A cow-cuddling venture in the heart of the East Riding countryside has been honoured at a national tourism event.
Dumble Farm, Arram, near Beverley, had been shortlisted for Experience of the Year at the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2025. It was announced as the overall winner of the category during a glittering ceremony in Brighton, earlier this week.
Dumble Farm offers Highland cow experiences for visitors, including cow cuddling, stroking and grooming and is run by three farmers, Fi and Will Wilson, and Fi’s bother James McCure. Fi said: “We were, of course, thrilled at winning the Gold award for best experience in the country.
“It is unbelievable, the cows were udderly delighted and very mooved by all the wonderful messages that have been sent to us! The award ceremony was fabulous, showcasing delicious food and wines from the Brighton area.
“We were made to feel very welcome and the representatives from both Visit East Yorkshire and VisitEngland were as excited as we were when we won the award. These types of awards showcase the very best that both our wonderful area and country as a whole has to offer.
“We can use these resources to direct our own visitors, some that come from different countries, to the very best food, drink, accommodation and attractions.” The Dumble farmers are all passionate about conservation and sustainable farming, which is the serious side to the fun experiences that are offered to a mainly adult clientele.
“Cows are amazing,” the Dumble Farm website says. “The way cattle graze makes them integral to creating the right conditions to support other wildlife and plants. Our fold of magnificent Highland cows are our conservation grazers.”
Fi said Dumble Farm had several new ventures coming up this summer for visitors to look out for. “We’ve got camping, glamping and joint tours with Laurel Vines vineyard and winery,” she said. “We also now have an alcohol licence and will soon be selling locally-produced wines, beers and spirits.
“We have 17 Highland calves so far this year. Visitors joining our safaris can get hands-on, stroking the young Highlands and meeting and feeding the adults and seeing all the new baby calves, plus of course learning all about the farm and the conservation scheme.
(Image: Donna Clifford/HullLive)
“Our events with Laurel Vines include both a safari and a guided tour of the vineyard, with delicious food and wine. All the information and tickets are on our website dumblefarm.com.”
A host of Gold, Silver and Bronze award-winners were announced across 17 categories at the Brighton Dome Corn Exchange. Andrew Stokes, VisitEngland director, said: “These annual awards are an opportunity to applaud and showcase the businesses and individuals who provide outstanding customer service and continuously improve their products and offer for visitors.
“From a captivating science museum in Merseyside to a fully accessible hotel in Bournemouth, from cow cuddling on a farm in Yorkshire to fine dining in Lancashire, this year’s winners show just how varied and diverse our industry is and what makes it great. Competition this year was fierce, reflecting the excellence evident across each category and I congratulate all the 2025 winners, and especially those who won Gold, an achievement cementing their place as the standard bearers of our world-class tourism industry.”