Five food and drink businesses from Edinburgh have been crowned winners at the Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards 2026, securing six of the industry’s most prestigious accolades, including the coveted Product of the Year category.
The winners proudly representing the capital are:
- Edgefield Craft Butchers, Dry Aged Prime Rib from Native Scotch Cattle (Scotch Brand Product of the Year, and Product of the Year)
- Woven Whisky Makers, Woven WXC Coffee Infused Whisky (Distilling Product of the Year (Dark Spirits)
- east PIZZAS, Topped Spicy Pizza (Grocery Product of the Year)
- Bon Accord Soft Drinks, Rhubarb Soda (Healthy or Free From Product of the Year)
- Howies Restaurants (Best for Scottish (Independent Business of the Year))
Product of the Year is awarded to the category winner who scored the highest marks among the esteemed panel of judges made up of experts from retail, foodservice and hospitality.
This year’s winner, Edgefield Craft Butchers’ Prime Rib, was praised by judges for its depth of flavour, juicy, melt in the mouth texture, and exceptional quality.
Edgefield Craft Butchers was founded in 2024 by fourth-generation butcher, Simon Gilmour, and supplies Scotland’s leading chefs and restaurants with premium meat.
The awards recognise excellence across Scotland’s food and drink sector, with the Northeast winners demonstrating innovation, business excellence, growth and product quality on a national stage.
The Edinburgh winners were announced alongside businesses from across Scotland at the award ceremony in Glasgow, highlighting the breadth and diversity of the country’s food and drink sector. Other winners included Benbecula-based Salar Smokehouse whose Flaky Smoked Salmon won in both the Artisan and Fish & Seafood Product of the Year categories.
Alongside the tasted product categories, Aberdeen-based Vanilla Labs won Business Innovation of the Year for redefining how vanilla is grown, cured and delivered. Glasgow’s Dear Green coffee roasters was named Sustainable Business of the Year, and Growth Business of the Year was won by Aberdeenshire-based Duncan Farms.
The Excellence Awards recognise the highest quality of produce, as well as leading suppliers, individuals and companies.
Individuals were celebrated too. Jaynie Kean from Jackton Distillery won the Young Talent of the Year award, with the judges describing the RAER Scotch Whisky Managing Director as an aspirational role model for young people entering the industry.
The winners were revealed by Matt Tebbutt, Saturday Kitchen presenter and MasterChef: The Professionals judge.
Simon Gilmour, Founder and CEO of Edgefield Craft Butchers, winner of the Scotch Brand category and overall Product of the Year, said: “It’s an honour to win both Scotch Brand Product of the Year and the overall Product of the Year.
“We are quite a new company, so to be in the position to win an award like this is just such a ‘pinch me’ moment. The team have worked very hard to get us here, so this award really belongs to them.
“Some of the best food and drink companies in the world are here in Scotland, and we’re very lucky to have the larder we do. For us here at Edgefield to be on that radar now is pretty special.
“Our Dry Aged Prime Rib has been born, reared and slaughtered in Scotland, so it’s Scotch through and through.”
Iain Baxter, Chief Executive at Scotland Food & Drink, said: “Seeing winners from every corner of the country reflects the strength of our sector. From the northern isles to the borders, from Aberdeen to the Hebrides, the quality and variety of what our producers make is remarkable.
“The Excellence Awards are the gold-standard that every food and drink brand in Scotland aspires to, and our winners thoroughly deserve to be celebrated for their achievements.
“Congratulations to all our winners, and to those who were shortlisted. We look forward to seeing them all continue to innovate, prioritise quality, and shine a light on our incredible food and drink sector.”
For over two decades, The Excellence Awards have brought together Scotland’s finest producers with key decision makers and influencers from across the industry. Underpinned by people, passion and perseverance, the awards offer an opportunity to celebrate the industry’s achievements of the past year while looking ahead and supporting the next wave of innovation and creativity.
See the full list of winners here:
https://foodanddrink.scot/events-and-membership/the-excellence-awards/2026-winners
The full list of winners
| Category | Company | Product / Person |
| Distilling Product of the Year (Dark Spirits) | Woven Whisky Makers | Woven WXC Coffee Infused Whisky |
| Distilling Product of the Year (White Spirits) | Orkney Gin Company | Aatta Gin |
| Beer & Cider Product of the Year | Six Degrees North | Raspberry Beer |
| Dairy Product of the Year | Giacopazzi’s Wholesale Ice Cream | Ricotta, Pistachio & Sour Cherry Gelato |
| Meat Product of the Year | Brownings the Bakers | Kilmarnock Pie |
| Grocery Product of the Year | east PIZZAS | Topped Spicy Pizza |
| Artisan Product of the Year | Salar Smokehouse | Flaky Smoked Salmon |
| Healthy or Free From Product of the Year | Bon Accord Soft Drinks | Rhubarb Soda |
| Bakery Product of the Year | S. Collins & Son | Sausage Roll |
| Fish & Seafood Product of the Year | Salar Smokehouse | Flaky Smoked Salmon |
| Scotch Brand Product of the Year | Edgefield Craft Butchers | Dry Aged Prime Rib from Native Scotch Cattle |
| Best for Scottish (Independent Business of the Year) | Howies Restaurants | |
| Food & Drink Campaign of the Year | Mackie’s of Scotland | Full Cream Ahead Campaign |
| Young Talent of the Year | Jackton Distillery | Jaynie Kean |
| Business Innovation of the Year | Vanilla Labs | |
| Sustainable Business of the Year | Dear Green | |
| Employer of the Year | Bidfood Scotland | |
| Food Tourism Business of the Year | Rae’s | |
| Growth Business of the Year | Duncan Farms | |
| Best for Scottish (Multiple Business of the Year) | Brakes Scotland, a Sysco company | |
| Product of the Year | Edgefield Craft Butchers | Dry Aged Prime Rib from Native Scotch Cattle |
