'Very best' of Scottish food and drink to be celebrated at Excellence Awards

The leading lights of the Scottish food and drink sector will gather at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre later this year for the 22nd annual Excellence Awards to celebrate the creativity, collaboration, and achievements of the businesses that make up one of Scotland’s largest industries.

Entries are now open from now until April 21 for the not-to-be-missed event which will be held in Edinburgh on September 7. The 21st awards, held in 2022, were attended by more than 700 people with Bakkafrost Scotland (formerly The Scottish Salmon Company) winning the top prize of Product of the Year with their Native Hebridean Smoked Scottish Salmon.

Supported by headline sponsor Asda, the 22nd Excellence Awards will champion the very best products, businesses and people from across the industry – from independent butchers to craft distillers, innovative confectioners to sustainable dairy producers - who are raising the bar and cementing Scotland’s reputation as a land of food and drink.

All entries to product categories will be tasted by an expert panel of judges, including main sponsor Asda. Major buyers and representatives from Marks & Spencer, Aramark, Edrington, Waldorf Astoria, Co-op, Sodexo, and Enotria & Coe have also previously formed part of the judging panel.

21 product and business categories are now accepting entries, including 2 new categories allowing the awards to showcase the range of produce available from the Scottish larder.

Iain Baxter, chief executive at Scotland Food & Drink, said: “We are so proud of the quality of the food and drink produced in Scotland and it is important for us to have the chance to celebrate the successes of the industry, and the people that make it so dynamic.

“This will be my first Excellence Awards as Chief Executive and I can’t wait to see what innovative products are on show this year, and of course, to welcome friends from across the Scottish food and drink industry to a well-deserved celebration.”

Ashley Connolly, local buying manager for Scotland at Asda, added: “Asda is proud to have been the headline sponsor of the Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards for more than 10 years, and we are really excited to be involved in the judging again this year.

"It’s fantastic to see the level of commitment shown by Scottish producers and it never ceases to amaze me how much experience, innovation and quality that comes through each year. Supporting local producers is incredibly important to us and we’re looking forward to trying some great new Scottish products at this year’s judging. If it’s anything like previous years, we’ll no doubt be blown away by the quality and ingenuity of the Scottish products on show.”

To find out more about the Excellence Awards and to enter, please visit excellenceawards.foodanddrink.scot.

The full range of categories includes:

Artisan Product of the Year

Bakery Product of the Year

Beer & Cider Product of the Year

Confectionery Product of the Year

Soft Drink Product of the Year

Dairy Product of the Year

Distilling Product of the Year- white spirits

Distilling Product of the Year- dark spirits

Fish & Seafood Product of the Year

Meat Product of the Year

Free From Award

Healthier Choice Product of the Year

Snacks & Accompaniments Product of the Year

Scotch Brand Product of the Year

Best for Scottish (Independent)

Best for Scottish (Multiple)

Employer of the Year

Regional Food and Drink Award

Sustainability Award

Young Talent

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