The winner is set to be revealed as part of the wider Food Manufacture Excellence Awards, taking place the London Hilton Bankside on 5 February 2026. Tickets are available to purchase here.
This year’s awards are supported by headline sponsor Menzies, and event sponsors Domino Printing Sciences, Reed, Langdon, and Multivac UK.
Simply Doughnuts
In a classic North vs South battle, we see Blackburn-based Simply Doughnuts stake its claim to the prize after an exceptional 2026.
Reliant on a relatively small, but “tight-knit” team, the business takes pride in the productivity and efficiency of its workers, who are often required to start work at unsociable hours and in staggered patterns to maximise workflows and suit client needs.
Despite the disruption that potential unplanned absences can cause, the Blackburn site has been able to mitigate these risks by encouraging staff from different lines to shadow one another.
As a result, they are then able to understand the upstream and downstream processes and, if necessary, cover for one another to prevent bottlenecks.
Over the last 12 months, Simply Doughnuts says that is has given considerable new emphasis to maintaining quality standards and to minimising waste, with the two considerations being closely linked.
Much of this stems from a policy of encouraging staff to understand the vital role that each process plays in delivering a high-quality product, for many years the business has achieved an AA/AA+ rating following site inspections by BRC Global Standards.
The firm adds that by disseminating an awareness of ‘what quality looks like’ at the start and end of each stage, it has been able to foster a sense of individual pride and of collective teamwork.
Staff can now tell immediately if there is a problem with an upstream operation or, conversely, if their own stage is failing to deliver to the requisite standard.
Proper Cornish Ltd
Bodmin-based wholesaler and supplier Proper Cornish benefits from a considerably larger team, but has equally been able to foster a sense of togetherness and unity among its personnel.
Bringing together a diverse set of skills, perspectives and personalities, the business will be hoping to secure its second consecutive title after coming top of the Food Manufacture Site Team of the Year award for 2025.
First launched in 1988, Proper Cornish has now been a regional fixture within the county for close to 40 years, and famously helped create a Guinness World Record for the world’s largest pasty in 2010 as part of the TV show ‘Monster Munchies’.
Informed by its mantra: “Made Proper to Taste Proper”, the firm says that it is proud to live and be guided by its five core values:
- Quality
- Friendliness
- Customer-first
- Honesty
- Passion
Just like Simply Doughnuts, Proper Cornish is also a BRC Global Standards AA+ certified bakery, operating out of its 58,000 square foot site.
Focusing on traditional Cornish pasties, the business also produces a range of sausage rolls, savoury pastries, sweet patisseries and vegan and vegetarian options.
Proper Cornish was purchased by France-based frozen speciality group Onoré in March 2023 in a bid to expand its international presence.