The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has revealed the finalists for the FDF Industry Awards 2026, celebrating the organisations, projects and individuals making an impact across the UK food and drink manufacturing sector.

Selected from hundreds of entries, this year’s shortlist spans manufacturing technology, product development, packaging, sustainability, food waste reduction, healthier diets, exports and workforce development.

Winners will be announced at the FDF Industry Awards ceremony on 17 September at the Troxy in London.

Manufacturing and Technological Innovation

• Backbone: The quality operating system for food and feed, from producer to shelf
• ECS UK – Modernising OT Support for Food Manufacturing
• Gosh Foods Ltd – Manufacturing efficiency improvement using OFS AI data analytics
• NFX UK – The country’s first Novel Foods Regulatory Expert Network led by RSSL
• Routd Technology – AI-Powered Logistics Intelligence for Supply Chains
• Siemens – Siemens Frugal Bottle Assembly Machine 2 (FBAM-2)
• SPX FLOW, an ITT Company – SteamRecycle Heat Recovery for UHT

Product Innovation

• Avanti West Coast – Avanti West Coast Menu and Product Innovation Strategy
• Carlsberg Britvic – Pepsi Zero Sugar Cream Soda and Strawberries ’N’ Cream
• Flow Health Science – Klario: First hypo recovery innovation in 100 years
• Ginsters Pastry Toasties
• Grenade Soft Core Creme Egg Flavour Protein Bar
• HECK! Sausage Rashers Innovation
• Pilgrim’s Europe – Mini Meals
• Princes Group
• The Magnum Ice Cream Company – Minecraft Ice Cream Stick
• Unilever – Pot Noodle Blocks

Packaging Excellence Initiative

• Carlsberg Britvic – OTOR8 Packaging
• JDE Peet’s – Pivot to Refill
• KP Snacks – Cracking the Nut of 100% Recyclable Packaging
• Mondelēz International – Cadbury Crunchie Multipack sticker
• Stateside Foods – Pizza Baseboard removal
• The Potts’ Partnership – Chaos Packaging meets kitchen couture

Net Zero Initiative

• 2 Sisters Food Group – NextGen Low-Carbon Poultry Feed Initiative
• apetito and Wiltshire Farm Foods – Recipe Decarbonisation Taskforce
• pladis Global – Back to Farm

Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative

• AB World Foods – Project SPICE: Support Programme in India for cumin and coriander farmers
• The Magnum Ice Cream Company – Design to Distribute: Transforming the Ice Cream Cold Chain Logistics Through Smarter Packaging Design
• JDE Peet’s – Common Grounds: Strengthening Smallholder Farmer Livelihoods at Scale
• JDE Peet’s – The Coffee Canopy Partnership
• Leprino Foods – Sustainable dairy supply chain
• Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages – Commitment to Water Regeneration
• SmartParc SEGRO Derby
• The Compleat Food Group, Point 74 and Sustained – A New Recipe for Sustainability
• Tilda Basmati Sustainability Programme
• Westmill Foods – Sustainable Rice Platform Project, Pakistan

Food Waste Initiative

• Cranswick PLC – Dynamic QR Codes: Enabling Data-Led Food Waste Reduction Across the Value Chain
• Felix and Alliance Food Sourcing – Alliance Food Sourcing
• Glebe Farm Foods – Upcycled oats: Turning waste into valuable nutrition
• Juniper – Perfectly Good: Field to Fork
• Kingfisher Foods – Maximising Crab Yield Across Supply Chains
• Open Kitchen MCR – Funding Community Education with Surplus-Led Catering
• The Compleat Food Group – Zero Food Waste Programme
• The Foxham – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Excellence in Supporting Healthier Diets

• Bio&Me – Fibre+Protein Bars: Bringing Gut Health into Snacking
• Happy Tapi Ltd – Prebiotic Sweetener for Healthier Diets
• Walkers Snack Foods Limited – Turning Ambition into Healthier Choices

Exporter Success

• Pilgrim’s Europe
• Ramsden International
• TAIKO Foods Ltd
• Vita Coco EMEA

SME of the Year

• Bio&Me
• Black Label Creations
• Daymer Ingredients Limited
• HECK! Food Ltd
• Pip & Nut
• The Gym Kitchen

Apprentice of the Year

• Benjamin Brawn, Electrical and Instrumentation Apprentice, Maintenance and Operations Engineering Technician Level 3 Apprenticeship – British Sugar
• Gary Eley, Finance Business Partner, Team Leader Apprenticeship Standard Level 3 – British Sugar
• Daniel Wright, Process Engineering Apprentice, Process Engineering Apprenticeship Level 3 – British Sugar
• Navinshka Kobbekaduwa, Packaging Technician, Higher Degree Packaging Professional BSc – Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I
• Georgiana Secaunu, Engineering Apprentice, Level 3 Mechatronics Engineering – Pilgrim’s Europe
• Thomas Wealthy, Engineering Apprentice, Level 3 Mechatronics – The Weetabix Food Company
• Isabelle Young, Chartered Management Level 6 – Samworth Brothers
• Alyssa Butterfield, Degree Apprentice, Ingredients & Formulation Team, Level 6 – The Magnum Ice Cream Company
• Abby Metcalf, Degree Apprentice, Ingredients & Formulation Team, Level 6 – The Magnum Ice Cream Company

Rising Star

• Emily Grainger, Demand Planner, CS&L Graduate, BSc Honours Degree – Mondelēz International
• Joshua Grugeon, Product Change Manager Senior Specialist, Civil Engineering Masters – Mondelēz International
• Ella Waring, Supply Chain Graduate: Supply Analyst, BA Environment and Business with Year in Industry experience in the pharmaceutical industry – Mondelēz International
• Antonia Boorman, Ethical Trade & Human Rights Manager – Princes Group
• Chelsea Draycott, Senior Buyer, Seed Oils, EOL – Princes Group
• Joanne Lamberti, UK Operations Colleague Training Lead – Princes Group
• Harry Haskew, Control Engineer – British Sugar
• Mackenzie Large, Apprentice Multiskilled Engineer, Extended Diploma in Sport & Exercise Sciences Level 3 and Food and Drink Maintenance Engineer Level 3 – Samworth Brothers
• Michaela Mok, Design and Communications Specialist – The Compleat Food Group

Food & Drink Technologist/Scientist of the Year

• Dr Megan Rossi, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer – Bio&Me
• Dr Erinn Quinn, Principal Scientist – Holland & Barrett
• Dr Abbie Cawood, Director of Science – Holland & Barrett
• Gareth Coffin, Senior Engineer II – Mondelēz International, Chocolate R&D, Bournville
• Dr Simon Flanagan, Research Fellow – Mondelēz International
• Dr Kar-Mun To, Rheology Specialist – Premier Analytical Services
• Carole Bingley, Product Development Technical Lead – Reading Scientific Services Ltd
• William Ballantyne, Technical Service Director, EMEA – Tate & Lyle PLC
• Sharon Leatham, Technical & Innovation Manager – White’s Oats

Outstanding Community Partner

• Felix – The FLEX Programme
• Ferrero UK – The Joy of moving programme
• KP Snacks – Everyone In: Transforming Communities Through Cricket
• NNEdPro Global Institute – Mobile Teaching Kitchen Initiative

People and Culture Initiative

• Coca-Cola Europacific Partners – Investing in CCEP’s People at Every Career Stage
• pladis UK&I – Increasing Representation of Women in Engineering
• Dunbia – Management Development Programme
• Edible Oils, a subsidiary of Princes Group
• Mondelēz International, Talent Acquisition UK&I – Direct Entry Recruitment Process
• Mondelēz International, Chocolate R&D – MDLZ R&D 5.0 Initiative
• Nestlé UK&I – Inclusion@Work: Nestlé Operations
• Proper Cornish – Our People & Culture initiative

Brand Launch of the Year

• Goodfella’s Pizza – Birds Eye
• Knorr UKI – Knorr Aromat
• KP Snacks – KP Signature
• Malcolm Allan, Macsween Allan Food Group – Malcolm Allan Rebrand Launch
• Mondelēz International – Cadbury Biscoff
• Rowan Glen – New Look for Rowan Glen Rich & Creamy Yogurt
• Walkers

Campaign of the Year

• Costa Coffee – The Costa Christmas Catch Up
• Goodfella’s Pizza, Birds Eye – There’s Good, then there’s Goodfella’s Goooood
• Mondelēz International – All Heroes No Zeroes
• PepsiCo – Walkers Everyone Has a Flavourite
• pladis UK&I – McVitie’s 100 Years of Milk Chocolate Digestives
• Princes Group – Pura Cooking Oils: Packaging that Performs
• Richmond & Towers – The Notorious P.I.E.: A Slice of Brooklyn Brewery
• Weetabix – The Weetabix Discovery

The winners of the FDF Industry Awards 2026 will be announced on Thursday 17 September at the Troxy in London. Early bird tickets are available until 14 August.