'Yorkshire's most dog-friendly holiday cottage' in Robin Hood's Bay receives award from Dragon's Den star Theo Paphitis

Owner Rachel Spencer, 48, entered the awards by posting on Instagram about her mission to make the cottage the most dog-friendly in Yorkshire and dog lover Mr Paphitis, 64, who has a cocker spaniel called Gladys, chose her to join his community of over 4,000 winners.

He presented her with her certificate at the annual SBS winners event at the ICC in Birmingham.

Ms Spencer said: “To have this recognition from Theo is a huge boost and it puts dog-friendly Robin Hood’s Bay and Yorkshire on the map.

“When I opened the doors at Sunnyside Cottage I was determined to make it stand out as a truly dog welcoming place to stay.

“We make it all about the dogs, with a welcome pack for each canine guest with treats, a nautical bandana, and poo bags to keep the village clean.

“There’s a biscuit barrel and a toy box with balls for dogs to take to the beach and we even provide Dogrobes dressing gowns for them so they can dry off afterwards.

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SBS began in Mr Paphitis’s kitchen in 2010 when he had the idea to give small businesses a boost by retweeting their social media pages to his followers.

Each week he urges people to share the passion behind their businesses and chooses six winners, three from X and three from Instagram. The SBS community now has over 4,000 members.

Mr Paphitis said: “We are thrilled to welcome new #SBS members every week and highlight just how important it is to support our small businesses here in the UK.

“My vision is that everyone who has ever won an #SBS retweet from me becomes part of a friendly club; like-minded individuals who can share successes and learnings.

“The website will also give a valuable profile to the winners chosen and I wish Rachel and Sunnyside Cottage every success.”