大象传媒

The three finalists In each category were chosen from thousands of nominations by an expert panel of judges led by chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. They were looking for those individuals and businesses who make life better through food. They could be at the cutting edge of innovation, leading on the best environmental practices or bringing communities together.

The awards ceremony takes place this year for the first time in Glasgow on 2nd December, where we will announce the winners. There is a new award this year for those championing the best Scottish local produce with a strong connection to their community - 大象传媒 Scotland Local Food Hero. This is run with Landwards and Out of Doors with judges Dougie Vipond (Presenter on Landward & The Great Food Guys) and Rachel Stewart (Presenter & Journalist on Out of Doors.)

The judges are currently meeting all the finalists to assess who will be chosen as the winner. Here are the finalists in each category:

BEST FOOD PRODUCER AWARD – Judged by Sheila Dillon

North by Sud Ouest (Liverpool)
In partnership with Edge and Son’s Butchers of New Ferry, Wirral, using exclusively high welfare free range, slow-grown, local, rare breed, mature pigs, they produce traditionally cured meats with a nose to tail ethic.

Bold Bean Co
Founded by Amelia Christie-Miller, Bold Bean Co sells expertly sourced beans, all carefully seasoned, slow-cooked in small batches, then jarred for maximum flavour. They have recently launched the first UK-grown jarred beans – their Queen Carlin Pea.

The Kennett Crayfish Co (Berkshire)
Signal crayfish are massive issue for the UK’s waterways damaging river banks and ecosystems. Kennet Crayfish were exporting huge amounts before law changes made this difficult. Owner Andrew Leech is now trying to encourage UK consumers to try a shellfish that not only because it tastes good but also could be helping the environment.

BEST DRINKS PRODUCER AWARD – Judged by Jaega Wise

Bullhouse Brewery (Belfast)
Bullhouse Brewery is a pioneering craft brewery known for pushing the boundaries of beer-making in Northern Ireland. Founder Willy Mayne started homebrewing on the farm he grew up on just outside Belfast and now the company has grown to be one of the most respected breweries in the nation.

Glenturret Distillery (Perthshire)
Founded in 1763, The Glenturret Distillery is located in Crieff, Perthshire, and is claimed to be the oldest distillery in Scotland. Using traditional processes, they combine the knowledge and experience gained over generations of distillers, with the creativity of modern experts.

Ki Kefir (East Sussex)
Ki Kefir was set up by Sam Murphy and Damien Belle , who collectively have over thirty years of experience in the health and fitness industries. They use traditional methods and source the best quality organic and grass fed milk from a single dairy.

THE DIGITAL CREATOR AWARD – Judged by Max La Manna

Nettles and Petals (Jamie Walton) @nettlesandpetals (North Yorkshire)
An organic grower, circular gardener, forager and conservationist, inspiring others to interact with nature, whether that’s by sowing their first seeds, foraging their first wild edible, or simply by gaining more appreciation for the natural world.

Melissa Thompson @melissafood (London)
Food writer Melissa Thompson has a growing following on social media with her popular series using a dehydrator to make ground spices as well as making content about BBQ. She is also an champion for diversity in food media. Melissa is also the author of Motherland: A Jamaican Cookbook, charting the history of the island's iconic food alongside its history. She is also a columnist for Good Food magazine.

Elly Curshen @ellypear (Bristol)
Elly Curshen is a bestselling cookbook author who's passionate about cooking food from scratch and using up leftovers. She is the author of the best-selling books Fast Days and Feast Days, Elly Pear's Let's Eat! and Green, and is a weekly columnist for Waitrose Weekend.

THE FARMING FOR THE FUTURE AWARD WITH THE ARCHERS AND 大象传媒 FARMING TODAY – Judged by Charlotte Smith and Lucy Speed

Jon Allen, Burnt Hill Herb Company (West Yorkshire)
Jon grows herbs, salads and vegetables alongside trout in an aquaponics system where the waste from the fish nourishes the plants. This creates a sustainable system and award winning smoked fish.

Andrew Howard, Bockhanger Farms Ltd (Kent)
Andrew is keen on creating and using new ways to sustainably manage the land. With specialties including diverse rotations, intercropping and the use of solar power, his farm is a forerunner in the battle to keep agriculture environmentally beneficial, sustainable and profitable.

Tom Martin, FarmerTime (Cambridgeshire)
‘Farmer Time’ pairs farmers with school classes; currently over 10,000 school children video call their paired farmer every fortnight to link curriculum learning with life on the farm.

THE BEST STREETFOOD/TAKEAWAY/SMALL EATERIES AWARD - Judged by Leyla Kazim

Wasted Kitchen (Kent)
Revolutionary food themed from around the world, using surplus, seasonal food from local producers, served in completely sustainable and compostable dabba tins.

The Piece Box (Isle of Mull)
Based in their converted garage in the quiet village of Dervaig, on Mull, The Piece Box provides hungry passersby with delicious seafood-based salads, sandwiches and other goods.

Jakobs Café (London) Jakob’s cafe is an Armenian-Persian restaurant, deli and catering business serving London since 1996. They are known for their fresh, colourful and flavoursome food which ranges from organic salads, wraps and quiches to lasagnes and various Armenian and Persian dishes.

THE FOOD INNOVATION AWARD – Judged by Dan Saladino

Groundswell
Now in its 8th year, the annual Groundswell event provides a forum for farmers and anyone interested in food production or the environment to learn about the theory and practical applications of conservation agriculture or regenerative systems, including no-till, cover crops and re-introducing livestock into the arable rotation, with a view to improving soil health

The Wonki Collective
The Wonki Collective (TWC), launched in 2022, is the world’s first business to business matchmaking technology for food and drink manufacturers to track surplus ingredients in their supply chain and seamlessly reuse, sell, or redistribute them.

Car-Y-Mor (Pembrokeshire)
A unique project in Wales, off the coast of St David’s, Câr-Y-Môr (translation: for the love of the sea), runs two community-run farms growing kelp, scallops and oysters, while monitoring for biodiversity and carbon capture.

THE 大象传媒 SCOTLAND FOOD HERO AWARD - Judged by Dougie Vipond and Rachel Stewart

Stranraer Oyster Festival (Dumfries and Galloway)
Launched in 2017 ,Stranraer Oyster Festival is an annual food festival celebrating Loch Ryan’s wild, native oysters. The festival has delivered a profound impact. Formed by local people to catalyse community regeneration, it has grown to become a major celebration of the area’s unique coastal heritage and amazing seasonal produce.

Cosaig Growers (West Highlands)
Jake Butcher and Kate Wieteska have a small holding in the tiny village of Glenelg in the Highlands of Scotland. Working since 2016, they have transformed their marginal plot of land from brambles and bracken by hand with scythes and barrows, using hyper local inputs, into an impressive market garden providing fresh food for their community. They have a weekly veg box scheme and supply to Glenelg's thriving small businesses.

Lisa Houston, Lauriston Farm (Edinburgh)
Lisa is a community food grower based in Edinburgh and has worked extensively with refugee and migrant-led community groups in Thailand. Returning to Scotland in 2019, she supports and trains new growers at Granton Community Gardeners, and is also one of the founding members of Edinburgh Agroecology cooperative working Lauriston Agroecology Farm, a 100-acre site overlooking the Firth of Forth in North West Edinburgh.

The finalists of the Countryfile Young Countryside Champion and Morning Live Community Food Hero will be announced later in the year