Coast Awards: 2007 winners

Best beach -- Coast readers\' vote

Winner: Bournemouth, Dorset

Runners-up: Holkham, Norfolk; Cleveleys, Lancashire

The Coast readers’ pick of British beaches is a sandy, seven-mile strand, known for its safe swimming and clear, blue water, which has already received four Blue Flag awards this year. Its popularity is clear during summer, when up to 100,000 people can be sharing the shoreline at the same time.

For more information on the winner, visit www.bournemouth.co.uk

Best seaside fish and chip shop - Coast readers\' vote

Winner: The Magpie Café, Whitby, North Yorkshire

Runner-up: Stein’s Fish & Chips, Padstow, Cornwall; The Aldeburgh Fish & Chip Shop, Aldeburgh, Suffolk

Your favourite fish & chip shop  is celebrating its 28th consecutive entry in the ‘Good Food Guide 2008’. Where possible, ingredients are sourced locally, including 12 varieties of fish daily.

For more information on the winner, visit www.magpiecafe.co.uk

Best coastal café, pub or restaurant

Winners: The Lord Nelson, Southwold, Suffolk; Porthminster Café, St Ives, Cornwall

Runner-up: The Magpie Café, Whitby, North Yorkshire

The Lord Nelson in Southwold won praise from our judges for its heritage and heart (“Pubs like this are really rare now,” says Nicholas Crane), while the Porthminster Café was admired for its culinary standards, locally sourced produce and year-round appeal

For more information on one of the winners, visit www.porthminstercafe.co.uk

Best coastal shop

Winner: The Tynemouth Surf Company, Tynemouth, North Tyneside

Runners-up: Bringing The Outside In, Holkham, Norfolk; The Round House, Sennen Cove, Cornwall

Here, the vote was won by a business that\'s all about engaging people with the coast and putting a new surfing destination on the map.

 
For more information on the winner, visit www.tynemouthsurf.co.uk 

Best shoreline B&B/hotel

Winner: Hotel Tresanton, St Mawes, Cornwall

Runner-up: The Big Blue, Blackpool, Lancashire; Headland Hotel, Newquay, Cornwall

Judges were impressed by the hotel’s design and innovative winter events, encouraging involvement with the local community.

For more information on the winner, visit www.tresanton.com 

Best new building by the sea

Winner: The East Beach Café, Littlehampton, West Sussex

Runner-up: Cley Visitor Centre, Cley Marshes, Norfolk; Shetland Museum and Archives, Lerwick, Shetland

The winner, designed by Heatherwick Studio, was picked for its uniqueness and potential to have a ‘Bilbao’ effect (where the Guggenheim museum has increased tourism) on a previously little-known resort.

For more information on the winner, visit http://eastbeachcafe.co.uk

Best regeneration project

Winner: Waveney Sunrise Scheme, Lowestoft, Suffolk

Runner-up: Blackpool – The Seafront Experience, Blackpool, Lancashire; Cleveleys Coast Protection Phase 2, Cleveleys, Lancashire

Our panel’s choice was the now completed, £14.7 million Waveney Sunrise Scheme, for transforming Lowestoft town centre and seafront and increasing visitor numbers. 

For more information on the winner, visit www.waveneysunrise.org.uk

Best environmental campaign

Winner: Surfers Against Sewage (SAS, for various 2007 campaigns)

Runner-up: Marine Conservation Society (Beachwatch and Adopt-a-Beach); The National Trust (Neptune Coastline Campaign)

SAS was applauded for the ingenuity of its campaigns, such as Return to Offender, where litter is sent back to source by surfers. “I also love the fact they are getting youngsters involved,” says Mitch Tonks.

For more information on the winner, visit www.sas.org.uk

Best seaside attraction

Winner: Southwold Pier, Southwold, Suffolk

Runner-up: Tate St Ives, St Ives, Cornwall; Blackpool Pleasure Beach (Pepsi Max Big One), Blackpool, Lancashire

Winning plaudits for its quirky renovation of a coastal classic, and its breadth of appeal, Southwold Pier was the front-runner in this category.

For more information on the winner, visit www.southwoldpier.co.uk

Coastal hero

Winner: Nicholas Crane

Runner-up: Neil Oliver, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

Our experts chose author and TV presenter Nicholas Crane from your short list, for raising awareness of climate change and the sheer diversity of the British coastline.