Nicole Eaves’ agency Garstang Travel in Preston was named top of the TTG Top 50 list of agents in the UK and Ireland, after claiming extraordinarily high ratings by a huge panel of suppliers.

The awards were announced in a glittering ceremony at the Vox Centre in Birmingham, to around 400 agents and suppliers on Monday night.

Garstang Travel has been a fixture on the high street of Garstang near Preston for 32 years, with most of the 10-strong team working at the store for between 10 and 20 years.

Speaking on Monday night following the announcement of her win, Eaves told TTG she was “absolutely gobsmacked”, but insisted it was her team she had to thank for her success.

“I think it’s down to the people that I’m surrounded by on a daily basis - my team is amazing,” she said. “And the travel partners – the support I get from our suppliers is second to none; they help us to be the best at what we’re good at.

It’s just such a massive surprise,” she said. “For once in my life I’m stuck for words. We’ve won a lot of awards but to have this, at this time – after 32 years - to win this award is just the biggest accolade ever.”

Eaves also praised the many other agents named in the TTG Top 50. “There are a lot of amazing people out there. I didn’t think I would be in the running for the UK and Ireland’s number one travel agency.

“The Top 50 is superb, it’s the crème de la crème – and it’s great to honour the retail people that are on the front line. There are some amazing businesses out there, and to think I’ve won the number one has just blown me away.”

Eaves said customer service had always been paramount to Garstang Travel, and a huge investment into a shop refurbishment a few years ago had significantly “paid off”.

She added that TTG’s Top 50 was proof that the high street was still going strong. “Twenty years ago they said the high street was going to be dead. And then 10 years ago they said the same - this is the proof that the high street is alive and kicking.

“With everything going on in the world at the moment, people are coming back to the high street agent, because they want security and because they want knowledge,” she added.

The award will now take pride of place in the shop, Eaves said. “We’ll be making sure customers see it. It’s just such a massive accolade.”