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FMEA 2024: Who’s in the running?

22-Nov-2023 - Last updated on 24-Nov-2023 at 10:25 GMT

And the 2024 Food Manufacture Excellence Awards finalists are...

The finalists for the Food Manufacture Excellence Awards 2024 have been announced.

Judging for next year’s Food Manufacture Excellence Awards (FMEA) began back in October, when more than 100 entries were submitted into the running.

A team of over 30 judges pulled together to read the entries and discuss who would proceed to the final.

Now, the judges have decided their finalists…

The judging process

Among some returning accolades, the FMEAs also welcomed in new categories for 2024, including the Community Award, the Innovation Award, ESG Excellence Award, Employer of the Year, and Factory Manager of the Year.

For five of the awards (listed below), there was a further level of judging. Upon successful completion of the written entries, these people-based accolades required the entrant to present in front of a panel in a Dragon’s Den format last week (13-17 November 2023).

Each candidate was given 10 minutes to present, with a 10-minute Q&A with the judges. From there and following the conclusion of all presentations, the judges reviewed the written entries in combination with the presentations to settle upon the finalists.

The awards which mandated interviews were as follows:

Factory Manager of the Year
Business Leader of the Year
Employer of the Year
Future Talent Award
Food/Beverage Manufacturer of the Year

All other awards were judged based on written entries.

This event is proudly sponsored by our headliner Menzies, alongside event sponsors Quor, HSBC, and CAS Recruitment.

The 2024 Food Manufacture Excellence Finalists

The finalists for each category are as follows:

Business Leader of the Year

Marc Burbidge - B3 Labs
Andrew Hewston - Bumble Hole Foods
Michelle Laithwaite - Fuel Hub

Collaboration and Partnership Award

DIGI Europe & The Refill Coalition
Kingsmill Professional & Zest Food Partners
Nestlé & First Milk

Emerging Business Award

Fuel Hub
Great Balls of Flour
Little Bobby Jebb Foods

Employer of the Year

Arla Food UK
Bumble Hole Foods
Mondelez International
Proper Cornish

ESG Excellence Award

Arla Foods
Dunbia
Mindful Chef
Moo Free

Factory Manager of the Year

Kate Clawson - Sleaford Quality Foods
Stephen Lane - Pro-Pak Foods
Bernard McAuley - Pilgrims Food Masters
Edward Poska - Princes
Jarek Sadowski - The Compleat Food Group

Food Integrity Award

B3 Labs
Culture Compass
Dunbia

Future Talent Award

George Buckwell - The Compleat Food Group
James Burch - Coca-Cola Europacific Partners
Izzy Duignan - Nestlé UK and Ireland
Mollie Harvey – Lincoln & York
Calum Jones - Princes
Rhian Smith - Princes

International Trade Award

Plant-Ex Ingredients
Prima Cheese
Princes
Regal Food Products Group
Wyke Farms

Site Team of the Year

Charlie Bigham's - London Kitchen
Fuel Hub - Production Facility
Moy Park - Dungannon
Pilgrims Food Masters - Attleborough
Princes - Long Sutton
Solina UK Trading

Supply Chain Excellence Award

Authenticate IS & The Compleat Food Group
Pilgrim's UK
The Collective Dairy

The Community Award

Action Against Hunger - The Compleat Food Group
Blue Dragon Children's Foundation & TNA Solutions
One Feeds Two - Mindful Chef
Project Surplus - Charlie Bigham's
Work For Good & B1G1 - Fudge Kitchen

The Innovation Award

Foodify - Foodify Innovation
Innovative new sustainable products - BioPak
Innovative plant-based breakfast drink - Earth'D Drinks
Living Soda - FHIRST
Mentos Paperbottle - Perfetti Van Melle
Morro Nutri - Xampla
Superloaf - Modern Baker

Food or Beverage Manufacturing Company of the Year

Arla Foods
Beechdean Dairies
Bumble Hole Foods
Hilltop
Sleaford Quality Foods
The Tracklement Company

The winners will be announced at the Food Manufacture Excellence Awards 2024, which will take place on Thursday 8 February at the London Hilton Bankside. Tickets are available to purchase, here.

All tickets to the Food Manufacture Excellence Awards include: