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Fat Badger Group named Yorkshire's Hospitality Business of the Year

Winners: The Fat Badger Group team. (Image: National World Events)

Fat Badger Group has won Hospitality Business of the Year at the 2026 Yorkshire Post Business Awards.

Three’s a Crowd Harrogate was highly commended in the same category.

More than 400 people attended Wednesday night’s ceremony at New Dock Hall in Leeds, where broadcaster Christine Talbot presented the awards.

Fat Badger Group runs the White Hart Hotel and The Fat Badger on Cold Bath Road in Harrogate. 

Its other venues in town include The Yorkshire Hotel on Prospect Place and The Pickled Sprout on John Street.

Outside of the Harrogate area, the group operates Guy Fawkes Inn (York), The Fat Badger (York), Clementines Boutique Hotel (York), Black Horse Inn (Kirkby Fleetham) and The Fat Badger and Royal Hotel (Whitby).

Simon Cotton, Managing Director of Fat Badger Group said:

"I'm over the moon for our business to pick up such a prestigious award as this.

"To be named Best Hospitality Business in Yorkshire is testament to the hard work of all our 500 strong team across our seven venues in North Yorkshire, every one of them who are such amazing hospitality professionals; I'm so proud for all of them in winning this award.

"It also recognises the significant investment we have made into the businesses over the last few years which has been delivering fantastic results in growing the business against the backdrop of difficult times for our industry."

See the full list of winners below:

  • Best Business Start-Up: Elethea Studios; (Highly Commended - Nexus)
  • Charitable Business Award: KCOM
  • Employee Health and Wellbeing Award: Concrete Youth; (Highly Commended - Next Door But One)
  • Hospitality Business of the Year: Fat Badger Group; (Highly Commended - Three’s a Crowd Harrogate)
  • Innovation Award: Rallye Digital
  • Manufacturing Award: SoluPak
  • Sustainability Award: Sandal Group; (Highly Commended - Soanes Poultry)
  • Technology & Digital Award: G&T (Girls and Tech); (Highly Commended - CoolCare)
  • Fast Growing Business: Vidrate; (Highly Commended - Sam Teale Productions)
  • Exporter of the Year: Clearpoint Recycling
  • Best Family Business: Collett & Sons
  • Best Micro Business: Ideal Extraction; (Highly Commended - Dish Hospitality)
  • Small Business of the Year: Zebra Print Group
  • Medium Business of the Year: The Ice Co
  • Large Business of the Year: Jet2
  • Young Business Leader of the Year: Ben Waters
  • Business Leader of the Year: Mark Garrett, Clearpoint Recycling

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