Scottish food and drink celebrated at awards
THE very best of Scotland’s larder was put into the limelight at the recent Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards 2026.
Members from across Scotland’s food and drink sector came together at the Crowne Plaza Glasgow on 24 September to mark the very best developments within the space over the last 12 months and highlight some key team members who have been influential to the sector.
This year marked the 25th anniversary of the awards and saw 21 categories up for grabs during the evening, showcasing the tight competition and quality of products on display for the night.
Edinburgh-based Edgefield Craft Butchers took home the top accolade on the night for its Dry Aged Prime Rib from Native Scotch Cattle product. Judges praised the meat cut for its depth of flavour and juicy, melt-in-the-mouth texture and saw fit to name it as Product of the Year on the night.
Other winners included the Benbecula-based Salar Smokehouse, Orkney Gin Company, Eymouth’s Giacopazzi’s Wholesale Ice Cream and East Kilbride’s whisky distillery Jackton Distillery.
Every product entered was tasted by an expert panel of judges from across retail, foodservice and hospitality before the winners were revealed by the evening’s host Matt Tebbutt, Saturday Kitchen presenter and Masterchef: The Professionals judge.
Iain Baxter, chief executive at Scotland Food & Drink, said: “Seeing winners from every corner of the country reflects the strength of our sector. From the northern isles to the borders, from Aberdeen to the Hebrides, the quality and variety of what our producers make is remarkable.
“The Excellence Awards are the gold-standard that every food and drink brand in Scotland aspires to, and our winners thoroughly deserve to be celebrated for their achievements.
“Congratulations to all our winners, and to those who were shortlisted. We look forward to seeing them all continue to innovate, prioritise quality, and shine a light on our incredible food and drink sector.”
The full list of winners is as follows:
• Distilling Product of the Year (Dark Spirits) – Woven Whisky Makers for its Woven WXC Coffee Infused Whisky.
• Distilling Product of the Year (White Spirits) – Orkney Gin Company for its Aatta Gin.
• Beer & Cider Product of the Year – Six Degrees North for its Raspberry Beer.
• Dairy Product of the Year – Giacopazzi’s Wholesale Ice Cream for its Ricotta, Pistachio & Sour Cherry Gelato.
• Meat Product of the Year – Brownings the Bakers for its Kilmarnock Pie.
• Grocery Product of the Year – East Pizzas for its Topped Spicy Pizza.
• Artisan Product of the Year – Salar Smokehouse for its Flaky Smoked Salmon.
• Bakery Product of the Year – S. Collins & Son for its Sausage Roll.
• Fish & Seafood Product of the Year – Salar Smokehouse for its Flaky Smoked Salmon.
• Scotch Brand Product of the Year – Edgefield Craft Butchers for its Dry Aged Prime Rib from Native Scotch Cattle.
• Best for Scottish (Independent Business of the Year) – Howies Restaurants
• Food & Drink Campaign of the Year – Mackie’s of Scotland for its Full Cream Ahead Campaign.
• Young Talent of the Year – Jackton Distillery, Jaynie Kean.
• Business Innovation of the Year – Vanilla Labs.
• Employer of the Year – Bidfood Scotland.
• Food Tourism Business of the Year – Rae’s.
• Growth Business of the Year – Duncan Farms.
• Best of Scottish (Multiple Business of the Year) – Brakes Scotland, a Sysco Company.
• Product of the Year – Edgefield Craft Butchers for its Dry Aged Prime Rib from Native Scotch Cattle.
