The Food Manufacture Excellence Awards - set to take place on 5 February 2026 - are known as the Oscars of food and drink production.
This year 14 awards are up for grabs, including the prestigious Innovation Award.
Five companies are vying for the title of most innovative - here we introduce you to each one and their forward-thinking that won them a place in the final.
Blends Flavours & Colours LTD
Vitalife – owned by Blends – is a functional wellness carbonated soft drink, available in 5 flavours in 330ml cans.
The idea was born from Blends colleague’s own personal experiences who struggled to find an all-in-one drink that provides the daily requirements for good health, gut, skin, and mental focus without being packed with sugar or lacking in flavour.
The concept and proposition was tested through panel research with 200+ independent target consumers.
In the Middle East, the business has secured agreements to list in major retailers such as Panda in KSA, Trolley in Kuwait, Carrefour, Choithrams, and Dr Nutrition in the UAE with many more in discussion. The business is in discussion with a number of UK retailers too.
The sales potential for Vitalife has been the catalyst for the business to invest in a new canning line and ensure it drives sales revenue growth of +10% and more than £2.5 million incremental cash profit in the first year. Blends says this lead to job role creation too, with the sales, marketing and operating teams needing to expand.
Overall the success of Vitalife we believe will more than double the size of our business over the next 3 years.
Microsalt
MicroSalt is designed to be a simple, natural and effective way to reduce sodium by up to 50% without impacting flavour.
The company’s patented technology recrystallises salt to just 1 micron (vs 300 micron table salt). In 3D that means that Microsalt has 216,000 times more surface area (60x60x60) which generates 216,000 times more salty taste.
The crystals are so tiny that they dissolve almost immediately to release a big hit of salty flavour with up to 50% less sodium so that consumers don’t notice any difference in taste.
Only 30% of sodium comes from the saltshaker at home, so Microsalt focuses on the other 70% from processed food, food on the go or eating out – working across applications such as baked goods, snacks, cheese and ready meals.
Its aim is to provide an alternative that tastes the same but doesn’t pose the same health risks associated with high sodium consumption. This includes high blood pressure, weight gain, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
So far in 2025, more than 472 million servings of food have been made healthier by MicroSalt, helping some of the biggest global food companies and restaurant chains meet nutritional targets (like non-HFSS) and maintain their sales as consumers haven’t noticed any taste difference.
Pip Organic – Booost Trading Ltd
Pip Organic was launched in London 27 years ago by husband-and-wife team Partrick and Karen O’Flaherty.
Their 100% pure organic juices started life in Borough Market. Its Apple Fizz – which has made the final for Food Manufacture’s Innovation prize – is an organic, no-added sugar, clean label, real fruit fizzy drink designed for families. Its ingredients comprise organic apple juice (60%), sparkling water (40%), and antioxidant ascorbic acid (vitamin C).
The launch has been a Gen Alpha extension of the range.
The Flava People
Flavour innovation specialists, the Flava People, have almost 50 years of experience in sauces and seasonings. The business develops flavour-led solutions across retail, foodservice, and B2B manufacturing.
In partnership with Diageo since 2019, the duo have expanded the Guinness brand into new eating occasions through infused sauces, seasonings, recipe mixes, and pastes. Their latest collaboration with Pott’s has seen the launch of Guinness Gravy Cans.
This initiative showcases a new approach to manufacturing processes, driving category disruption, consumer excitement, and trial while strengthening the connection between premium food innovation and iconic brands.
Just two weeks after launch, the two products (Guinness Beef Gravy and Guinness Chicken Gravy, 330g) sold out across all 240 Morrisons stores.
Win-Win
Win-Win is the UK’s first cocoa-free alternative to chocolate, created to address the environmental, ethical, and supply challenges of cocoa production.
Through its patented fermentation technology, it transforms abundant, sustainable ingredients such as rice and carob into couvertures and compounds that look, taste, and perform just like conventional chocolate.
Its approach not only offers a viable alternative to the challenges cocoa is currently facing, but also boasts a dramatically lower water and environmental footprint (up to 80% less water and an 84% reduction in CO2e).
Its product range spans Milk, Vegan M.lk, and Dark Choc Alternatives, giving manufacturers, chefs, and consumers a truly sustainable and scalable solution.
