The oldest hotel in the UK was named the winner of the Best Employer award, in recognition of a four-year project that has seen the venue completely overhauled.

The Maids Head Hotel in Norwich was praised by judges for the way it had engaged its 90-strong staff during its 'major change journey' as the 800-year-old venue was renovated to meet the needs of 21st-century guests.

The hotel has been privately owned since 2012 and in the past four years has embarked on a multi-million pound renovation and refurbishment programme.

'I've been here for 18 years and it's amazing that we're still winning awards after all that time,' said Sarah Prior.

'We're really looking forward to our renovations next year. For example all of our rooms will be climate control, which is really rare in a building as old as ours. We're also renovating our old courtyard which used to be stables and making that into a state-of-the-art new kitchen,' added Christine Malcom.

The judges said: 'This is a business which has been on a major change journey over the last four years. It has really embraced change and made a significant investment in driving and improving employee engagement as it firmly believes that its staff are at the heart of the transformation.

'It is doing all the right things and has gone out of its way to create an environment where staff thrive through learning and development, career development and reward and recognition. Staff are not only aware of the purpose and values of the organisation; they are evident

in everyday operations.'

The three other finalists in the Best Employer category, which was sponsored by Pure and Birketts, were Flagship Group, The Holden Group and Morgan Sindall Construction & Infrastructure.

Read more about the other winners from the Norfolk Business Awards 2018