Food and Drink Federation publishes shortlist for Awards 2018
11 July 2018
The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has announced the shortlist for the Food and Drink Federation Awards 2018, which take place on Thursday 20 September at The Royal Lancaster, London. The annual awards celebrate the people, products and positive contributions that the food and drink manufacturing industry make to the UK.
The Awards finalists showcase the dynamism of the UK's food and drink manufacturers and their commitment to innovation, quality, and the communities in which they are situated.
The shortlist for each category was chosen by an expert panel of judges and nominees include exceptional individuals, well-known brands, and promising SMEs from across the country. A new category this year, Brand Launch of the Year, looks across launches of brands, initiatives, or rebrands, and considers the approach taken and level of consumer engagement.
This year's category sponsors are AKTRION FOOD, General Mills, Kite Packaging, Sheffield Hallam University, Omron, PepsiCo UK, Grant Thornton UK LLP.
The winners will be announced at the Awards ceremony in September. The prestigious event brings together around 500 guests to celebrate the success of the winners and the strength of the food and drink industry. This year's host is Jay Rayner, celebrity restaurant critic and food journalist for The Observer.
FDF Awards 2018 Shortlist
Apprentice of the Year (sponsored by AKTRION FOOD): Chloe Richmond – Nestlé UK, Marianna Campanaro – Nestlé UK, Sam Pawson – Britvic, Kris Gratham – pladis UK & Ireland, Ryan Handley – Mondelez International, Daniel Blake – TrakRap Ltd, Sophie Paveling – Coca Cola European Partners Great Britain Ltd
Brand Launch of the Year – New for 2018: Pladis UK & Ireland – McVitie's Chocolate Digestives Thins, Birds Eye Limited – Birds Eye Relaunch 2017, KP Snacks – McCoy's Chips: Full-on Chip Shop flavour, Britvic – Robinsons Refresh'd, Taylors of Harrogate – Home of Extraordinary Flavour, Premier Foods – Batchelors Super Noodle Pots
Campaign of the Year (sponsored by Grant Thornton UK LLP): Unilever – Marmite Gene Project, Birds Eye Peas – With love from Birds Eye, McCain Foods – 'We are family', Premier Foods – Mr Kipling & Roald Dahl's splendiferous summer partnership
Community Partner (sponsored by General Mills UK Ltd): NEMI, Apetito – Supporting local communities through the staff foundation, Nestlé UK – Healthy communities - a partnership between Nestlé UK and C3 collaborating for health, Addo Food Group – Wall's helping hand, RSSL – RSSL & No.5, Premier Foods – Ambrosia Creamery: Celebrating 100 years of partnership with the Lifton community
Diet & Health: Apetito, Kafoodle, Birds Eye Limited, Premier Foods, Mr Lee's Pure Foods Co
Education Initiative : Premier Foods – School Partnerships, RSSL – Science Outreach Programme, Nestlé UK – Nestlé Academy Campus Team Initiative, Macphie – Developing the Future Workforce, PepsiCo – Grow Our Own
Environmental Leadership (sponsored by Kite Packaging): Mondelez International – Cocoa Life, British Coffee Association – BCA Sustainability Mission, Coca-Cola European Partners – This is Forward - the Sustainability Action Plan, Nestlé – Waste Not Want Not, Pladis Global – The pladis cracker and biscuit wrapper recycling programme, Central England Co-operative – Close the Case LED Lighting
Exporter of the Year : Premier Foods, Smylies, Ashbury Labelling, Ramsden International, Mr Lee's Pure Foods Co, Sticksology – Infusion Sticks
Food and Drink Engineer of the Year (sponsored by Sheffield Hallam University): Ross Morrison – pladis Global, Chris Quarmby – PepsiCo, Ed Pooley – British Sugar, Adam Grief – British Sugar
Food and Drink Scientist of the Year: Simon Flanagan – RSSL, Rob Griffiths – RSSL, Mike Jordan – Premier Foods, Amy Jackson – Tate & Lyle, Stephanie Marty-Terrade – Nestlé UK
HR Initiative: Pladis – Leveraging the Apprenticeship levy in the UK, Weetabix Food Company – Employee Engagement and Experience, ABP UK – Stop Modern Slavery, Birds Eye Limited – Management and Leadership Development Programmes, Unilever – Unilever Future Leaders Programme (UFLP)
Innovation (sponsored by Omron): Mara Seaweed – Pioneering a supply chain to bring an ancient superfood, a seaweed, back into modern diets, Borough Broth Co – Organic Bone Broth, OAL Connected – APRIL Eye - Stop human error with artificial intelligence, Mr Lee's Pure Foods Co – Mr Lee's Noodles and Noodle Kiosks, TrakRap Ltd – The TrakRap Packaging System, Victor's Drinks Ltd – JAW Vessel
Rising Star (sponsored by PepsiCo UK): Katherine Cook – Premier Foods, Chloe Dwyer – Nestlé UK, Harry King – Nestlé UK, Calum Finn – Nestlé UK, Hannah Chipman - McCain Foods, Steph Hockings – Birds Eye Limited, Fatma Khan – Baked by Neelu
To follow: Emerging Business (sponsored by Grant Thornton UK LLP) will be announced in late July/early August.
Ian Wright CBE, Chief Executive of the Food and Drink Federation, said:
“I am delighted to announce the shortlist for this year's Awards. Every year, the entries highlight the quality of both the products and the people that make up our industry. As we face the challenges ahead of us, it is important to take the time to celebrate our success together.”
For Information
Contact Skye Oudemans, Corporate Affairs Division, at: skye.oudemans@fdf.org.uk, or 02074207120.