Polly Bennett (Judge Chair)
Founder & Editor, Little Vikings (York for kids)

Polly has been connecting families to the best of family-friendly York through her business, Little Vikings, for a decade. She’s been a London lawyer, a plugger for a major record label hanging out with rock stars, and even a medieval wench at The York Dungeon! Now she loves helping families make the most of their time in her hometown of York, ably assisted by her own three children.

Ann Gurnell
Ideas Group
A self-confessed brand, engagement and marketing geek, with a core strand of her DNA in tourism, destinations and attractions marketing. As Marketing Director of brand and business transforming Ideas Group, Ann works with York and international based tourism clients and the Ideas Group team delivered the award winning Let’s be York campaign for the city to reopen York post 2020’s CovidI9 lockdowns. Ann was also part of the team that created and opened York’s Chocolate Story in 2012.

Brendan Paddison
Chair of the York Tourism Advisory Board
Brendan is Associate Dean in the Business School at York St John University. Brendan is Chair of the York Tourism Advisory Board and co-chair of the Tourism Education Futures Initiative (TEFI). He is internationally recognised for his work in tourism and has published widely on this subject.

Charlie Croft
Tourism Lecturer and Assistant Director with City of York Council 

Charlie is a lecturer in tourism in the Business School at York St John University. He brings to the role the benefit of his long experience as a chief officer in local government where he led on a wide range of briefs including leisure, culture and tourism. Charlie’s current research interests lie in the leadership of sustainable tourism.

Mark Grewer
Managing Director at Hunter Gee Holroyd Chartered Accountants and Business Advisers
Mark has over 30 years of experience helping businesses grow into the success that they want to be. He also heads-up the corporate finance team, supporting clients with raising money to expand or sell their own business or buy existing businesses.

Philip Bolson
Owner, Mr B Hospitality, and founder of the Hospitality Junior Board
Philip has over 36 years’ diverse experience in hospitality working at all levels from ‘on the floor’ through to Board level. He was as the GM of the 5star Grand Hotel in York where he oversaw significant investment in the business including the 100 extra luxury bedrooms, award winning Rise Restaurant, White Rose Lounge, and “Cookery School at the Grand”.

He now runs Mr B Hospitality where he works with a select number of businesses helping them grow and be brilliant, achieved through focusing on 3 key areas – the team, reputation, and results. Alongside “Mr B” he founded the “Hospitality Junior Board” in 2023.

Emily Pickard

Emily runs York Mumbler, the largest & most trusted parenting information website in York.

It’s based around making life easier for parents in the area. Mumbler has a large and loyal local parent following, often describing Mumbler as a ‘lifeline’ as well as being the go-to resource for when parents are looking for places to go with their kids. Emily has 2 children and regularly reviews Yorks family friendly attractions, cafes and restaurants. She loves championing the best places for families in York.

Ben Thorpe

Ben is firmly embedded in the York hospitality scene through his website York on a Fork.

This has become a valued and reliable guide for foodies interested in York for nearly a decade leading to him being quoted across national media and being featured in The Lonely Planet Guide. He also works with York Food & Drink Festival to coordinate their events program, filling 10 days of demonstrations, trails, tasting events and more as well as fulfilling a similar role at York Chocolate Festival. 

Owen Turner

Founder, MD and Creative Director of United by Design

United by Design is an independent, award winning, brand and design agency based in York, working locally, regionally and nationally to creatively and thoughtfully connect and engage people with organisations and businesses. Owen lives in York with his family, working in SPACE, above Brew York, a community interest company co-working that he set up with 3 other directors. He is one of the co-founders of York Design Week and is currently the Master of the Guild of Media Arts, which has been supporting the UNESCO designation in the city for the last 10 years and currently part of the Culture Executive for the city.

Andy Wallhead

Chief Executive of WDH

Andy has worked across the Yorkshire & Humber region in a career spanning 40 years. Although principally a housing and property professional, Andy has held several executive and non executive positions within various arts and cultural organisations, including being a founding board member of The Hepworth Wakefield. Andy is a familiar face on our judging panel, having supported us in 2022.

David Flesher

Commercial Director at LNER

David Flesher is a commercially driven brand and marketing specialist who leads LNER’s commercial directorate covering marketing, revenue management, sales & distribution and analytics & insight and overseen their market leading recovery back to above COVID passenger and revenue levels. Having spent over 20 years working across financial services, tourism & leisure, automotive and rail David knows how to build brands, drive conversion and grow revenue founded in the power of the customer experience. Prior to LNER David has held senior roles across a number of UK and Global organisations including Aviva and Cox Automotive.