Food Drink Devon Unveils Shortlist for 2026 Awards

The countdown to the 2026 Food Drink Devon Awards has begun, and an outstanding list of finalists has been announced, showcasing the very best products, dining, retail and learning experiences the county has to offer.

Since entries closed at the end of March, a panel of respected judges and industry experts has carefully evaluated an impressive number of submissions. They have sampled more than 280 products, visited 110 hospitality venues, explored 12 retail outlets and experienced five training schools in their search for the very best in Devon.

The winners will be revealed at Food Drink Devon’s glittering black-tie awards ceremony on Monday, 5th October, at Sandy Park, home of Premiership rugby team the Exeter Chiefs.

Now in its 15th year, the highly regarded awards continue to shine a spotlight on the county’s exceptional food and drink sector. Categories are open to both members and non-members of Food Drink Devon and include the ‘Producer Awards’, ‘Retail Awards’, ‘Hospitality Awards’ and the ‘Sustainability Pioneer Award’.

Commenting on the awards, Food Drink Devon board director Jack Pickering says: “It’s a privilege to unveil this year’s shortlist, particularly as we mark the 15th anniversary of the awards. The standard of entries in 2026 has been truly exceptional, showcasing the sheer breadth of innovation within Devon’s food and drink scene. From artisan producers to vibrant hospitality venues, the shortlist highlights the remarkable passion, creativity and sustainability that defines our county's industry. We are incredibly proud of all our finalists and look forward to celebrating their success.” 

Shortlisted businesses in the ‘Product Awards’ cover a huge variety of delights, including sweet and savoury foods, meats, preserves, jams, chutneys, ales, ciders, wines and confectionery. Finalists are also automatically in the running for ‘Food Product of the Year’, ‘Drink Product of the Year’, ‘New Food Product of the Year’, ‘New Drink Product of the Year’ and ‘Devon Wine of the Year’.

Some of this year’s product finalists include Anton's Butchers (Colyton), Bar Buoy (Exmouth), Curworthy Cheese (Jacobstowe), Devon Microgreens (Stoke Gabriel), Good Game Charcuterie (Topsham), Pretty Little Pastries (Crediton), Shepherd Shack (Dawlish Warren), Taste Of Sidmouth, TORS Distillery (Okehampton), West Country Olives (Exeter) and Wellhayes Vineyard (Tiverton) among others.

Food Drink Devon board director, wine writer and presenter, Susy Atkins, comments on the drink entries: “It’s been a standout year for the awards, not just because of the number of entries but because of the brilliant quality we’ve seen. Looking through the submissions the quality and standard really shone through, Devon’s drinks scene is buzzing with creativity.  I’m very pleased to see such a talented group of producers getting the recognition they deserve through the awards.”

In the ‘Retail Awards’, entries have been whittled down for the ‘Best Retailer’ and ‘Best Online Retailer’ titles, ranging from top-end delicatessens to village stores. This year’s finalists include Aune Valley Meat (Loddiswell), Aune Valley Meat (Modbury), Bays Brewery (Paignton), Ben’s Farm Shop (Totnes), Devon Rum Co (Salcombe), Edenmoor (Cullompton), Powderham Farm Shop (Exeter) and SALT at The Salutation Inn (Topsham).

The hospitality section of the awards features establishments competing in eight fiercely contested categories, including ‘Best Fine Dining Restaurant’, ‘Best Restaurant’, ‘Best Hotel Restaurant’, ‘Best Pub’, ‘Best Bar’, ‘Best Café’, ‘Best Takeaway’ and the new 2026 category, ‘Best Casual Dining’.

Shortlisted venues in the restaurant and pub categories include Burgh Island Hotel (Bigbury-on-Sea), ISCA Restaurant & Bar at voco Zeal Exeter Science Park (Exeter), Pig and Olive (Westward Ho!), Offshore Bar & Restaurant (Torquay), The Chagford Inn (Chagford) and the View Restaurant and Rooftop Bar at Courtyard by Marriott Exeter Sandy Park (Exeter) as well as others.

Finalists in the café, takeaway and bar categories include Amelia's Cafe at Cofton Holidays (Dawlish Warren), Arcadia by Utopian (Exeter), Orchard Kitchen (Dean Prior), Max and Mike’s Street Food (Tiverton), The Lime Tree (Cullumpton) and The Kitchen @ The Donkey Sanctuary (Sidmouth) among others.

Finalists for the ‘Best Training School’ award include Ashburton Cookery School, Barbers Bean to Bar (Totnes), Ground Up Cookery School (Chudleigh) and One Mile Bakery (Exeter).

Food Drink Devon’s ‘Sustainability Pioneer Award’ showcases businesses going that extra mile in their endeavours to be environmentally friendly. This year’s finalists include producers, hospitality establishments and retailers including Burt Snacks (Roborough), Devon Farm Kitchen (Torquay), Greendale Farm Shop (Exeter), Porsham Farm (Plymouth) and The Black River Inn (Torrington) among others.

Covering food production, preparation, retailing, cooking and service, the Food Drink Devon Awards honour businesses demonstrating a consistent commitment to quality, sustainability, provenance, excellent customer service and support for their local communities. Each year, judging is carried out by a panel of independent and unbiased experts, including celebrated names from the region. All results and winners are verified by an independent adjudicator, with entrants receiving the opportunity to benefit from invaluable product feedback provided by the panel.

Food Drink Devon Ambassador, Amanda Ringelberg, comments: “Earlier in the year, following the success of the inaugural award last year, we were excited to launch the People’s Choice Awards for ‘Best Hospitality Venue’ and the new 2026 category, ‘Best Food or Drink Product’.  For only the second time, we handed the judging over to the people who matter most, our community of food and drink lovers, to vote for their favourite venues and products”.  The Hospitality award received over 100 different business nominations and 300 product nominations for the ‘Best Food or Drink Product’.

During the celebratory evening, attendees will enjoy a drinks reception and a three-course meal created using produce from Food Drink Devon members, with all fruit and vegetables provided by awards sponsor WestCountry Foodservice. The dinner will be served by students from the Michael Caines Academy at Exeter College. To celebrate over 30 years of Food Drink Devon and its continued growth, there will be an ‘after show party’ with live music until 1am.

A special thank you goes to the Platinum sponsors, Empire Services and Clockwork Marketing; Gold Sponsors, Bays Brewery, WestCountry Foodservice, Shepherd Shack, Slim Design and Orchardlea Foods; and Silver Sponsors, Stephens Scown, inkREADible Labels and PL1 Events.

Food Drink Devon is committed to increasing the county’s profile, both nationally and internationally and represents a membership of Devon's leading food and drink producers, speciality retailers, hospitality and catering businesses.  Through working with like-minded businesses, together they showcase Devon as a county where the use of fantastic quality, seasonal and local produce is standard.  The organisation and its members share a commitment to enjoy, inspire and discover more about food and drink.  Look out for their green heart logo which is carried by over 380 producers and businesses across Devon.

For a full list of shortlisted producers please see below or visit www.fooddrinkdevon.co.uk/awards.  For more information on Food Drink Devon please visit www.fooddrinkdevon.co.uk and follow @FoodDrinkDevon on Facebook and Instagram.