delicious. Produce Awards guidelines

The delicious. magazine Produce Awards put Britain’s top food producers centre-stage. As well as their quality produce, these awards recognise the skill, dedication, and environmental awareness they demonstrate day after day. We’ve whittled this down to three criteria: provenance, quality and passion. Ready to enter?

Provenance
We’re looking for:

• The nominated business, and its products or produce, must be British-owned. 
• Registered local businesses that best reflect the strengths and diversity of their regions – Cumberland sausages made to an age-old recipe, Kent-grown chillies, or honey produced from hives located on a city centre rooftop. 
• In the primary category, produce must be British-grown or reared. 
• In the artisan category, ingredients can be sourced from further afield if not readily available in the UK. For example, eligible entries include the likes of tapenade made with Mediterranean olives, Asian-spiced pickles, or marmalade prepared with Spanish oranges.
• The producer should demonstrate awareness of seasonality, animal welfare and a respect for the land and environment. 

Quality
We’re looking for:

• Outstanding flavour, texture, aroma and visual appeal.
• Expertise, craftsmanship and good farming practices and husbandry.
• Consistency of produce and prepared products.
• Sound business practice, including fair pricing.

Passion
We’re looking for:

• Businesses that exhibit pride and dedication for their craft and profession, and deliver above and beyond expectation: businesses and producers for whom their trade is more then a job, and more a way of life.
• Supporters of the community; those businesses that champion food with a strong connection to the area.  
• We’d like entrants to provide an example of how their business makes a contribution to the well-being of the local community. 
• Businesses that show commitment and an ability to confront challenges with tenacity.

*The delicious. definition of ethical We define an ethical business as one in which the growing, rearing and sourcing of food is conducted with the aim of preserving natural resources, respecting animal welfare standards, and safeguarding against wasteful practice. Food producers are expected to trade fairly with suppliers and customers, and demonstrate ample consideration for the well-being of employees.

Find out which Produce Award category best suits your product, or go straight to the entry form.