AN ILKLEY pub is among 100 businesses to have made the shortlist in the prestigious White Rose Awards.

The Black Hat Pub is in the running to become Yorkshire pub of the year, while Horsforth based Yorkshire Trike Tours is shortlisted in the small visitor attraction and the Devonshire Arms Hotel and Spa in Bolton Abbey in the large hotel category.

The awards are the UK’s largest celebration of tourism and cover 17 categories. Hundreds of people will come together later this year for an awards dinner.

Colin Mellors, chairman of the White Rose Award judges, said: “Yorkshire’s tourism is a remarkable sector with fantastic hospitality, facilities and produce on offer.

“Those shortlisted should feel very proud to have been selected against such strong competition. Choosing the eventual winners this year will be a really tough task.”

Last year’s event made history when more than 1,000 people watched as Take That superstar, Gary Barlow, and co-writer of The Girls musical, Tim Firth, were made honorary Yorkshiremen at the first direct arena Leeds.

Sir Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said: “Once again the entries for this year’s White Rose Awards have been exceptional across all categories, so a huge congratulations to those who have made the shortlist.

“As the largest celebration of tourism in the UK, the White Rose Awards are a fitting tribute to Yorkshire’s fantastically diverse businesses that work tirelessly to help to make the county number one.”