About the Food Awards
The Food Awards are for all year round (AYR) non-seasonal food products, regardless of occasion need or type. We welcome everything from handy store cupboard ingredients to ready-to-eat meal items.
First launched in 2008 they are well recognised and trusted within the industry. Consumer awareness has grown considerably over the last few years, and by recognising and celebrating safe, quality & innovative free from products we are committed to aiding the lives of the free from consumer. We support, promote & encourage quality, innovation & execution within the free from category.
Foodservice Awards
We welcome foodservice products for free from products supplied into wholesale and hospitality; find further information and entry details here; and you will find the entry form within your account once logged in.
Nutritional Supplements
We welcome supplemental products that have a palatability and preparation element, such as shakes, mixes, blends, powders and concentrates; you will find the entry form within your account once logged in.
We cannot assess formulation or efficacy, so supplements that have no palatability or preparation dimension, such as tablets and pills, are not a good fit for our awards.
Key Dates
- Food Awards – entry now open
- Early Entry Discount closes – Friday 23rd January
- Food Awards entry close – 20th February 2026
- Judging – March & April 2026
- Awards Presentation Party – June 2026
Criteria
To qualify for entry into the Food Awards, all entries
- must be free from at least one of the top 14 UK-listed major allergens with no precautionary allergen labelling for the allergen/s specified in the free from claim*
- must be commercially available nationwide by June 1st 2026, i.e. sold through independent retailers, online or a multiple retailer (refer to Awards Terms & Conditions for exceptions)
*e.g. product cannot claim to be gluten free and have a ‘may contain’ warning for gluten.
By submitting an entry you are agreeing to our Terms & Conditions.
Entry Fees & Discount Codes
We do not want cost to be a barrier to entry, and have not increased entry fees since 2020.
We have tiered pricing based on company turnover:
- Micro = company turnover £0-£300,000 = £105+VAT per entry (use code at check out microcFFA2026)
- Small = company turnover £301,000- £3,000,000 = £150+VAT per entry (use code at check out smallcFFA2026)
- Large = company turnover <£3,000,001 = £185+VAT per entry
10% discount on entries made before 23rd January 2026 (applied automatically)
How to Enter
If you need any help with your entry, please email us or phone 07790 869706. There is a real person at the end of this line, so if there is no answer please leave a message or send a text, and you will get a reply.
1. Getting started
Head over to Account Login and either:
- Create a new account with all your contact details. Please double check that your email address is correct.
- Or log in to your existing account and check all details are up to date.
Then you’ll arrive in your account.
2. Submitting product information
From within your account – select Transactions>Basket, then select a Food Awards entry form from the drop down menu. Then click ‘Add Selected’ and then scroll down to find your entry form to fill out.
Each product requires a separate entry form, with mandatory fields to fill in. There are also optional fields to give the judges a fuller understanding of your product.
You can save the form as you go: click ‘Save for later’ at the bottom of the entry form, and come back to edit it later – the entry forms can be found in your account in ‘Transactions>Saved items’ on the lefthand side.
Once your form is complete, submit the entry form by accepting the Ts & Cs and clicking the green CONTINUE button.
Enter your details for invoicing, and on the next page, SUMMARY, the cost for entry will be calculated with the early entry discount automatically applied.
Add in the discount code at this point, as per your company’s size (these can be found above).
3. Making payment
Please make payment via debit card or credit card. You will receive a VAT invoice by email once payment has been made.
If you wish to pay another way, please select ‘Invoice’, and make sure to pay within 30 days.
You’re now entered into the Food Awards
You can see all your entries in your account. Simply log in, and click on ‘Complete’ on the lefthand side where you will see all your completed and paid for entries.
Samples & Judging
Samples
Once you have submitted your entry forms you will receive an email (please check junk / spam) with the following details:
- Dates of judging sessions
- Dates for sample deliveries – a window of a few days within which we can receive your samples
- Addresses and delivery instructions
- Quantity of samples you will be required to send
NB: You must make sure your product will be within date (shelf life has not expired) at the time of judging
In the Entrant Area, you will find your ‘Entrant’ Logo to promote your entry.
Judging
Our judging sessions are run with 3 – 5 expert judges – head over to FAQs for more information on the Judging Process
Our judges can see the mandatory fields you have filled in for each product, and can choose to read any of the extra details you have provided if they so wish.
Results
Medallists will be announced at the Awards Presentation Party in June (date TBC) and we warmly invite all entrants, friends, sponsors and judges to join us for the very best free from networking event in the calendar!
Details will be shared here soon, and invitations will be sent out in May. There will be a tiered ticket price.
Logos will be available to download and are free to use on your product: see Logo Use Guidelines for details.