The UK's only industry awards for freefrom food

sponsorship, free from food awards

2021 Sponsorship

 

Raising the profile of freefrom foods within the industry and with the consumer

Becoming a sponsor of the 2021 FreeFrom Food Awards brings the opportunity for you to

Take the lead in a rapidly growing sector of the food industry

Raise the profile of your company with the people who really matter

Sponsorship benefits

Join us at the Presentation

Complimentary tickets to the Awards, joining over 300 freefrom industry players in celebrating along with the winners as they are revealed as part of the now legendary Winners Buffet.

Opportunity to present the award for the sponsored category and be photographed with the winners. Photographs/videos will then be available for your use.

Social Media

  • Regular mentions in our active social media streams with over 12,000 combined followers.
  • Opportunities to become involved in our regular social media campaigns.

Your company logo to be displayed:

On the awards website and associated communications.

  • At the presentation event.
  • At all consumer or trade events attended during the awards year.

Opportunity to be involved in the awards’ Zoominar programme

  • An opportunity to reach a larger audience through the FreeFrom Food Awards’ upcoming programme of online networking and workshops.

Sponsorship to suit all budgets

  • Wide selection of sponsorship packages.
  • Simple 3 part payment plan to accommodate all cash flows.

2021 Sponsorship

· Winner’s Buffet 2021·

The Awards’ legendary Winner’s Buffet made up of all of that year’s winning products – the high point of the evening when guests get to taste THE best in freefrom

Sponsorship: £2000

Special Awards

· Retailer of the Year ·

Sponsored for 2021 by Oakland International

An exciting category designed to recognise the significant role that the supermarkets play in the freefrom sector.

This category requires a minimum entry of 25 products into full price categories of which the top scoring 20 will be considered for this award.  The judges will also take into account factors such as the breadth of the retailer’s freefrom range, availability of products and new product development.

· FreeFrom Hero Award·

Sponsored for 2021 by Natasha’s Allergy Research Foundation

We are seeking someone who has made a major contribution to freefrom, in no matter how humble a role.  An excellent caring freefrom school cook, a cafe owner who really caters freefrom – all suggestions welcome

· Best Independent Brand of the Year ·

Sponsored for 2021 by Nutraceuticals Group Europe

A new category designed to celebrate the role of independent brands in the development of the freefrom sector.  There will be awards for both the Best Small Brand (with 3 or fewer employees) and the Best Big Brand.  To qualify for this award, entrants will need to have entered a minimum of 3 products into the awards for a ‘Small Brand’, and 6 for a ‘Big Brand’.

Sponsorship: £2000

· Best Labelling for a Freefrom Product ·

The labelling of freefrom food – what to include, what to leave out, whether or not to use PAL/may contain warnings – is a minefield.  This award is given to a product whose label is not only clear and compliant but benchmarks excellence in helping the FF consumer identify safe food.

Sponsorship: £2000

· Best Packaging for a Freefrom Product ·

The judges will be looking for the most innovative, exciting and sustainable packaging format for a freefrom food, which could be in terms of production method, design and/or materials.

Sponsorship: £1750

· Foods Manufactured for Food Service ·

Sponsored for 2021 by Asda

The return of our category devoted to foods manufactured for food service – so crucial as the sector tries to recover from the COVID pandemic.

· Best Digital Presence for a FreeFrom Brand ·

Sponsored for 2021 by DigitalJen

For any freefrom brand a strong digital presence (website, social media) is essential – even more so in COVID times when selling direct to the customer has become crucial. Creating that presence requires a huge amount of work – on top of actually developing, preparing and selling your products.

This award will celebrate a really strong online presence including a positive digital user experience: a website and social media to which a freefrom consumer is drawn, that they feel they can trust and that they can use to access information and/or safe products.

Our judges will be looking to see how the freefrom consumer is engaged, how easy it is for a customer to buy freefrom products (either directly or from a third party) and how the digital presence informs and educates them in all things freefrom.

Main Awards

1. Innovation Award

Sponsored for 2021 by Nairns Oatcakes

No matter how large or small you are you can have great ideas.  New concepts, innovative use of ingredients or manufacturing techniques, unusual recipes, new ways to deliver health or flavour.  We want to know about them.

  1. For companies with a turnover of less than £100,000
  2. For companies with a turnover of more than £100,000

2. No Top 14 – with a twist

To accommodate people with allergies to some of the ingredients outside the list of EU-recognised top 14 allergens (such as pea – now widely used as an alternative) we have added peas/chickpeas to our list of allergens. Entries must still be free of 14 allergens, but entrants can choose which 14 they exclude. For instance a peanut puff, which excludes 14 of our 15 listed allergens will now be eligible for this category.

Sponsorship: £2500

3. Best Product from a Start-Up

Sponsored for 2021 by Tesco

This category is only open to products manufactured by entrants who have been in business for less than two years (eg they must have started trading no earlier than 21st September 2018). The award will be made based on the quality of the product and not on any other aspect of the company’s business. We are delighted Tesco will be offering mentoring to the winner.

4. Artisan Foods

Sponsored for 2021 by Seedful

Artisan is a term used to describe food produced by non-industrialised methods – no matter where it is sold.  Artisan food makers should have mastered the craft of their particular production and show a historical, experiential, intuitive and scientific understanding of the process.  They should also be sensitive to the impact of their production on people and the environment.

Sponsorship: £1750

5. Breakfast Foods

Always a very well-populated category, Breakfast Foods includes all of those delicious products which set you up for the day.

  1. Breakfast cereals
  2. Breakfast baked goods

This is one of our ‘multiple product’ categories and offers the sponsor significantly more exposure and coverage than the single product awards.

Sponsorship: £2000

6. Milk Product Alternatives

This category includes milk alternatives, spreads/butters, cheeses and yoghurt.

  1. Lactose-reduced cow’s milk, goat, sheep, buffalo & camel products
  2. Plant based products

Sponsorship: £2500

7. Breads

The most ‘staple’ of the staple products. Whole loaves, sliced breads, rolls, speciality breads, pitta breads, naans, sandwich thins etc.

Sponsorship: £1500

8. Store Cupboard

Any store cupboard item whether ambient, dried or frozen, excluding pasta and pizza bases but including bread and cake mixes. A very large and absolutely crucial category in freefrom.  Offers the sponsor more exposure and coverage than the single product awards. Depending on entries we may subdivide this category and award individual or joint gold winners, silver and bronze awards.

Sponsorship: £3000

9. Pasta and Pizza

  1. Fresh and dried pasta
  2. Filled pasta
  3. Pizza bases and complete pizza

Sponsorship: £1000

10. Snack Bars

Sponsored for 2021 by Romer Labs

An essential item in every school lunch box, briefcase, handbag and sports bag these days!

Cereal bars, fruit bars, energy bars, nut bars, protein bars, grain free bars, raw bars, superfood bars and many more.

11. Savoury Snacks and Crackers

Crisps and other snacks to accompany a drink, and crackers, to eat on their own or with cheese and dips.

Sponsorship: £2000

12. Drinks

Any alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks that are found in a pub/bar/party.

  1. A Shot of Class  – for liqueurs, whiskeys, gins, vodkas, proseccos, cocktail mixes, wines
  2. Gluten Free Beer & Cider – a category for all types of GF beer and cider. Beer must be GF and can be made with or without barley/wheat/rye/oats. Products are judged according to type, and can be AF or low alcohol.
  3. Mixing it Up – for soft drinks and mixers

Sponsorship: £2000

13. Meat, Fish and Vegetarian Ready Meals

Any meal that you can take out of the freezer, the fridge or the store cupboard – then heat up and enjoy in front of the telly!

Sponsorship: £1500

14. Vegan Snacks and Meal Ideas

Sponsored for 2021 by Planted

Anything from a vegan crisp or sausage roll – to a full meal. Products entered into this category must qualify as vegan and freefrom – and be free of at least one of the 14 major allergens.

15. Child and Teen Friendly Food

Sponsored for 2021 by Genius Gluten Free

From an early age, freefrom children are very food aware, nutritionally conscious and have surprisingly sophisticated tastes.

We are looking for entries that will appeal to age groups from post toddler to late teens.

Sponsorship: £1500

16. Tea Time

Sponsored for 2021 by FREEE by Doves Farm

A popular category with a generous entry of delicious scones, crumpets, biscuits, cookies, brownies, cake bars, cakes, celebration cakes, and seasonal products (such as Simnel cakes, mince pies). Judges assess artisanal/handmade and factory made entries separately and on their own merits; they are not directly compared.

17. Dessert and Puddings

Every kind of hot and cold dessert and pudding from sticky toffee pudding to ice cream, including seasonal desserts such as Christmas puddings.

Sponsorship: £2000

18. Confectionery – Chocolate and Sweets

Sponsored for 2021 by Wellaby’s

We are looking for everything from everyday chocolate, sweets and candy bars to seasonal confectionery (Christmas and Easter), low sugar/sugar free confectionery and any other sort of confectionery!

19. The Gift Category

Exciting, elegant, indulgent and thoughtful sweet or savoury products that you’d be proud to buy as presents for friends and relatives!

Sponsorship: £1500

For more on sponsoring an award, please talk to Kara on 07734 948481 or email kara@freefromfoodawards.co.uk