Meet the Drinks Judges for the UK Quality Food & Drink Awards 2026!

"These Awards have a long history – I remember featuring them when I was Associate Editor at BBC Good Food magazine. So it’s especially good to know that the Drinks category is being relaunched this year, and I am delighted to join them as Chair to lead the process. There has been a huge amount of change in the worlds of wines, beers and spirits – not forgetting the no/lo category. It will be great to champion the best.

As a Master of Wine I judge wines all over the world, ‘blind’ – that’s to say without sight of the label and without being influenced. That’s why I am looking forward to these Awards, as we judge not just the liquid, but the entire packaging proposition: provenance, innovation, shelf appeal, sustainability factors, and price point/value. This is what sets these Awards apart. It’s a two-stage process. We assess the entries as experts in our different specialisms, but then we consider them as a buyer or a consumer would."

- Sarah Jane Evans MW, Chair