Grasmere Gingerbread has been praised by Cumbria’s tourism chief for going the extra mile to help people who visit.
Since the closure of Grasmere’s Tourism Information Centre several years ago, all newly-appointed Grasmere Gingerbread team members undergo an extensive information training session involving a detailed recce of the village to find answers to more than 50 commonly asked questions.
Gill Haigh, managing director of Cumbria Tourism, praised the 171-year-old business’s dedication to helping visitors navigate the valley and village of Grasmere plus the wider UNESCO Lake District National Park, which attracts 18 million visitors each year.
She said: “As an internationally renowned heritage brand, Grasmere Gingerbread is instrumental in attracting tourists because of its warm welcome and quality offer.
“It’s continued investment in additional staff training to ensure a world-class service that goes the extra mile is a fantastic example to businesses everywhere.”
Joanne Hunter, co-director of Grasmere Gingerbread, said: “It might sound prosaic but customers ask us everything from the cost of car parking and the location of public toilets to where they can buy a postcard, stamp or find an ATM.
“Many people are also confused as to where the actual lake as it is not that obvious even when you are in the middle of Grasmere village.
“As the leading attraction in Grasmere it’s important that our team members know the answers to a multitude of queries to ensure that every visitor’s experience is positive and stress-free.”
Staff members also undertake Blue Badge Guide training to improve their delivery of Talk & Taste history talks outside The Grasmere Gingerbread Shop.
Joanne added: “They also meet our suppliers on familiarisation visits so they are able to explain to our customers the Cumbrian provenance of the goods they are buying from us.
“It’s all about keeping visitors informed so they more fully appreciate why Grasmere Gingerbread and our beautiful national park are so special.
“From hand baking and hand wrapping Grasmere Gingerbread in-house to meeting and greeting our customers with a personable smile and a head full of useful local knowledge, we always believe in the human touch.”
