North East outdoor company Berghaus is celebrating after being named the UK’s favourite outdoor brand in a public vote.  Thousands of people chose Berghaus in the 2014-15 BBC Countryfile Magazine Awards, from a shortlist of 10, and crowned the Sunderland based brand as winner.

Now in its fourth year, the BBC Countryfile Magazine Awards 2014-15 are a celebration of countryside and its people – from great heritage attractions and favourite holiday destinations, to the best nature reserves and the finest rural pubs.  The 2014-15 awards were launched in December 2014 and featured 12 categories.

Readers voted online, by email and post and the results were announced on Twitter this week.  Berghaus was the only winner from the North East, although Alnwick Garden secured third place in the best garden category.  The full list of winners and runners-up is available on www.countryfile.com.

Richard Leedham, Berghaus brand president, comments: “This is great news for Berghaus.  What makes this award so special is that it was voted for by the general public who take our kit to the setting for which it was designed.  Readers of BBC Countryfile Magazine are big outdoor enthusiasts and the fact that Berghaus is their favourite brand to use while exploring the hills, valleys and coastlines of the UK is really heartening.  Many thanks to everyone who voted for Berghaus and I can promise them that we have many more great products in the pipeline as we build up to our 50th birthday next year.”

Fergus Collins, editor of BBC Countryfile Magazine, adds: “This is our way of saying thank you to the people and places that make the countryside so special. The awards clearly roused great passion and amassed thousands of votes, a testament to the strong contenders in each category. It was a closely fought competition generating great interest. Our winners can be justly proud of their titles – they have been endorsed as outstanding examples in their field by our readership.”

For more information about Berghaus visit www.berghaus.com.