Fortnum & Mason revealed the winners of the annual Food and Drink Awards 2025 at a glittering ceremony held at The Royal Exchange, London. Now in their 13th year, the Awards celebrate the UK’s leading and emerging writers, broadcasters, photographers and creators – championing the voices and visionaries who have deepened our understanding and appreciation of food and drink through their outstanding work.
Drink Book went to Jonny Garrett for The Meaning of Beer: An Alternative History of the World. The Debut Drink Book was awarded to Yoshiko Ueno-Müller for Sake: The Art and Craft of Japan’s National Drink – a rich and insightful exploration of the traditions, techniques, and culture behind one of the world’s most revered beverages. Drink Writer went to Hamish Smith for work featured in Class Magazine
Award-winning Scottish Chef, Pam Brunton, won best Food Book for her mesmerising part-memoir Between Two Waters – a powerful blend of personal narrative, visionary manifesto on the future of food, and feminist critique of the culinary world.
The Fortnum’s Special Award was presented to Dame Mary Berry, one of the UKs most popular, influential, and beloved culinary figures. In honour of her 90th Birthday, her career spanning over six decades, authoring more than 80 cookbooks, Mary was presented with the Trophy by close friend and broadcaster, Gyles Brandreth.
Debut Food Book, another searingly honest account of life as a woman in fine dining, went to A Woman’s Place is in the Kitchen by Sally Abé which charts her rise to becoming one of the most successful chefs working today in a male-dominated industry.
Symmetry Breakfast creator Michael Zee took home the Cookery Book award for Zao Fan, a whirlwind tour of China through the lens of breakfast. The Debut Cookery Book went to chef, Marie Mitchell, for her joyous first book Kin, a heartfelt love letter to her Caribbean identity and a captivating a journey through the region’s diverse and dynamic food cultures.
Winner of the Audio category was presenter/producer Sam Bilton, for Comfortably Hungry: The Culinary Creativity of the Enslaved. Tom Kerridge’s Secrets of the Pub Kitchen won best Programme.
Ravinder Bhogal received the Cookery Writer accolade for her recipes and food stories in delicious Magazine. Food Writer went to Toyo Odetunde for work in Food by National Geographic Traveller and The i Paper. Angus D. Birditt snapped up the Photographer award, and Niki Blasina won Restaurant Writer for her work featured in the Financial Times.
Three categories are chosen by the public who cast thousands of votes across the UK’s food and drink digital landscape. Matt Tebbutt was crowned Personality of the Year. The Content Creator of the Year went resoundingly to Oli Paterson, aka El Burrito Monster, celebrated for his inventive, unconventional burrito creations that become viral food moments. A new addition for 2025 – Rising Star Content Creator of the Year – went to Tish Wonders, a London-based recipe developer and self-taught cook.
The Fortnum’s Impact Award recognises an individual or organisation that inspires and champions diversity in food. The inaugural award was presented to Equal Measures for driving real change in inclusivity and diversity. Their work in breaking down barriers and equipping both individuals and businesses with the tools to thrive in the UK’s drinks and hospitality industry has been nothing short of transformative. The Cocktail Lovers Founder, Sandrae Lawrence, presented the trophy to Equal Measures Founder, Deano Moncrieff, and Executive Director, Vicky llankovan.
FORTNUM & MASON FOOD AND DRINK AWARDS 2025 WINNERS
FOOD BOOK
WINNER Between Two Waters: Heritage, landscape and the modern cook by Pam Brunton (Canongate)
The English Table: Our Food through the Ages by Jill Norman (Reaktion Books)
The Gourmand’s Lemon: A Collection of Stories and Recipes. Edited by David Lane and
Marina Tweed (TASCHEN)
DEBUT FOOD BOOK
WINNER A Woman’s Place is in the Kitchen by Sally Abé (Fleet, Little Brown)
A Feast of Folklore: The Bizarre Stories Behind British Food by Ben Gazur (Unbound)
Leftovers: A History of Food Waste and Preservation by Eleanor Barnett (Head of Zeus)
COOKERY BOOK
WINNER Zao Fan: Breakfast of China by Michael Zee (Bloomsbury Publishing)
Agak Agak by Shu Han Lee (Quadrille)
Pocha by Su Scott (Quadrille)
The Elements of Baking by Katarina Cermelj (Yellow Kite, Hodder & Stoughton)
DEBUT COOKERY BOOK
WINNER KIN: Caribbean Recipes for the Modern Kitchen by Marie Mitchell
(Particular Books, Penguin Random House)
Mangal II: Stories and Recipes by Ferhat Dirik and Sertaç Dirik (Phaidon)
The Balkan Kitchen: Recipes and Stories from the Heart of the Balkans by Irina Janakievska (Quadrille)
DRINK BOOK
WINNER The Meaning of Beer: An Alternative History of the World by Jonny Garrett (Allen & Unwin)
The Connaught Bar: Recipes and Iconic Creations by Agostino Perrone with Giorgio Bargiani and Maura Milia (Phaidon)
The Martini by Alice Lascelles (Quadrille)
DEBUT DRINK BOOK
WINNER Sake: The Art and Craft of Japan’s National Drink by Yoshiko Ueno-Müller (Prestel)
Perry: A Drinker’s Guide by Adam Wells (CAMRA Books)
The Wine Flavour Guide: How to Pick the Best Wine for Every Occasion by Sam Caporn (Square Peg (Vintage) Penguin Random House)
FOOD WRITER
WINNER Toyo Odetunde for work featured in Food by National Geographic Traveller & The i Paper
Dan Saladino for work featured in BBC News InDepth & The Guardian
Isaac Rangaswami for work featured in Vittles Magazine & Wooden City
COOKERY WRITER
WINNER Ravinder Bhogal for work featured in delicious. Magazine
Nick Bramham for work featured in Vittles Magazine
Songsoo Kim for work featured in Vittles Magazine
DRINK WRITER
WINNER Hamish Smith for work featured in Class Magazine
Alice Lascelles for work featured in the Financial Times & Noble Rot
Richard Godwin for work featured in The Spirits
RESTAURANT WRITER
WINNER Niki Blasina for work featured in the Financial Times
David Ellis for work featured in The Standard
Isaac Rangaswami for work featured in Wooden City
PROGRAMME
WINNER Tom Kerridge: Secrets of the Pub Kitchen, Presenter: Tom Kerridge,
Producers: Richard Bowron & Martha Swales, WBD Executive Producers: Matt Reid & Rebecca Bayatti,
WBD Commissioner: Charlotte Reid, Warner Bros. Discovery | Bone Soup
Dead Pubs: A Swift One at… Presenter: Jimmy McIntosh, Producers: Jimmy McIntosh,
Kevin Kharas, Luke Carlisle & Daniel Canetti
Junior Bake Off, Series 9, Presenter: Harry Hill, Judges: Liam Charles & Ravneet Gill,
Director: Nicholas Berry, Series Producer: Charlotte Armstrong, Executive Producers: Letty Kavanagh,
Oliver Manley & Kieran Smith, Love Productions
AUDIO
WINNER Comfortably Hungry: The Culinary Creativity of the Enslaved,
Presenter & Producer: Sam Bilton
The Food Chain: Hungry at Sea, Presenter: Ruth Alexander, Producers: Izzy Greenfield &
Hannah Bewley, Editor: Sarah Wadeson, BBC World Service
The Food Programme: The Herb and Spice Scam? Presenter: Jaega Wise, Producer: Nina Pullman,
BBC Audio Bristol
PHOTOGRAPHER
WINNER Angus D. Birditt
Sanjana Modha
Yuki Sugiura
PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR
WINNER Matt Tebbutt
CONTENT CREATOR OF THE YEAR
WINNER Oli Paterson @elburritomonster
RISING STAR CONTENT CREATOR OF THE YEAR
WINNER Tish Wonders @tishwonders
For media enquiries and images from the event, please contact: Fiona@fabcomm.co.uk
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