utilise their amazing range of event spaces to the max. Famtastic remains the only industry awards where peer-to-peer voting helps shape the results and its friendly and informal approach, whilst maintaining a professional air of recognition, enables us to celebrate real success stories within the day-to-day activity of event professionals nationwide.”
— Paula Kelsey, Founder of the Famtastic Awards

Yorkshire is known for its warm hospitality, and we can’t wait to show that off on the grand stage. From our stunning venues to our passionate team, we’ll ensure every guest experiences what Proper Yorkshire Hospitality is all about. Expect a truly special evening, with great food, atmosphere, and maybe even a few surprises up our sleeves.

In the meantime, we’ll keep doing what we do best: creating memorable experiences for our guests and innovating in how we share Cedar Court’s story. The Pudding Run will continue rolling, and our team’s creativity isn’t slowing down. With this Highly Commended award fueling our excitement, we’re more energised than ever to reach new heights.

Once again, congratulations to all the winners and finalists of the Famtastic Awards 2025, and thank you to everyone who supported us. Here’s to an even more Famtastic 2026, see you next year at Cedar Court Hotels Bradford for a celebration you won’t forget!