moviESCAPE are proud to announce that they have been awarded VisitEngland’s Hidden Gem Accolade.

On 12th November 2025, VisitEngland named the winners of its Visitor Attraction Accolades for 2024-2025, recognising excellence within the visitor attraction sector. Pictured above, Lady Victoria Borwick (VisitEngland Chairman) presents the Hidden Gem Accolade to Matt Butler and Andrew Patrick (moviESCAPE Directors) and Amber Robinson (moviESCAPE Visitor Experience Manager).

Accolades were awarded to 78 English attractions covering all aspects of what makes an outstanding visitor experience. The five categories include: ‘Welcome’; ‘Best Told Story’; ‘Hidden Gem’; ‘Quality Food and Drink’ and ‘Gold’ for overall excellence.

The accolades were awarded based on scores that attractions obtained following their annual VisitEngland Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme assessment.

VisitEngland Director Andrew Stokes said:

“These accolades put England’s outstanding attractions in the spotlight as they recognise the amazing visitor experiences available across the country.  They acknowledge the people who give the warmest welcomes, provide the most mouth-watering food and tell the stories that delight visitors, making them jewels of our tourism offer.

“The excellence on show today underlines the quality within the industry, ensuring fantastic visitor experiences. From galleries and museums, breweries and castles to theme parks and gardens, nature reserves and wineries, these attractions go the extra mile to guarantee visitors leave with magical memories.”

Andrew Patrick, one of the founding directors of moviESCAPE said:

“We were formed 9 years ago at the American film market in Los Angeles where our founding team were inspired to combine the magic of the movies with the excitement of escape rooms. moviESCAPE has seen many changes over the years but one thing that remains consistent is our commitment to providing the best possible visitor experience.”

Matt Butler, current Managing Director of moviESCAPE said:

“We are immensely proud to be presented with this prestigious award which is a testament to the hard work and creative talent of all our team. We continue to develop our offering with a new experience opening in early 2026 and look forward to welcoming both new and returning visitors to join us in our ongoing journey.”

Since 2016 moviESCAPE has been proud to be Stockport’s leading Escape Room offering, and a flagship attraction for the whole of the North West.

Created by filmmakers with a love of puzzles, cinema and adventure, and based in an atmospheric Victorian cotton mill in Bredbury, moviESCAPE is a perfect activity for families, friends, couples, parties, stag dos, hen dos, groups and work colleagues alike.

Escape Rooms are an increasingly popular form of entertainment where players must solve puzzles and complete challenges to ‘escape’ from a themed room. moviESCAPE currently offers three permanent escape rooms (Haunted House II, SAWtopsy, and Merlin’s Magic Academy) and a seasonal, Christmas themed popup escape room (Santa’s Express) with a fourth permanent escape room in development and due to launch in 2026.

The VisitEngland Visitor Attraction Accolades 2024-2025 were presented at a celebratory lunch at the British Motor Museum in Warwickshire on 12 November.

To see the full list of attractions to receive VisitEngland Visitor Attraction Accolades for 2024-2025, go to: https://www.visitbritain.org/business-advice/get-quality-assessed#visitengland-visitor-attraction-accolades

VisitEngland’s Visitor Attraction Accolades, now in their 11th year, are awarded to participants of the VisitEngland Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme across a range of tourism attractions from historic houses, gardens, country parks and farm attractions to galleries, museums, churches and cathedrals.