The BBC Food and Farming Awards 2026 finalists have been announced, with the ceremony set to take place in Northern Ireland for the first time. The event will be held on Wednesday 21 October at Titanic Belfast, marking a historic shift for the annual gathering of the UK's food and farming sectors.
Broadcaster Holly Hamilton, a member of a farming family, will host the live event, while Paula McIntyre, a local chef and broadcaster, led the expert panel of judges who selected the three finalists in each category. The judges assessed thousands of nominations, including a record number of entries from Northern Ireland, looking for individuals and businesses making a positive impact through innovation, environmental practice, or community engagement. A new special category, the BBC Radio Ulster Food Hero Award, has been introduced for 2026 to highlight those providing high-quality, home-grown, seasonal food that reflects the unique flavour of Northern Irish cuisine. This award is judged by presenter Eve Blair and will be featured on the BBC Radio Ulster programme Your Place And Mine over the coming weeks.
The awards, launched in 2000 to mark the 20th anniversary of The Food Programme on BBC Radio 4, continue to honour those promoting good food across the United Kingdom. The ceremony will be broadcast in a special edition of The Food Programme presented by Sheila Dillon on Friday 23 October. The event is supported by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and FoodNI, with previous special editions featuring the finalists already available on BBC Sounds.