Food Manufacture Excellence Awards announced in three days

Anyone wanting to find out who will claim the trophies should save the date here​​ and listen in on the day. Who will claim the overall crown of Food Manufacture​ Company of the Year? This top company is chosen by the judging panel from the winners of the product category awards. Last year's winner was Raynor Foods​​.

New for this year is the main Plant-Based Manufacturing Company of the Year category. You can view video interviews of representatives from each of the three finalists, Freaks of Nature​​, Glebe Farm Foods​​ and Winterbotham Darby​​.

Aside from the main product categories, another topical category this week will be the ever-popular Food Manufacture​ Apprentice of the Year. The announcement of this coincides with National Apprenticeship Week, which runs from 8-14 February. Readers can also access podcast interviews with the finalists Amelia Cockran, Coca-Cola European Partnerships​​; Emily Chater, Pilgrim’s Pride Ltd​​; Gabrielle Freeman, Pilgrim’s Pride Ltd​​ and Henry Greer, Finnebrogue Artisan​​.

13 categories​

If you're a finalist in any of the 13 categories, you can muster the team that made your entry possible around their terminals and watch live as the judges' verdicts are declared. But you don't have to be a finalist to listen in.

Viewers will also be able to access the digital brochure giving a run down of all the finalists. And don't forget to tweet ahead of the day using #FoodmanAwards!

In addition to the overall title and the 12 category winners of the awards, which are sponsored by Dawn Foods ​​and Fowler Welch​​, the Small and Large Manufacturing Company of The Year also receive trophies. This recognises the unique contribution food manufacturing companies generating sales of up to £10m and those amassing sales above that have made to the industry.

Judges Special Awards​

This year, Judges Special Awards, which are not an annual occurrence, will also be given out, recognising finalists that have excelled in one particular field or deserve special mention.

Look out too for the individual emerging as the winner of the 13th category: Business Leader of the Year 2021. The recipient is chosen on the basis of readers' online votes from a shortlist of six drawn up by the editorial team.

Unlike many other product-based awards, which are based on the quality of foods produced by entrants, the Food Manufacture​ Excellence Awards recognise excellence in manufacturing. They are independently judged by a panel of judges collectively boasting more than 150 years of food industry experience in a two-stage process involving online entries and a day when the panel convenes to assess the finalists.

If you think you have what it takes to be in the running for an award next year, register your interest now​​.