FDF Awards 2026 Winners
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The FDF Awards celebrate the outstanding achievements, innovation and commitment that drive the UK food and drink industry forward. Congratulations to our 2026 winners and finalists for setting new standards of excellence across the sector.
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Excellence across the supply chain
Net Zero Initiative Award
pladis Global - Back to Farm
pladis developed the Back to Farm programme in partnership with UK wheat farmers, supporting regenerative farming practices that improve soil health, resilience and long-term supply security. The initiative successfully balanced farmer flexibility with commercial sourcing requirements while delivering measurable environmental and business benefits.
Working with Frontier Agriculture and Yagro, the programme demonstrated positive outcomes in carbon reduction, farmer engagement and yield resilience, creating a scalable framework that can expand across larger wheat volumes and additional crops in the future.
Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative
Tilda Basmati Sustainability Programme (TBSP)
Tilda's Basmati Sustainability Programme (TBSP) transformed rice cultivation across its supply chain by scaling regenerative farming practices, including Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD), input optimisation and integrated pest management. By working closely with farmers and combining practical support with robust measurement, the programme successfully demonstrated both environmental and commercial benefits.
By 2025, TBSP supported 3,840 farms across 15,314 hectares, covering 87% of Tilda brand basmati. Between 2023 and 2025, the programme saved an average of 22.7 million kg of CO₂e annually, 36.9 billion litres of water and 5.64 million kWh of electricity, while increasing production by 6.9% and farmer income by 7.5%.
Food Waste Initiative
Open Kitchen MCR - Funding Community Education with Surplus-Led Catering
Open Kitchen MCR combined a surplus-led catering model with food waste education, using profits from catering to fund hands-on community cooking programmes. The initiative repurposed 252.75 tonnes of surplus food into catering and community redistribution while successfully launching the Cooking in Schools programme.
Already ahead of target, Open Kitchen MCR is set to reach 2,340 children through 156 lessons in 2026, creating a self-sustaining model that tackles food waste while educating the next generation.
Packaging Excellence Initiative Award
Mondelēz International - Cadbury Crunchie Multipack sticker
Mondelēz International trialled 1.8 million Cadbury Crunchie multipacks using a recyclable sticker in place of outer plastic packaging. Working closely with Tesco and multiple business teams, the project overcame technical design challenges to deliver a positive consumer experience while reducing packaging waste.
The trial achieved a 60% reduction in outer packaging per product, removing 1.6 tonnes of plastic. A first in Cadbury's 200+ year history and across Mondelēz's 40+ brands in 150+ markets, the initiative has the potential to scale across the company's 67 million UK multipacks and beyond.
Innovation & growth
Manufacturing and Technological Innovation Award
Siemens Frugal Bottle Assembly Machine 2 (FBAM-2)
Siemens partnered with Frugalpac to develop FBAM-2, a high-speed machine that manufactures the world's only commercially available paper bottle for wines, spirits and edible oils. By addressing key skills gaps through training and collaboration, the project helped accelerate adoption of lower-carbon packaging.
FBAM-2 can produce 14 million Frugal Bottles annually, increasing capacity fivefold while reducing costs by up to 30%, making paper bottles cost-competitive with labelled glass for the first time. The technology is now enabling large-scale market adoption and international expansion.
Product Innovation Award
Flow Health Science - Klario: 1st hypo recovery innovation in 100 years
Flow Health Science developed Klario®, the first innovation in hypo recovery in 100 years, combining 15g of fast-acting carbohydrates with additional energy sources to support blood glucose and brain energy recovery after a hypo. The team overcame significant formulation challenges, completing more than 100 iterations to solve stability and palatability issues while challenging a century-old "sugar-only" approach to hypo recovery.
Developed alongside leading diabetes specialists and more than 100 people living with diabetes, Klario has been clinically proven to reduce repeat hypos by 27%, improve Time-in-Range and accelerate recovery from the "hypo hangover" across more than 1,000 analysed episodes. The innovation is helping establish a potential new standard of care while supporting Flow Health Science's expansion into wider metabolic health solutions
Excellence in Supporting Healthier Diets
HappyTapi Ltd - Prebiotic Sweetener for Healthier Diets
HappyTapi founder Maldonade Da Silva Guimaraes launched the UK's first tapioca-based prebiotic sweetener range, introducing two products that replace sugar 1:1 while supporting gut health. Built as a solo founder with no food industry background, the brand secured listings with Holland & Barrett Marketplace and Amazon UK within its first year.
The business generated 50+ trade leads at IFE 2026 and gained coverage in Vanity Fair, GQ, British Vogue and House & Garden. HappyTapi is now expanding its retail presence while developing new products to grow its prebiotic sweetener range.
Export Success Award
TAIKO FOODS LTD
Taiko Foods launched its export operation in 2025, supplying premium UK-produced chilled convenience food to international markets. Despite navigating post-Brexit trade barriers, SPS controls, customs complexity and short shelf-life pressures, the business built a resilient export model focused on quality, compliance and reliable delivery.
Within its first year, exports accounted for 5% of total sales revenue, securing listings with BWG Foods, Tesco Ireland, Lidl Ireland and Musgraves. Supported by strong cross-functional collaboration, Taiko has created a scalable platform for international growth and future market expansion.
SME of the Year Award
Pip & Nut
Pip & Nut has grown from a challenger SME into the UK's number one nut butter brand through category innovation, disciplined growth and purpose-led leadership. Despite competing against major FMCG brands and navigating inflationary pressures, the business successfully expanded into snacking while maintaining high ingredient standards.
The company delivered 50% year-on-year growth, reached £37.5 million retail sales value, expanded into more than 40,000 outlets and now reaches over 2 million households. Led by founder and CEO Pip Murray, Pip & Nut continues to invest in innovation, sustainability and expansion as it works towards becoming a leading healthy snacking brand.
People & teams
Apprentice of the Year Award
Abby Metcalf, Ingredients & Formulation team, Level 6 Food Industry Technical Professional Degree Apprenticeship, The Magnum Ice Cream Company
Abby is completing a Food Industry Technical Professional Degree Apprenticeship with TMICC RD&I and Nottingham Trent University, consistently delivering high-quality lab prototyping, pilot plant trials, specification management and innovation support while balancing academic and business priorities.
She developed externally validated prototypes that secured a breakthrough recipe within two weeks and supported launch within six months. Abby also led pilot plant trials, submitted 92 specifications and strengthened supplier collaboration across the business. A passionate advocate for apprenticeships, she mentors peers, leads work experience placements and encourages young people to pursue careers in food and drink.
Rising Star Award
Joanne Lamberti, UK Operations Colleague Training Lead, Princes Group
Joanne progressed from line operative to Colleague Training Lead at Princes, where she has driven the development and rollout of the company’s colleague training framework across UK sites. Her passion for learning, compliance and people development has helped strengthen skills and career pathways across the business.
Having completed a Level 5 Professional Coaching apprenticeship and become a trained school mentor, Joanne has supported training coordinators, enhanced colleague capability and helped prepare teams for future products and roles. Her work is creating a stronger, more skilled workforce while fostering continuous development across Princes.
Food and Drink Technologist/Scientist of the Year Award
Carole Bingley, Product Development Technical Lead, Reading Scientific Services Ltd (RSSL)
Carole has spent more than 30 years driving food science innovation, developing successful products across confectionery, protein snacks, plant-based foods and consumer healthcare. Throughout her career, she has overcome complex formulation, manufacturing and supply chain challenges, including establishing a new micro-manufacturing capability for Mondelēz in just six months.
Her achievements include pioneering patented sugar-reduction technology and supporting the launch of the Grenade OREO Protein Bar, which became the category's best-performing product. Having supported more than 100 start-ups, Carole is now leading global biscuits and baked snacks product development at Mondelēz while championing nutrition-focused innovation and mentoring the next generation of food scientists.
Outstanding Community Partner Award
Felix - The FLEX Programme
Felix launched FLEX to transform surplus food into long-life products through innovative manufacturing interventions, including canning and freezing. By converting bulk, short-dated ingredients into shelf-stable products and smaller charity-ready formats, the programme helps prevent edible surplus food from becoming waste.
FLEX has produced more than 1 million meal equivalents, supported 4,133 charities across 99% of the UK and diverted 374,290kg of CO₂e from landfill. Through partnerships with food manufacturers, growers and processors, the programme has supported over 8,000 frontline community organisations while creating a resilient supply chain that ensures surplus food is redirected to social good.
People and Culture Initiative Award
pladis UK&I - Increasing Representation of Women in Engineering
pladis UK&I launched its Women in Engineering initiative to address the under-representation of women across engineering teams and embed lasting cultural change. Working within an environment shaped by decades of established practices, the team successfully overcame resistance and built strong collaboration across the business.
Within a year, female representation in engineering doubled, supported by permanent policy changes, new ways of working and a cross-functional committee driving progress. More than 3,000 colleagues have been engaged, with the initiative now serving as a blueprint for improving representation across other areas of the business.
Brand & campaign
Brand Launch of the Year Award
Mondelēz International - Cadbury Biscoff
Mondelēz launched Cadbury Biscoff in 2025, combining Cadbury Dairy Milk with Biscoff's caramelised biscuit to create a bold new platform designed to reinvigorate the chocolate category. Targeting younger consumers and changing snacking habits, the launch successfully reversed category decline and strengthened engagement among 18 to 28-year-olds.
The product became Mondelēz UK's biggest new product launch in a decade, generating £55m in retail sales value, achieving 19% penetration and a 48% repeat purchase rate. The successful collaboration between Cadbury and Lotus Biscoff has established a strong platform for future innovation and growth.
Campaign of the Year Award – Joint Winner
Goodfella’s Pizza (Birds Eye) - There’s Good, then there’s Goodfella’s Goooood
Goodfella's delivered a major brand relaunch built around the platform "There's good, then there's Goodfella's goooood." Combining product improvements with a multi-channel marketing campaign, the initiative repositioned the brand for families and younger consumers while strengthening quality perceptions.
Operating in a highly competitive category and facing long-term value and volume decline, the campaign successfully reversed performance trends. Goodfella's achieved double-digit value and volume growth, increased market share, strengthened brand affinity and boosted consumer engagement. Developed by the Nomad Foods and Goodfella's teams alongside agency partners, the platform now forms the long-term foundation for future product launches, retail activity and brand growth.
Campaign of the Year Award – Joint Winner
pladis UK&I - McVities 100 years of Milk Chocolate Digestives
pladis celebrated the 100th anniversary of McVitie’s Milk Chocolate Digestives with a multi-channel campaign designed to reconnect the iconic brand with consumers and re-establish its place in British culture. The challenge was to modernise a heritage brand in a highly competitive category while driving meaningful commercial results.
The campaign delivered record ad awareness, doubled brand buzz and significantly increased brand equity, including a 12-point rise in Meaningful and a 14-point increase in Salience. It also drove penetration growth of 2.2 points, attracted more than 580,000 new households and strengthened retailer performance, creating a scalable blueprint for future brand growth.
Also see...
FDF Awards winners case studies
Explore the stories behind our FDF Awards winners, showcasing the talent, innovation and dedication that make the UK food and drink industry one of the most dynamic sectors in the country.
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