Fortnum & Mason Food & Drink Awards 2025 Shortlist Announced

The Fortnum & Mason Food & Drink Awards shortlist is one of the most eagerly awaited dates in the food writing & broadcasting calendar.  The shortlist for 2025 was recently announced recognising excellence in food and drink writing, broadcasting and photography. For thirteen years, the awards have championed those who help others to enjoy, explore, experiment, and discover more about food and drink, through their writing, photography, and commentary.  It’s an area that women do very well in and this year is no exception.

This year’s shortlist includes ground breaking investigative journalism, mouth-watering cookery writing and captivating food and drink storytelling across all mediums. The exciting list of finalists covers subjects such as working in the  challenging environment of male dominated kitchens, Caribbean cooking, Balkan food culture, Japanese sake and a podcast on herb and spice scams.

The shortlist is selected by an expert panel of independent judges, across 13 categories, from work published or broadcast during 2024. The elements considered include fresh and original content, authenticity, visual flair, engaging style, and unique perspectives.

The awards also have a public vote giving you  the chance to  Vote for your favourite Personality of the Year, Content Creator of the Year and Rising Star Content Creator of the Year. Voting for these categories closes at 12 noon – Friday 18th April 2025 anyone casting a vote can automatically enter a free prize draw for a chance to WIN one of six Fortnum & Mason Hampers worth £150 each!

The awards shortlist people, books, or programmes in each category. There is a woman shortlisted in every category and  women make up the majority of most categories particularly in the cookery book listings.

Food Books

For the Food Book Category the shortlist is Between Two Waters: Heritage, landscape and the modern cook by Pam Brunton, The English Table: Our Food through the Ages by Jill Norman and The Gourmand’s Lemon: A Collection of Stories and Recipes edited by David Lane & Marina Tweed.

We were delighted that Sally Abé‘s memoir A Woman’s Place is in the Kitchen is shortlisted in the debut food book category. Women in the Food Industry hosted an event on 11th June 2024 centred around the launch of Sally Abé’s memoir.  You can read a recap of the event here.

Also shortlisted in debut books is Leftovers: A History of Food Waste and Preservation by Eleanor Barnett.

Cookery  books

New cookery books saw the following included in the shortlist: Agak Agak – Everyday Recipes from Singapore  the second cookbook by Shu Han Lee; Pocha the second cookbook by Su Scott and The Elements of Baking by Katarina Cermelj.

In the debut cookery book category we were very pleased to see KIN: Caribbean Recipes for the Modern Kitchen by Marie Mitchell, The Balkan Kitchen: Recipes and Stories from the Heart of the Balkans by Irina Janakievska.

Drink Books

The Drink Book of the year shortlist included: The Martini by Alice Lascelles and The Connaught Bar: Cocktail Recipes and Iconic Creations by Agostino Perrone with Giorgio Bargiani and Maura Milia.

Photo by Urszula Soltys

Alice was also shortlisted for Drinks Writer of the Year for her work featured in the Financial Times & Noble Rot.

The shortlist for debut drink book features Yoshiko Ueno-Müller for her book Sake: The Art and Craft of Japan’s National Drink.

Food Writing Categories

Congratulations to Toyo Odetunde shortlisted in Best Food Writer category for her work featured in Food by National Geographic Traveller & The i Paper.

Best Cookery Writers shortlisted included Ravinder Bhogal for her work featured in delicious. Magazine and Songsoo Kim for her work featured in Vittles Magazine.

Niki Blasina was shortlisted in the Restaurant Writing Category for her work featured in the Financial Times.

Photography & Broadcasting Categories

Sanjana Modha  for her work in her cookbook Sanjana Feasts and Yuki Sugiura are both shortlisted in the photography category.

In Best Food Programme Category, congratulations to shortlisted  Junior Bake Off, Series 9  with Presenters: Harry Hill, Judges: Liam Charles & Ravneet Gill, Director: Nicholas Berry, Series Producer: Charlotte Armstrong, Executive Producers: Letty Kavanagh, Oliver Manley & Kieran Smith

Finally in the Best Audio category we were really delighted to see the following shortlisted: The Food Programme: The Herb and Spice Scam? Presenter: Jaega Wise, Producer: Nina Pullman

Also for Comfortably Hungry: The Culinary Creativity of the Enslaved Presenter & Producer: Sam Bilton

and BBC World Service’s The Food Chain: Hungry at Sea, Presenter: Ruth Alexander, Producers: Izzy Greenfield & Hannah Bewley, Editor: Sarah Wadeson

You can see the full shortlist of the Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards for 2025 here.  All the category winners  will be announced at a reception at Fortnum & Mason on 1st May 2025. Look out for the results and photos from the night on our Instagram stories.

See photos and a post of last year winners, shortlist & guests  at the Fortnum & Mason Food & Drink Awards 2024 here.