Stars of York area's food and drink scene celebrated at first-of-its-kind awards

Meet the winners of The Press Food and Drink Awards 2026 who celebrated at the National Railway Museum in York. (Image: The Press)

TALENT, excellence, innovation and community spirit were celebrated in style at The Press Food and Drink Awards.

New this year, the awards shone a light on the businesses and individuals helping to make our area one of the UK's most exciting food and drink destinations.

Covering 10 categories, alongside a special Outstanding Contribution Award, the honours recognise the very best cafés, restaurants, pubs and bars, retailers, producers, community projects, specialist venues and emerging talent shaping the area's culinary future.

Fera Science was the headline sponsor of The Press Food and Drink Awards. (Image: The Press)

Finalists joined supporters and event sponsors on Monday evening at the National Railway Museum where the winners were unveiled.

• See The Press tomorrow for a special supplement celebrating the winners.

Steve Lowe, advertising director at The Press, told guests the inaugural awards were set up to celebrate the area's food and drink sector, and had been made possible thanks to the invaluable support of headline sponsor Fera Science and category sponsors.

Congratulating the finalists for making the shortlist, he said: "We had more than 250 entries which is amazing. We have whittled that down to 60 here tonight. Even if you don't win, you are among the top food and drink businesses, and tonight is about you."

Host Nigel Barden with Lee Grabham and Wayne Smith, of Brew York, and Andew Swift, CEO of Fera Science (Image: The Press)

Brew York Beer Hall and Tap Room took home the evening’s highest honour, the Outstanding Contribution Award, awarded in recognition of its exceptional impact on the city’s food and drink scene over the past decade.

Presented by Andrew Swift, CEO of Fera Science, the accolade celebrated Brew York's journey from a small independent brewery to an internationally-recognised brand that remains firmly rooted in York.

Food and drink broadcaster Nigel Barden, who champions great taste, provenance and craftsmanship, hosted the event and introduced each category.

Food critic and broadcaster Nigel Barden was the event host. (Image: C1 PHOTOGRAPHY)

Nigel said Brew York had made "an exceptional and lasting contribution to York’s food and drink industry", praising its commitment to innovation, quality and creativity, as well as its role in promoting York on the global craft beer stage.

The Press Food and Drink Awards 2026 celebrated a host of standout success stories on Monday night. (Image: The Press)

After the awards night, Press editor Ben Hardy said the National Railway Museum had proved to be a fantastic venue for the event which also celebrated the people, partnerships and sense of community that underpin the area's food and drink industry.

Colleagues from Bar Hashery Bakery at The Press Food and Drink Awards 2026. (Image: The Press)

He said: "There were a range of businesses from across the city and surrounding area sharing inspirational and entrepreneurial stories which really shone a light on how lucky we are to live and work in a place like York with its fantastic offering for both locals and tourists.

"Being able to speak to independent businesses was an uplifting experience, and proved that the dark days of Covid are becoming a distant past.

"Congratulations to all of the winners on the night, and to those who continue to work hard to keep their businesses not only surviving, but flourishing on our doorstep."

*A special souvenir supplement will be published in The Press on Wednesday, October 7, celebrating the awards night and winners.

Digital subscribers will be able to view the supplement online.

There is a time-limited special offer of just £5 for 5 months for digital subscriptions.

For details visit here: Subscriptions from York Press