On The Night
With the reintroduction of our Drinks categories, as well as the inaugural judging of Health & Nutrition and Baby & Toddler categories, we have chosen to honour this by returning to a formal gala dinner format! Following invaluable feedback from guests of the previous couple of events, we have strived to continue the strong networking focus of recent years while accordingly celebrating the achievement that is winning a Quality Food and Drink Award.
UK Quality Food & Drink Awards announces return to gala dinner format for 2026
Industry feedback shapes a new-look ceremony combining the prestige of a formal awards dinner with greater opportunities to network, connect and celebrate
The UK Quality Food & Drink Awards has announced that its gala dinner will return for 2026, with a refreshed event format designed to combine the sense of occasion of a traditional awards ceremony with the networking opportunities that have become an important part of the event over the past two years.
The decision follows feedback from the Quality Food & Drink Awards community, with entrants, judges, partners and guests invited to share what they value most from the awards experience and how they would like to see the event evolve.
The UK Quality Food & Drink Awards returned to a live, in-person celebration two years ago, following a period without a physical ceremony. Rather than immediately returning to the traditional sit-down dinner, the awards introduced a more flexible, networking-led format in 2024 and 2025, featuring informal catering, dedicated networking and staggered awards presentations.
The format created greater opportunities for entrants, retailers, producers, judges and industry partners to meet and connect throughout the event. For 2026, the awards will retain that focus on bringing the industry together while reintroducing the theatre and prestige of a formal seated celebration.
A gala dinner, reimagined
The 2026 UK Quality Food & Drink Awards will see the return of a formal gala dinner, with awards presented throughout the evening and greater opportunity for teams, clients and industry peers to celebrate together.
But the event will not simply return to the format of the past; networking will remain central to the experience, with the evening designed to create opportunities for attendees to make new connections and meet fellow entrants, judges, retailers, brands, producers and other industry leaders alongside the formal awards programme.
Testimonials:
"What an incredible event. As a small producer, being able to mix with such a diverse array of businesses, all at different stages of their journey, the awards ceremony provided us an opportunity to learn, develop new relationships with like minded people and, by being able to enter our product for judging, we have gained the recognition that although we we are just starting out, that we must be getting something right along the way! Thank you!" - Nic Cleeve, Taishon
"Attending the Quality Food Awards 2025 was an incredible experience for Quirky Monkey, and we were delighted to be part of such an inspiring celebration of excellence. For us, it was not only an opportunity to showcase our products but also a chance to connect with others across the industry." - Darwin Fletcher, Quirky Monkey
"As a charity, we were delighted to be a partner of the Quality Awards; it's such a wonderful opportunity to share what we are doing with the support of the Quality Awards." - Vhari Russell, Creating Nature's Corridors
"A thoroughly enjoyable evening! Totally worth a trip to London to see a client win their category for the third year in a row and to network and meet colleagues old and new alike." - Andrew Skinner, TQS Food
"Attending the event was inspiring, and winning the award is a true honour. It motivates us to keep striving for excellence and celebrate quality and innovation in our industry." - Lada Makes