Marks & Spencer (M&S) has been confirmed as the headline retail partner for the 2026 North East Scotland Food and Drink Awards, strengthening its commitment to supporting local food and drink businesses.
Delivered by Opportunity North East (ONE) in partnership with Aberdeenshire Council, the award winners’ prize includes space at the Royal Highland Show this June, where winning producers will showcase their products on the ONE SeedPod stand in Scotland’s Larder food hall.
The refreshed format gives the winning North-east producers direct exposure to thousands of visitors, buyers and industry leaders over the four-day event. It will create tangible commercial opportunities for local businesses and raise the profile of the region’s food and drink sector on a national stage.
The awards also coincide with Aberdeenshire holding the Royal Highland Show presidency in 2026, placing additional focus on the region and its food and drink industry.
Alan Thorpe, ONE; Jennifer Craw MBE, ONE; Pat Machray OBE, President of the RHASS Presidential Initiative 2026/26; Stanley Morrice MBE; Councillor Alan Turner, Aberdeenshire Council.
Alan Thorpe, Director of Food & Drink at Opportunity North East commented: “It’s fantastic to have M&S on board for this year’s refreshed NES FDA. M&S is well known for its support of local producers and already work with several north east suppliers. As part of the package they will join the judging panels, an opportunity for finalists to showcase their products to a senior M&S representative and receive valuable feedback.
Scott Munro, Regional Manager, Scotland North, M&S said: “We’re delighted to be involved in the North-east Scotland Food & Drink Awards this year. We have no doubt the standard of entries are incredibly high, and we look forward to celebrating with the winners at this year’s Royal Highland Show.
At M&S, we are proud to partner with North-east Scottish suppliers that help us deliver the delicious, fresh food that M&S is known for, such as our free-range and organic eggs from Aberdeenshire’s Duncan Farms, we are consistently blown away by the quality of produce from this region of Scotland.”