Entries Open for Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards 2025
Scotland’s premier celebration of food and drink is back! The Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards 2025 are now open for entries, inviting businesses across the sector to showcase their outstanding products, innovations, and people.
The prestigious awards ceremony will take place on Thursday, September 4th, featuring up to 36 accolades, including tasted product categories, business awards, and the new HIT Scotland Legacy Scholarship Award. This award offers an up-and-coming chef the opportunity to undertake a short stage in a MICHELIN Star restaurant. Entries for the awards opened on Thursday, April 3rd, 2025, welcoming food and drink businesses of all sizes to participate and be a part of this industry highlight.
Among the categories judged by an expert tasting panel are Bakery Product of the Year, Fish and Seafood Product of the Year, Distilling Product of the Year (Dark & Light), and Dairy Product of the Year. Every product entered will undergo tasting and assessment by experts from retail, foodservice, and hospitality.
The highest-scoring product from the tasted categories will receive the prestigious Product of the Year award. Business-focused awards will also celebrate excellence in sustainability, retail, and nurturing young talent. This year introduces four new categories to honor food tourism businesses, innovation, organic businesses, and food and drink campaigns.
Scotland Food & Drink Chief Executive, Iain Baxter, expressed his excitement about the awards, stating, “The Excellence Awards showcase the exceptional talent and passion within our industry, highlighting the quality and innovation Scotland is renowned for. It’s a great opportunity to celebrate the best of Scottish produce and producers driving our industry forward.”
Encouraging participation, Hayley Wilkes of WeeCOOK, the winner of Product of the Year 2024, shared her experience, saying, “Winning at the Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards was a huge honor for WeeCOOK. It’s about celebrating with fellow Scottish producers, sharing incredible food, and making memories that last a lifetime.”
The Excellence Awards also mark a milestone for Scotland Food & Drink’s tiered membership model, offering tailored benefits for businesses of all sizes. Top two membership tiers will receive one free entry to the awards, providing enhanced value and support to the industry.
Businesses interested in entering the Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards 2025 can find full details and submit entries at foodanddrink.scot/events-and-membership/the-excellence-awards. Entries close at 5 pm on Wednesday, May 28th, 2025.
Photo credit: WeeCOOK
