"A Lifetime of Excellence: The Story Behind Pencelli Castle's Diamond Standard

In this episode, Becky is joined by Craig Rees from Pencelli Castle Caravan & Camping Park, a family-run business that has been setting standards in the tourism industry for decades.

Craig, who now runs the park alongside his father Gerwyn and brother Morgan, shares the story of how the business was established by his parents and how his mother first entered the Loo of the Year Awards more than 20 years ago. For the family, the awards were never just about recognition; they provided a benchmark to work towards and a way of continually improving the facilities they offer to visitors.

Today, Pencelli Castle Caravan & Camping Park is among an elite group of sites holding the prestigious Diamond Grade, achieved by only around 3% of entrants. Craig explains how maintaining these standards requires commitment, attention to detail, and a dedication to ensuring facilities remain clean, welcoming, and up to date, even when inspectors arrive during the busiest periods of the season.

🏆 A Special Recognition

The conversation reflects on an emotional moment at the Loo of the Year Awards in January, when the Rees family were presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Craig speaks openly about the honour of receiving the award and how poignant it was, coinciding with the tenth anniversary of losing his mother, whose vision and determination helped shape both the business and its long-standing commitment to excellence.

🌟 Shared Standards and Values

Craig discusses how the Loo of the Year Awards complement other respected industry accreditations, including those from the Welsh tourism sector, the AA, and international holiday organisations from Germany and the Netherlands. He explains how the values of continuous improvement, customer care, and quality align closely with those of Pencelli Castle Caravan & Camping Park.

🤝 More Than an Awards Ceremony

The episode also explores the wider benefits of participating in the awards, from the knowledge gained through exhibitors and suppliers to the strong sense of community that has developed among entrants over the years. For Craig and his family, the awards day is not only a celebration of achievement but an opportunity to learn, network, and share ideas with others who are passionate about raising standards.

🚻 A Personal Mission

The conversation takes a deeply personal turn as Craig talks about prostate cancer and the impact it has had on his family following his father's diagnosis. He shares how his family, together with eleven other men from the farming community in Brecon, have worked to raise awareness of the disease and encourage conversations about men's health. Their experiences highlight the vital role that accessible, high-quality toilet facilities can play in supporting people living with health conditions.

This episode is a powerful reminder that behind every award-winning washroom is a story of dedication, hard work, family values, and a commitment to creating the best possible experience for visitors.

🎧 Tune in now to hear Craig's inspiring story.

to follow Craig :- please  go to Facebook 

Pencelli Castle caravan and camping  is also on facebook or www.pencelli-castle.com

For Becky :-www.linkedin.com/in/becky-wall-bem-a69b7a7b/

or  www.loo.co.uk 

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:30

Welcome to the podcast for Lou of the Year Awards. I hope you've been enjoying our last few episodes. Today I think you'll enjoy this. This is an award winner from 2025, and also they have been entering the Lou of the Year Awards now for over 20 years. So without further ado, I'd like to introduce you to Craig, who is the second generation of Penkeffli. Is that right, Cassie? Correct, yes. Castle um caravan and camping park. I've been really worried about pronouncing that, Craig.

SPEAKER_00 1:02

Welcome. Oh, well, thank you very much for inviting us onto the show. So thank you.

SPEAKER_01 1:07

Thank you. Can you give us a little bit of history first of all about the business? Because I understand it was started by your parents. Yes. And then how you and your brother have got involved and carried it on.

SPEAKER_00 1:18

Yeah, sure. So um mum and dad were both from farming backgrounds. Um they grew up actually on neighbouring farms. Um they came to Penkethy, where we sort of where the campsite is now. It was um farm buildings and 10 acres, which you couldn't really farm that anymore. So they uh diversified um into the caravan park, and slowly over the years it's just become what what it has today, you know, starting off with a smaller shower block in 2000. They put up the the bigger shower block. Um, and over the years we've just tried to you know keep keep going with everything, really.

SPEAKER_01 1:57

Brilliant. And it was quite a few years ago that your mum uh joined the Lou with the Year Awards by entering. Yes. Um, and I know having visited the site that you're all very proud of the years that they've been involved because it's all up on the wall, isn't it, in your reception area. Um, do you know why your mum felt that that was an important thing to be part of? Because I mean that obviously there's AA and all the others, but she also chose Lou of the Year Awards.

SPEAKER_00 2:23

I I think you know, the standard of cleanliness and hygiene, and that's paramount to what we want to achieve and offer with the facility block. So that's why the Lou of the Year stands out, you know, their 101-point criteria that we're judged upon, you know, helps maintain a standard and and it's a good one to sort of set the bar, really.

SPEAKER_01 2:42

Even when it's on a nights and you don't know where the.

SPEAKER_00 2:45

Yeah, that's right. But you know, we try our goal is to maintain that standard anyway. So, you know, when Lou of the Year turn up, it's during our peak time when we've got customers there uh through some holidays basically, because they could turn up anytime from July, August, September. So it's gonna be busy. So, you know, we're we're on our toes anyway. Um, and yeah, like you said, when when inspectors come, um, it isn't announced, but it's it's nice to see them too.

SPEAKER_01 3:11

And what's really exciting about what's happened with the site is that you are actually one of our 3% diamond graded um facilities. So, do you want to talk about that? How that has helped maybe with how you promote the the caravan site?

SPEAKER_00 3:26

Definitely. So, from a marketing point of view, that that's huge to us because you know, Lou of the Year is a credible logo now, you know, and it's a it's a brand that's established, and people know that they can trust if it's been graded at that level, that they're going somewhere if they haven't been before, then they know they're going to expect to see you know nice clean facilities.

SPEAKER_01 3:46

Is it hard to keep it that that high? Or do you think because it's become the norm for you now that it's quite easy to keep?

SPEAKER_00 3:56

Um I think it's because we you know we that that's our goal, really, to sit set that standard. So it's keeping that standard going, really. So it's to us now we just think of it as the daily, daily clean. But um when things break, you just try and maintain everything, you try and revamp things when they get dated, and then you just try and keep every little bit as clean as possible. So you know it's it's not a big, big job then when you're on top of it.

SPEAKER_01 4:23

And this year you came to the awards, yeah, unbeknownst that you you and your dad and your brother Morgan um were going to be recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award. How did that feel? And obviously it was a big surprise and it was quite emotional.

SPEAKER_00 4:40

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 4:40

But but how did that feel to sort of represent what you do?

SPEAKER_00 4:44

It's such a massive honour to be honest, because um you know, mum and dad have been to these award ceremonies for years and years, you know, and they've seen the people that have won this award, um, and you know, then for you know, has to be recognised with this trophy, it you know, it it is the biggest achievement we could get, really. So incredibly proud. It was very emotional, um, and just yeah, massive relief and elation, really, to so grateful to receive it.

SPEAKER_01 5:15

Because it was all done a little bit quietly. We'd um for the the listeners, we'd actually spoken to your brother's partner uh to get the history because we felt that it was it was worth a lifetime achievement award, but we needed to find a bit more history about how everything had started. And I hope you don't mind me mentioning, but for for the listeners, you unfortunately lost your mum. Um, what I didn't realise was the 10th anniversary this year, so actually it was quite nice that that award happened this year. Um, so it was quite it was quite hard to get the the information, but and without upsetting you all, but but honouring you for what you've all done, because to carry on for 20 years, or about 20 years, I think it is that you've been in Louis of the Year Awards is no mean feat. Um so what would you think your mum would have would have felt really? Would she because obviously you boys have carried on helping dad?

SPEAKER_00 6:09

Yeah, definitely. No, she'd be totally of the moon because you know she we we grew up, you know, like watching mum and dad um well, you know, clean shower block and mum mum was would be out there all the time, and you know, her standards are what we sort of um aim to to maintain, really. She sort of set the set us they set the bar, really. So that's when we just try and keep up, you know, what she taught us. So we're just very, very um pleased and proud, you know, just to say that yes, you know, I know it's sad and it's it's 10 years on, but she'd be so so pleased that we've actually kept kept it going and kept the standards up there.

SPEAKER_01 6:47

And let's just talk about the fact that you do um get recognised by other award schemes that look after caravanning and camping and and hotels and things, and you do quite well with those as well. So, does that make you um feel that the Lou of the Year Awards is obviously on a par with those other definitely, and you know, people come into our reception, we've got the awards on the wall, and they can see the Lou of the Year and the ones that we've won.

SPEAKER_00 7:17

And you know, they they they are up there with you know the the AA grading, the Welsh Taurus Board grading, all the other standards, you know, we've get graded by Dutch and German, you know, bodies that come over. So Lou of the Year is definitely up there.

SPEAKER_01 7:31

That's really interesting. Definitely. And what do you see for the future then? Are we still going to be entering a Louis of the Year Awards, keeping the Yeah, 100%, 100%.

SPEAKER_00 7:40

You know, the shower block is keeping that standard and the maintenance on that and the hygiene level is is one of our focal points, as well as the grounds and everything outside. So, you know, Lou of the Year just fits in perfectly to what we are wanting to do as well.

SPEAKER_01 7:55

Because I remember I came up um I don't know, it's 2020 or 2021 was the first time I met the family. Yeah. And I remember going in there and all the things that I always go on about wanting to see in a top grade is the pictures on the wall, the fresh flowers, and and things feeling more like a home from home, but with all the cleanliness and everything for multiple use. So that but the one thing that I really liked was um where the uh I think it was the baby bath was for the the children, is the tiles have pictures of pigs, didn't they? Uh character pigs with the having a having a shower or whatever. Yes, and I thought that was really, really lovely because that gave something for the children to focus on while being washed and cleaned and dressed, and that's what we look for in say baby change as well. We always say about that. So that was really something that that took my eye. We've got something for the children, and we'd also got these every extras for the adults. Yeah, is there things that you when you come to the Louis of the Year Awards? Because obviously we have um an awareness day, awareness part of the day, not just the awards. Are there things that you take away and think actually we might be able to implement that even though we're a diamond, or we could do something different? I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 9:07

Is there things that you feel definitely? So, what I always think is really good at the Lou of the Year Awards ceremony is you've got so many trade stands and you know you've got suppliers there and they're bringing all their ideas, so you know you're getting the cutting-edge ideas, um, what's on the market, what can be done. So it's a great place you know to go go just to see that as well as the award ceremony.

SPEAKER_01 9:29

I guess with being busy all through the season, a lot of the shows where you would be able to go and see those sort of things are out of bounds because you're busy.

SPEAKER_00 9:36

Yes, that's right. So it's it's in the autumn, uh winter period that gives us more of a chance, more flexibility to get to the NEC or wherever there is a you know an exhibition on.

SPEAKER_01 9:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:48

So what would your um sort of thoughts be to telling people about entering? How how would you, if you were asked to market or promote Louis of the Year Awards, what what would you say?

SPEAKER_00 9:57

What would your I'd say it gives you an amazing bar to achieve for because you know the standards it's there with their you know point criteria? Um, you know, if you if you can't go far wrong, if you're you know you look to what the Louis of the Year are asking you for, try and hit those, you know, you're gonna get the standard that you want to be at, really.

SPEAKER_01 10:19

Lovely.

SPEAKER_00 10:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:19

And is there anything else that you feel that you could tell us about either the the business that you're you're running there with your dad and your brother, or about Louis of the Year awards that would help listeners understand more about how we all align?

SPEAKER_00 10:34

Yeah, definitely. Like the it's is a sense of community as well. You know, you over the years you'll you'll you get to meet people like yourselves um and the inspectors, and although it's unannounced, you don't know when anyone's gonna turn, you know, it's it's lovely to see the faces turn up again, and another year's gone by. Um, so it's it's lovely in that respect.

SPEAKER_01 10:53

And I guess the same when you come to the awards day, you have faces again that you haven't seen for 12 months, and talk about how things have been over the year.

SPEAKER_00 11:01

Exactly, it's always a great day, and it's a day that you look forward to.

SPEAKER_01 11:05

So, Craig, obviously, Liewith the Year Awards is about raising standards, but one of our main things now is raising awareness of barriers to people that have disabilities, um, whether they're hidden or physical. And we talk about hidden disabilities with people that have um some sort of disease, so it could be Crohn's and colitis, you know. Or we also like to raise awareness for people that have got certain cancers. And uh I know that um your dad, bless him, has suffered with prostate cancer. Yes. So would you be able to talk to us about a bit what what you and your family and your dad's family have done and and how that came about to raise awareness of prostate cancer?

SPEAKER_00 11:46

Yeah, sure. So um dad uh uh had prostate cancer, and you know it's a scary time to to have all that, but at the same time, there were uh a few uh, you know, we're in an agricultural community, so it's a tight-knit community where people sort of know a lot of each other, and all of a sudden you had uh quite a few people in a similar sort of situation, so I think they were able to sort of share the sort of struggle um and the journey in a way um together, sort of to help one another with support in that, and that sort of led to them wanting to give a little bit back with the the the charity side and also to raise awareness to anybody else, more than anything, to say, look, if you have these symptoms, uh detecting it early is a big thing.

SPEAKER_01 12:38

So um we were talking with P-Wave, one of our sponsors, who are part of the NHS England um check for blood in your pea on their urinal mats. Um, so that's that's with everybody can see that. But here um I understand when you say it was a group of them, I think it was about 12 in in Breckenshire, yes, all within sort of an agricultural community. Um, and they've been working very closely with prostate commercial.

SPEAKER_00 13:05

That's right.

SPEAKER_01 13:06

Yeah. Now we also had our paths crossed there then, didn't we? Because I remember they were going to do a fundraiser and your dad had put out on Facebook looking for some mobile toilets because the event was going to be in a marquee.

SPEAKER_00 13:19

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 13:20

And the ironic thing was Charles, my partner, straight away said, We'll help you because of a plush flush, uh, because we knew you, and you know, we were very much about raising awareness ourselves and also about charity work. Um, but the ironic thing was that the venue you hosted it at was somebody that Charles and I had known for many years because Charles used to work for him, but unfortunately he was also suffering, wasn't he?

SPEAKER_00 13:43

He was, yeah, and he's part of the group that together, you know, they've helped do these charity events, and you know, the the broader community, then when they have events, they've you know donated through this this group to Prostate Camry. Um, and you know it's raising vital funds, but also the awareness and the message more than anything.

SPEAKER_01 14:04

And I think that's really important because with Louis The Year Awards, we're also um talking very much with businesses about bins for boys because of that very reason the dignity that needs to be thought about when diseases like this occur. So I think that's really, really something that you your family should be really proud of for all the work you're doing. And I understand it's somewhere near 100,000 now, just with this little group of 12 and their supporters have raised.

SPEAKER_00 14:32

Yeah, and with the community, what they've chosen to support the group by giving through this group to Prostate Kemry. So, yeah, it's nearing £100,000 now.

SPEAKER_01 14:41

Great, and I just think that's so important for us to talk about from Louis the Year Awards because the standards that we want is because we want people to be able to feel safe when they need the toilet for whatever reason, but especially when you're suffering, you don't want the extra anxiety to you.

SPEAKER_00 14:57

At that point, more than anything, that you know you appreciate the cleanliness, you know, the facilities and and everything that goes with that.

SPEAKER_01 15:04

Yeah, lovely. Yeah, thanks, Craig, for talking about that.

SPEAKER_00 15:07

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 15:07

Just one thing is do you feel that by having these awards it helps? We talked about marketing, but have you seen a difference since you've got like more awards? So, like the AA grading and now the lifetime achievement. Have you seen anything different in your bookings or bookings?

SPEAKER_00 15:23

Yeah, it's always amazing, you know, to get an award on achievement because it gets it there on social media in the local press, and that helps, you know, with the awareness to help with bookings coming in. So, you know, people are starting to look now, especially with the weather getting better, to book for the summer holidays. So you'll you'll definitely it definitely it has to help in that respect, doesn't it?

SPEAKER_01 15:45

I noticed it was quite quick, wasn't it? Some of the PR for you because your local papers were on it, weren't they? In 24 hours, and it was really interesting to see. Yeah, um, so that was really good. Oh well, done. Thank you ever so much for coming to talk to us, Craig. And I think there's a lot of people out there that are probably small businesses like yourself, too, who will listen to this and say, Do you know what? Actually, we can we can do it.

SPEAKER_00 16:08

Definitely worth it, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:09

Thank you for your help with that. Oh, thank you very much. So that's uh Craig and thanking him very much for being part of our podcast or the bookcast today, and uh hopefully inspiring others to join in with Lou with the Year Awards um to help not only raise standards but also to help market their businesses.