Industry-leading food and drink businesses from across North-east Scotland have been recognised for their innovation and growth.
The 2025 North East Scotland Food & Drink Awards brought the sector together to celebrate achievements in this vital growth sector and recognise investment in people, products and processes.
Mackintosh of Glendaveny celebrated a double on the night, taking home the awards for Business Growth and the Team of the Year.
Tullynessle Deer Farm was named Best Young Business and Life Blood, formerly known as Raw Culture, took home the Most Innovative Business title.
Castleton Farm celebrated double success at the awards, securing Best New Product and Rising Star titles on the night. Rising star Megan Doward is pictured.
Hungry Squirrel’s Sweet Chai Cashew Butter received the Best New Product title in the small company category, and Castleton Farm Shop’s Castleton Farm Mayonnaise won Best New Product in the medium to large category.
The Best New Drink Product title went to Six Degrees North for its Foraged Saison.
Megan Dorward, business growth manager at Castleton Farm, won the Rising Star Award, and Westerton Farmers’ Long Table Feast received the Best Food and Drink Tourism Experience title.
Several businesses were also highly commended, including Brew Toon in the business growth category, Rora Dairy for best new product (medium to large company) and Burnside Brewery’s Lump of Coal Festive Stout for best new drink product.
The results were announced at the awards dinner at Meldrum House Country Hotel in Aberdeenshire on Thursday evening (5 June), with an audience of more than 200 industry professionals, hosted by food and drink television presenter, writer and fresh produce importer Chris Bavin.
Gregor Mackintosh and the team at Mackintosh of Glendaveny took home the awards for Business Growth and the Team of the Year.
The awards have served as a benchmark of excellence for over 30 years with entrants benefitting from expert feedback and insights from judges drawn from the UK food industry. Senior representatives from Tesco, Marks & Spencer, National Trust for Scotland, Opportunity North East, ScotRail and Scotland Food & Drink were on the 2025 judging panel.
Opportunity North East delivers the awards in partnership with Aberdeenshire Council, with support from this year’s category sponsors CMS, DYW North East, Outsource Laboratory, Scotland Food & Drink, and Serco NorthLink Ferries and menu sponsor G McWilliam (Aberdeen) Ltd.
Food and drink is the UK’s largest manufacturing sector. The north east continues to lead the way in Scotland, contributing an impressive 20% to the country’s total output, generating an annual turnover of £2.4 billion, and supporting over 22,000 jobs across manufacturing, agriculture and seafood processing.
Stanley Morrice MBE, Chair of the ONE Food, Drink and Agriculture Board, said: “We are celebrating the fantastic achievements of our food and drink sector over the past year, and my congratulations go to the winners and finalists. They are great ambassadors for the industry and demonstrate why this region is leading Scotland in premium products.
Gregor Mackintosh and the team at Mackintosh of Glendaveny took home the awards for Business Growth and the Team of the Year.
“At Opportunity North East, we are committed to driving growth, innovation, and job creation. Over the past nine years, our fantastic team of specialists has provided practical support to the sector through entrepreneurship, innovation, leadership, market development and mentoring programmes. We are now starting an exciting new phase of support with the launch of ONE SeedPod – Scotland’s food and drink innovation hub.
“We've seen great examples of innovation and growth in this year’s awards, and I can't wait to see what comes next for this sector, which is the beating heart of our economy,” said Mr Morrice.
Councillor Gillian Owen, Leader of Aberdeenshire Council, said: “My warmest congratulations go to all of this year’s award winners and all those nominated and shortlisted. It has been heartening to hear so many great success stories from our food and drink producers and that’s testament to all the continuing hard work and dedication to really showcase our region. Once again Aberdeenshire Council is delighted to continue its partnership with ONE to recognise these success stories and promote the region’s producers as true leaders in the Scottish food and drink industry.”
Winners of the 2025 North East Scotland Food & Drink Awards, which celebrate innovation and growth in the region's £2.4 billion food and drink sector.
The 2025 North East Scotland Food & Drink Awards finalists and winners are as follows:
BEST YOUNG BUSINESS
CarnieBees Ltd
Glenkindie Pantry
Tullynessle Deer Farm – WINNER
Sherriff & Hope Ltd
BEST FOOD & DRINK TOURISM EXPERIENCE
City of Aberdeen Distillery Ltd.
Glen Garioch Distillery
Tullynessle Deer Farm
Long Table Feast – Westerton Farmers – WINNER
BUSINESS GROWTH AWARD
Brew Toon – HIGHLY COMMENDED
Mackintosh of Glendaveny – WINNER
Mackie’s of Scotland
TEAM OF THE YEAR
Mackie’s of Scotland
Mackintosh of Glendaveny – WINNER
RISING STAR AWARD
Bethany Cross, Dean’s of Huntly Ltd
Megan Dorward, Castleton Farm – WINNER
Andrew Robertson, Burnside Brewery
MOST INNOVATIVE BUSINESS AWARD
Burnside Brewery
City of Aberdeen Distillery Ltd.
Lapwings Community Mill
Raw Culture Ltd – WINNER
Singularity Sauce Co
Sherriff & Hope
BEST NEW PRODUCT (SMALL COMPANY)
Dip Club UK - Cashew & Coconut D!P - Satayin’ Alive
Hungry Squirrel Limited - Sweet Chai Cashew Butter – WINNER
Slow Sauce - Oat Miso
Singularity Sauce Co - Fuego De Cerveza
BEST NEW PRODUCT (MEDIUM TO LARGE COMPANY)
Amity Fish Company Ltd - Amity Lobster Macaroni Pie
Castleton Farm Shop - Castleton Farm Mayonnaise – WINNER
John Ross Jr (Aberdeen) Ltd - Maple Syrup Hot Smoked Salmon
rora dairy - rora dairy Organic Natural Live Kefir Yogurt – HIGHLY COMMENDED
Speyside Specialities - Bac’ n Black
BEST NEW DRINK PRODUCT
Brew Toon - Murray Cup
Burnside Brewery - Lump of Coal - Festive Stout – HIGHLY COMMENDED
Glen Garioch Distillery - Glen Garioch 2009 Refill Sherry Single Cask #2198
Six Degrees North - Foraged Saison – WINNER
The Outlaw Rum Company - Rachael’s Sherry cask