The awards recognise excellence from primary producers to manufacturers and brand-builders and are delivered by Opportunity North East (ONE) in partnership with Aberdeenshire Council, and this year with Marks & Spencer as headline retail partner.

Winning businesses will now showcase their products to a national audience at the Royal Highland Show in June as part of Scotland’s Larder — the food and drink showcase at Scotland’s largest agricultural event — coinciding with Aberdeenshire’s role as spotlight region in the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) Presidential Initiative 2025/26, which highlights the region’s contribution to Scottish farming, food and drink.

2026 winners

Best Food Product (Small Business): Vanilla Labs, for their Vanilla Pods — recognised for quality, potency and a compelling provenance story. Vanilla Labs is the first tenant at ONE SeedPod.

Best Food Product (Large Business): Joseph Robertson, for their Haddock Kiev — exceptional taste and faultless quality, backed by an impressive route to retail.

Best Drink Product (Established Business): Brew Toon, for Tanfield Export — quality, approachable drinking style and strong heritage links; a beer that continues to win fans well beyond the north east.

Best Drink Product (Young Business): Balmaud Distillery, for Balmaud Gin — a new Turriff distillery praised for a standout story, clean taste and packaging.

Innovative Impact (joint winners): Vanilla Labs — innovation built into every part of the business; and The Bread Guys Bakery — clean ingredients without compromising quality, plus standout social impact through apprenticeships passing the craft to a new generation.

Innovation in Agriculture (joint winners): Balmaud Distillery — a bold transformation, expanding farming operations into a distillery to maximise value; and A Melvin Henderson — effective use of equipment and automation across potato picking, processing and packing.

Trophies will be presented by RHASS President Pat Machray OBE at the Royal Highland Show on Thursday 18 June at 10am on the ONE SeedPod stand.

Award winners will be exhibiting at the ONE SeedPod stand throughout the show.

Stanley Morrice MBE, Vice Chair of Opportunity North East and Chair of the Food, Drink & Agriculture Board, said:

“Congratulations to this year's North East Scotland Food & Drink Awards winners and finalists. The number and quality of entries made for an incredibly competitive awards process and underlined the strength, ambition and innovation right across the sector. Thank you to our judges for the expertise and scrutiny they brought to a rigorous judging process across this exceptionally strong field of entries.

“The food and drink sector is a huge part of the North East economy, employing around 22,000 people, generating £2.4 billion annually and producing 20% of Scotland's food and drink output. From businesses rooted in farming and fishing to manufacturers, brands and exporters taking North East products to markets around the world, there is an enormous amount to celebrate. These awards are a chance to recognise the people and businesses continuing to raise the bar for the industry year after year.”

Jennifer Craw MBE, Chief Executive of Opportunity North East (ONE), said:

“Congratulations to all this year's North East Scotland Food & Drink Awards winners and finalists. The talent, energy and ambition across the region's food and drink sector is incredible, and these awards are a brilliant showcase for the people and businesses driving it forward. The Royal Highland Show is a fantastic opportunity to put these north east winners in front of a national audience, celebrating the quality and innovation coming out of the region.”

Pat Machray OBE, President of the RHASS Presidential Initiative 2025/26, said:

“We are delighted to welcome the awards to the Royal Highland Show in June and I'm very much looking forward to presenting the trophies to this year's winners on such a prestigious national stage. It will also be a fantastic opportunity to meet the producers behind these outstanding businesses and sample some of the exceptional products that make the region so well regarded across Scotland and beyond.”

Councillor Judy Whyte, Provost of Aberdeenshire, said:

“It gives me immense pleasure to celebrate the outstanding achievements of this year's winners of the North East Scotland Food and Drink Awards. These awards shine a spotlight on the remarkable innovation, quality and ambition being demonstrated by producers across our region. My warmest congratulations go to each and every winner — you are true ambassadors for the north-east and exemplify the excellence which defines Scotland's food and drink sector. I look forward to visiting each winner at the Royal Highland Show, where they will showcase their business and products in the Scotland Larder Foodhall.

Aberdeenshire Council is proud to continue its valued partnership with Opportunity North East in supporting these awards. Together we remain committed to recognising and championing the talent, innovation and enterprise that drive our food and drink sector forward, ensuring north-east Scotland maintains its position as a leader within the Scottish food and drink industry.”

https://nesfoodanddrinkawards.com