A HOTEL owned by a celebrity chef has won a national award at a glittering ceremony.

Country-house hotel and Michelin-starred restaurant Northcote was presented with The Hotel Restaurant Team Of the Year Award at the Hotel Cateys 2014.

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Hosted at Park Plaza in Westminster Bridge, London, the awards were set up by hospitality publication The Caterer and celebrates the most successful hotels, hoteliers and hotel employees across the UK.

Northcote, which is based in Langho and will celebrate its 30th anniversary next year, is run by Nigel Haworth who has appeared on TV shows including The Great British Menu.

The hotel has consistently and doggedly retained its one star in the Michelin Guide since 1996 and added four new guest rooms, a cookery school and refurbished the restaurant earlier this year.

A spokesman for the awards said: “Beating other shortlisted properties The Capital Hotel and The Montagu Arms Hotel to snag the covetable award, Northcote’s win is testament to the talent and toil of the entire team at the Lancashire hotel; from chef patron Nigel Haworth, head chef Lisa Allen, director of wines Craig Bancroft and the kitchen brigade through to the front-of-house, reservations desk and housekeeping.”

Mr Bancroft said: “We’re hugely honoured to be recognised for the team at Northcote.

“We’re hard-working and close-knit and to win a Catey for everything we achieve together is fantastic.

“Good old Northern hospitality is at the core of everything we do here – and we couldn’t be happier.”

Of the panel of judges, Mark Bevan, general manager at Chewton Glen Hotel and Spa, said: “Northcote stood out by demonstrating continued and relentless commitment to genuine hospitality and quality.

“The restaurant team cares for both its staff and guests and is well-known in the industry for extremely high standards of training.”

Previous Cateys won by Northcote have included the Acorn Award in 1987, Independent Hotel Of The Year in 2000 and the Special Award for Nigel and Craig in 2009.

Earlier this year the hotel won the 2014 BMW Square Meal Award for Best UK Restaurant, was welcomed into the prestigious portfolio of Relais and Châteaux and head sommelier Adam Pawlowski become a master sommelier – one of only 220 in the world.