The shortlist categories are divided into FOUR groups:
Excellence Categories – These categories look at achievements in our core areas of excellence and include everything from Covid-19 Response to Social Impact.
Sector Excellence – These categories look at achievements within market sub-sectors and can include everything from notable business expansion through innovation to diversity and environmental initiatives.
Firms of the Year – These categories look at achievements by specific types of companies and include everything from new market entrants to finance and legal firms.
Deals of the Year – The most notable finance and M&A deals from the research period.
*Please note that we also have awards for individuals, the winners of which will be announced in our Awards Report alongside the other category winners
Excellence Categories
COVID-19 RESPONSE
- General Mills
- Kraft Heinz
- Mademoiselle Desserts Group
- Mars
- McCain Foods
- Nestle
- Ornua Foods
- Parmalat
DIVERSITY
- A dozen cousins, Beanfields, Mason Dixie Foods
- AddВ Psalt
- Mondelez International
- PepsiCo
- Pladis
- Unilever
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
- Air Protein
- Amazon
- Chipotle
- Danone
- Fonterra, DairyNZ and Nestlé
- Mondelez International
- Nestle
- PepsiCo
- Smithfield Foods
- Tyson Foods
- Unilever
- Upfield
INNOVATION
- Aleph Farms
- Fonterra, DairyNZ, Nestlé
- Heck, Vertical Future
- KFC
- Mars
- MeliBio
- Mouth Off
- Natural Machines
- Nourished
- Plant Heads
- Unilever
PRODUCT LAUNCH
- Eat Just
- Fazer Group
- Mars
- Meadow Foods
- Muller
- Nature’s Fynd
- Nestle
- New Wave Foods
- Perkier Foods
- Plant Heads
- Pulmuone
- Premier Foods
- Squeaky Bean
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
- Air Protein
- Aleph Farms, Mitsubishi Corporation
- Annika Biosciences
- Berry Gardens
- Big Idea Ventures, Ashika Group
- Calidad Pascual
- Else Nutrition
- Fonterra, DairyNZ and Nestlé
- FoodID
- Imagindairy
- Mars
- Mondelez International
- Nanyang Technological University
- Nestle
- Pairwise
- Rothamsted Research, University of Bristol
- Scandi Standard
- Singapore University of Technology and Design
SAFETY
- Diversey
- SOS Hygiene Technologies
- Tyson Foods
SOCIAL IMPACT
- AddВ Psalt
- Aldi, The Co-op, Iceland, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose, Deliveroo, Kellogg, Kraft Heinz
- Amazon
- Cargill
- Danone
- Dole Asia Holdings
- Food Teachers Centre Community
- JBS
- Jelly Drops
- McCain Foods
- Mission Ventures, Nombots, Lexi’s Treats, Rootles
Sector Excellence
BABY FOOD
- Danone
- Else Nutrition
- Hero Group, Angelini Holding
- Kraft Heinz
- Mead Johnson
- Nestle
- Piccolo
- Tiny Organics
BAKERY & CEREALS
- AddВ Psalt
- Dr. Oetker
- General Mills
- Grupo Bimbo
- Kellogg’s
- Lotus Bakeries
- Mondelez
- Nestle
- Pladis
- ReGrained
- Schwan’s
CANNED, DRIED & FROZEN
- Mars, Unilever
- McCain Foods
- Nomad Foods
- The Live Green Co.
- Tyson Foods
- Unilever
CONDIMENTS, DRESSINGS, SAUCES & SPREADS
- Kevin’s Natural Foods
- McCormick & Co.
- Post Holdings
- Rubies in the Rubble
CONFECTIONERY
- Darrell Lea
- Ferrero
- Freedom Confectionery
- Grummies
- Hershey
- Mars
- Mondelez International
DAIRY
- Arla Foods
- Danone
- Fair Trade USA, Chobani
- Firmenich, Novozymes
- Fonterra
- FrieslandCampina
- Lactalis, Kraft Heinz
- Morinaga Milk Industry Co
- Synlait Milk
- Yili
FRESH PRODUCE
- AppHarvest
- Berry Gardens
- Crate to Plate, Vertical Future
- Danone, Hungry Harvest
- Dole Asia Holdings
- Greencore
- Misfits Market
- Nestle
MEAT
- Aleph Farms
- BRF
- Cargill
- Conagra Brands
- Cranswick, Moy Park
- Eat Just, foodpanda
- Future Meat Technologies
- Hormel Health Labs
- JBS
- Marfrig
- Minerva
- The UK Cattle Sustainability Platform
- Tyson Foods
PRIVATE LABEL
- Beyond Meat, KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell
- Cranswick
- Hilton Food Group
- Kroger
- TruFood Manufacturing
- Unilever, Burger King
SEAFOOD
- BlueNalu
- Morrisons
- Premium Brands Holdings, Mi’Kmaq First Nations Coalition
- Thai Union
- The Bumble Bee Seafood Company
- Wildtype
SNACKS
- Ferrero
- Jelly Drops
- Kellogg
- Mission Ventures, Nombots, Lexi’s Treats, Rootles
- Mondelez International
- Post Holdings, EverGrain
- Squirrel Sisters
SPORTS NUTRITION
- Arla Foods Ingredients
- Glanbia
- GoodSport
- Nestlé Health Science
- Post Holding
- Science in Sport
- Westomatic
VEGETARIAN & VEGAN – DAIRY ALTERNATIVES
- Calidad Pascual
- Danone
- Higgidy
- Meadow Foods
- Nestle
- NotCo
- Oatly
- The Urgent Company
- Upfield
VEGETARIAN & VEGAN – MEAT ALTERNATIVES
- Aleph Farms
- Beyond Meat
- Big Idea Ventures, Ashika Group
- Century Pacific Food
- Firmenich, Microsoft
- Heura
- Mission Barns
- Novameat
- Redefine Meat
- Sophie’s Bionutrients
- The Livekindly Co.
VEGETARIAN & VEGAN – SEAFOOD ALTERNATIVES
- Good Catch
- Hooked
- Nestlé
- New Wave Foods
- Schouten
Firm of the Year
DISRUPTOR
- Aleph Farms
- Cocuus
- FoodID
- Future Meat Technologies
- Milk Moovement
- Mouth Off
- Redefine Meat
- Sayurbox
FINANCE
- Bank of America
- Citigroup
- Credit Suisse Group
- Evercore
- Morgan Stanley
- Rothschild & Co
- Royal Bank of Canada
- The Goldman Sachs Group
- UBS Group
LEGAL
- Allen & Overy
- Baker & McKenzie
- Davis Polk & Wardwell
- Dentons
- Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher
- Herbert Smith Freehills
- Jones Day
- Kirkland & Ellis
- Shearman & Sterling
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
- Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
- Slaughter and May
- Sullivan & Cromwell
NEWCOMER
- Agwa
- Ballurh
- Born Simple
- Nutrilees
- Remilk
- Tattooed Chef Inc.
- VFC Food
PRIVATE EQUITY/VC
- Apollo Global Management
- Bain Capital
- GGV Capital
- KKR & Co
- PAI Partners
- The Carlyle Group
- The Riverside Company
- TPG Capital
- Vestar Capital Partners
- Warburg Pincus
SME
- Caulipower
- Comvita
- EnWave
- Finnebrogue
- Good Good
- Mash Direct
- Piccolo
- Rubies in the Rubble
- Strong Roots
- This
Deal of the Year
FINANCE
- Amaggi
- Beyond Meat
- China Mengniu Dairy
- Conagra Brands
- Eat Just
- Guoquan Shihui (Zhengzhou Panhua Food)
- Kellogg’s
- Monde Nissin
- Oatly
- Pilgrim’s Pride
- Post Holdings
- The Livekindly Collective
- Yihai Kerry
M&A (Impact)
- Bain Capital buys Valeo Foods
- Collier Creek and Utz Quality Foods merge
- Dole Food Co. and Total Produce merge
- Freshways and Medina Dairy combine
- Lactalis buys Kraft Heinz’s natural cheese business
- Hormel Foods acquires Planters
- Inspire Brands acquires Dunkin’
- Mars acquires Kind North America
- Mondelez International buys Chipita
- Nestlé acquires The Bountiful Company
- Pilgrim’s Pride acquires Kerry Group’s meats and meals business
M&A (Innovation)
- Awakened Foods (Snacks, Bubba’s Fine Foods) merge
- Barilla acquires stake in Pasta Evangelists
- JBS acquires Vivera
- Kalera acquires Vindara
- KDV acquires Hak
- LIVEINDLY Collective acquires The Dutch Weed Burger
- Mondelez International buys Grenade
- Nestlé acquires Aimmune Therapeutics
- Newlat acquires Symington’s
- Sonae acquires Gosh Food
- Unilever buys Onnit