Food Manufacturing Excellence Awards – the shortlist

Big and small-scale food and drink manufacturers alike feature in our awards shortlist published for the first time today (September 22).

Our independent judging panel – chaired by Thorntons’ boss Paul Wilkinson – spent hours last week poring over the record number of entries for this year’s food and drink manufacturing Oscars. After probing balance sheets, business strategy, category management, investment plans, team development and a host of other factors, the judges​ reached unanimous agreement on which firms should wear the food and drink manufacturing crowns.

And the category winners are …​

And the category winners are … To be one of the first to discover the identity of the winners, book your place at our glittering gala dinner to be held at the London Hilton in Park Lane on Thursday November 20. Reserve your place here​ or email Rebecca George at: rebecca.george@wrbm.com or call her on: 01293 610422.

Entrants within all categories were also considered for two further awards by the judging panel: Judges’ star performer and Food manufacturing company of the year.

A new category in this year’s Oscars is the Young talent of the year award, which recognises the achievement of young people in the food and drink manufacturing sector. Watch out later this week for our video interview with Justine Fosh, chief executive of the National Skills Academy for Food and Drink, on why celebrating young talent is so important.

Meanwhile, don’t miss our video interview​ with veteran judge Wayne Morley, group head of technical innovation at 2 Sisters Food Group, where he explained what made 2014 such a vintage year for entries.

Food Manufacturing Excellence Awards shortlist 2014​

Ambient manufacturing company of the year​

• Burts Chips
• Fudge Kitchen
• Glanbia Performance Nutrition
• Graze
• Kolak Snack Foods
• Sleaford Quality Foods

Bakery manufacturing company of the year​

• Allied Bakeries
• Border Biscuits
• Finsbury Food Group
• Ginsters
• Hovis
• Walker & Sons

Beverage manufacturing company of the year​

• Coca-Cola Enterprises
• Savse Smoothies
• Thwaites

Chilled and dairy manufacturing company of the year​

• Avondale Foods
• Higgidy
• Ichiban UK
• Kerry Foods
• Mash Direct
• Windyridge Cheese

Meat, poultry and seafood manufacturing company of the year​

• ABP Doncaster
• Cargill
• Dawn Meats
• Faccenda Foods
• Karro Food Group
• Tulip

Best new use of food ingredients​

• Pulsetta Foods
• Taywell Ice Creams
• Willowbrook Foods

Supply chain initiative​

• Ginsters
• Graze
• Hovis
• Santa Maria with Yusen
• Thwaites with Columbus
• Tulip

Environmental initiative of the year​

• Dawn Meats
• Fresh Olive Company with Wastesolve
• Hovis
• Kelly’s of Cornwall
• Moy Park with Biffa
• Samworth Distribution

Training programme of the year​

• Arla Foods
• Chilled Food Association
• Fairfax Meadow
• Hovis
• Kinnerton Confectionery
• Tulip

Judges' star performer​

• Chilled Food Association
• Ginsters
• Graze
• Hovis
• Mash Direct
• Samworth Distribution

Small and medium-sized enterprise innovation of the year​

• Ichiban UK
• Savse
• Raynor
• Windyridge

Young Talent of the Year​

• Jodie Adcock (Thorntons)
• Ben Bowman (OAL – Olympus Automation)
• Matthew Glynn (Windyridge Cheese Co)
• Jessica Lowe (Hovis)
• Alice Marks (Willowbrook Foods)
• Amy Watson (Fresh Olive)

Don’t forget, you can be among the first to learn the identity of the winners by booking your place at the gala awards evening at the London Hilton in Park Lane on Thursday November 20. Book your table here​ or contact Rebecca George at: rebecca.george@wrbm.com or telephone 01293 610422.