The Guild of Food Writers Awards are awarded annually and are the only awards judged entirely by professional food writers, editors and broadcasters.
If you are unsure about which category you should enter or have any questions about the awards process please contact the Awards Coordinator at awards@gfw.co.uk.
Full details and the entry form for each category can be found by clicking on the dropdown arrow. There is no cost to enter the awards. You do not need to be a member of The Guild of Food Writers to enter.
Entries for the 2027 Awards Open 25 November 2026
Awards Categories
How do I enter?
To enter an Award, go to the Awards Category sections below and click on the category you would like to enter. Each category has a link to the application form.
For judging criteria and entry requirements, please read the detailed information for each category before entering. Please also read the general entry criteria below.
If you are uncertain as to which category work should be entered, please contact the Awards Co-ordinators for advice (awards@gfw.co.uk).
- You may nominate your own or someone else’s work
- Nominators and publishers may enter more than one book or writer into the appropriate category.
- A book may be entered into one category only
- A separate form should be completed for each individual entry
- Writers entering more than one category must meet the relevant criteria and work must be substantially different
- Entrants are responsible for determining the correct category for their work and should check the criteria thoroughly
- The Guild regrets that if entries arrive after the deadline, the work cannot be considered
- Where entries are a collaborative effort, the Guild asks that those nominating the work, be they authors or publishers, acknowledge this on the application form.
There are 14 main awards categories
COOKERY BOOK AWARD
About the Award
Books entered in this category should focus on recipes and the practicalities of cooking, but they can be based on any cuisine, historical period or diet. There is a separate category for International or Regional cookbooks, also Specialist Cookery books and Single Topic cookery books. Please read the criteria for each category to determine which is most suitable for your entry.
Judging Criteria
– All books entered must be first editions and not second or subsequent editions, unless they have been substantially revised.
– To qualify for entry into the 2027 Awards your book must have been published between 1 January 2026 and 31 December 2026 Work that has been released or published in another country more than two months before release or publication in the UK or the Republic of Ireland is not eligible
Entry Requirements
– Please note that if you enter a book into this category it will not be eligible for any other category.
– Please enter all book details on the entry form.
– Hard copies of the publication are required to be sent to the judges. A PDF, if available, to be uploaded via the appropriate category entry form
– We will provide details of where to send hard copies after the closing date.
DEBUT BOOK AWARD
About the Award
This award is given to a writer of any age, provided that the entry is their first cookery book, food book or drinks book.
Judging Criteria
To qualify for entry into the 2027 awards your book must have been published between 1 January 2026 and 31 December 2026. Work that has been released or published in another country more than two months before release or publication in the UK or the Republic of Ireland is not eligible
Unfortunately, we cannot accept entries from anyone who has co-authored a food or drink themed book in the past even if this is their first solo publication. However, ‘ghost writers’ who have written books on behalf of other people (e.g. chefs, celebrities etc) are eligible so long as they are not listed as the co-author on the cover of those previous publications.
Entry Requirements
– Please note that if you enter a book into this category it will not be eligible for any other category.
– You may, however, enter any of the other relevant book categories in preference to Debut book but it can only be entered once.
– Please enter all book details on the entry form.
– Hard copies of the publication are required to be sent to the judges. A PDF, if available, to be uploaded via the appropriate category entry form
– We will provide details of where to send hard copies after the closing date.
FOOD BOOK AWARD
About the Award
This may be a biography, a historical study, or a study of the gastronomy or food culture of one or more cities, countries or regions; it could be a guidebook, encyclopaedia or compendium. Investigative work will also be considered. Recipes, if they form part of the work, should serve to illuminate the text, rather than lead it.
Judging Criteria
– there is no limit to the number of recipes but the majority of the book will be text-led.
– All books entered must be first editions and not second or subsequent editions, unless they have been substantially revised.
– To qualify for entry into the 2027 Awards your book must have been published between 1 January 2026 and 31 December 2026. Work that has been released or published in another country more than two months before release or publication in the UK or the Republic of Ireland is not eligible
Entry Requirements
– Please note that if you enter a book into this category it will not be eligible for any other category.
– Please enter all book details on the entry form.
– Hard copies of the publication are required to be sent to the judges. A PDF, if available, to be uploaded via the appropriate category entry form
– We will provide details of where to send hard copies after the closing date.
INTERNATIONAL OR REGIONAL COOKERY BOOK AWARD
About the Award
This award covers international or regional cuisines, including British food, and encompasses those with a travel element or cultural narrative. Recipes and, if appropriate, the practicalities of cooking should be the main focus.
Judging Criteria
– All books entered must be first editions and not second or subsequent editions, unless they have been substantially revised.
– To qualify for entry into the 2027 Awards your book must have been published between 1 January 2026 and 31 December 2026 Work that has been released or published in another country more than two months before release or publication in the UK or the Republic of Ireland is not eligible
Entry Requirements
– Please note that if you enter a book into this category it will not be eligible for any other category.
– Please enter all book details on the entry form.
– Hard copies of the publication are required to be sent to the judges. A PDF, if available, to be uploaded via the appropriate category entry form
– We will provide details of where to send hard copies after the closing date
SINGLE TOPIC COOKERY BOOK AWARD
About the Award
This award covers books with focus on one particular ingredient.
For example: medlars, salt, honey.
Recipes and, if appropriate, the practicalities of cooking should be the main focus.
Judging Criteria
– All books entered must be first editions and not second or subsequent editions, unless they have been revised with 75% new content.
– To qualify for entry into the 2027 awards your book must have been published between 1 January 2026 and 31 December 2026 Work that has been released or published in another country more than two months before release or publication in the UK or the Republic of Ireland is not eligible
Entry Requirements
– Please note that if you enter a book into this category it will not be eligible for any other category.
– Please enter all book details on the entry form.
— Hard copies of the publication are required to be sent to the judges. A PDF, if available, to be uploaded via the appropriate category entry form
– We will provide details of where to send hard copies after the closing date.
SPECIALIST COOKERY BOOK AWARD
About the Award
This award covers books with a focus on a particular technique or method, for example: fermenting, air fryer cookery, BBQ, slow cooker, sourdough, butchery, preserving. Recipes and, if appropriate, the practicalities of cooking should be the main focus.
Judging Criteria
– All books entered must be first editions and not second or subsequent editions, unless they have been substantially revised.
– To qualify for entry into the 2027 awards your book must have been published between 1 January 2026 and 31 December 2026 Work that has been released or published in another country more than two months before release or publication in the UK or the Republic of Ireland is not eligible.
Entry Requirements
– Please note that if you enter a book into this category it will not be eligible for any other category.
– Please enter all book details on the entry form.
— Hard copies of the publication are required to be sent to the judges. A PDF, if available, to be uploaded via the appropriate category entry form
– We will provide details of where to send hard copies after the closing date.
NEWCOMER
About the Award
Introduced in 2023 this award is intended to give opportunities to new food writers starting out in the field, regardless of age, background or experience. In addition to the trophy winners will receive a Guild mentorship and a year’s honorary membership.
Judging Criteria
– The Newcomer Award is for aspiring food writers who have never received payment for any form of published food writing. This includes paid subscriptions on platforms such as Substack; the one year date qualification does not apply on pieces entered for this category.
– The judges will take into account both a food writing piece and a personal statement
– The piece can be about any aspect of food – news-related, recipe-based, travel, memoir, review.
– The statement should tell the judges about themselves, explaining why they wish to be a food writer and their career aspirations.
– The article can have been previously published, but not paid work.
– Entrants to the Newcomer Award must declare that they have never received payment for any food-related writing
– Paid writing in other fields other than food and drink is acceptable.
– Note that the same criteria for ‘paid writing’ will be applied as when assessing membership applicants see link https://www.gfw.co.uk/about-guild-membership
Entry Requirements
– Food writing piece of up to 1500 words
– Personal Statement of up to 500 words
– These should be supplied in PDF form via the entry form
FOOD PODCAST OR BROADCAST AWARD
About the Award
This award has been given for many years in recognition of excellence in a television or radio broadcast and may include video and podcasts.
Judging criteria
To qualify for the 2027 Awards your entry must have been broadcast or released between
1 January 2026 and 31 December 2026 in the UK first.
Entry requirements
– The entry may be a complete programme, series, or one part of a single programme.
– Where a series is nominated please highlight one episode and provide a link to this so that the judging panel may view or listen to this specifically
– This should be supplied as links to an online source via the entry form
– All online sources should be free to access and not require a subscription or be behind a firewall for the purpose of judging..
FOOD WRITER AWARD
About the Award
This award is given for the best food-related articles published in newspapers, magazines or online. This includes work with a focus on travel but not restaurant reviews for which there is a separate category. Investigative work will also be considered.
Judging Criteria
– The work may contain recipes, but recipes should not form the bulk of the text.
– Material may be nominated only if the author has been commissioned and paid for the work and it is not self-published.
– To qualify for entry into the 2027 awards all of the work entered must have been published between 1 January 2026 and 31 December 2026.
Entry Requirements
– The award is judged on the basis of three pieces of work.
– These may be from the same or different publications and may have appeared online, in print or both.
– Writers may enter other categories but the material should meet the specific criteria and be substantially different
– All article-based entries are to be submitted as PDF files or as online links clearly showing qualifying date and publication.
– All online sources should be free to access and not require a subscription or be behind a firewall for the purpose of judging.
COOKERY WRITER AWARD
About the Award
This award goes to the writer of the best recipe-led work published in a magazine, newspaper or newspaper supplement or online. It may also include recipes that promote food brands such as leaflets, packaging and online work.
Judging Criteria
– Material may be nominated only if the author has been commissioned and paid for the work and it is not self-published.
– To qualify for entry into the 2027 awards all of the recipes entered must have been published between 1 January 2026 and 31 December 2026. Work that has been released or published in another country more than two months before release or publication in the UK or the Republic of Ireland is not eligible.
Entry Requirements
– The award is judged on the basis of three pieces of work.
– These may be from the same or different publications and may have appeared online, in print or both.
– Writers may enter other categories but the material should meet the specific criteria and be substantially different
– All article-based entries are to be submitted as PDF files or as online links clearly showing qualifying date and publication.
– All online sources should be free to access and not require a subscription or be behind a firewall for the purpose of judging.
-Please supply your recipe brief for your three recipes where appropriate to aid judging of your entry.
RESTAURANT WRITER AWARD
About the Award
This award recognises that the best restaurant writers present their opinions in a readable, reliable and responsible way. Work should be restaurant focused but may include opinion pieces on the hospitality industry, interviews with chefs or reviews on alternative services offered by restaurants (e.g. meal boxes).
Judging Criteria
– Material may be nominated only if the author has been commissioned and paid for the work and it is not self-published.
– To qualify for entry into the 2027 awards all of the recipes entered must have been published between 1 January 2026 and 31 December 2026. Work that has been released or published in another country more than two months before release or publication in the UK or the Republic of Ireland is not eligible.
Entry Requirements
– The award is judged on the basis of three pieces of work.
– These may be from the same or different publications and may have appeared online, in print or both.
– Writers may enter other categories but the material should meet the specific criteria and be substantially different
– All article-based entries are to be submitted as PDF files or as online links clearly showing qualifying date and publication.
– All online sources should be free to access and not require a subscription or be behind a firewall for the purpose of judging.
DRINKS WRITER AWARD
About the Award
This award is given to the best writer of either drinks books OR drink-related work published in newspapers, magazines or online. The work may cover both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks including wine, beer, spirits, tea and coffee.
Judging Criteria
– Material may be nominated only if the author has been commissioned and paid for the work.
– To qualify for entry into the 2027 Awards all of the work entered must have been published between 1 January 2026 and 31 December 2026. Work that has been released or published in another country more than two months before release or publication in the UK or the Republic of Ireland is not eligible.
Entry Requirements
– The award is judged on the basis of up to three pieces of work.
One book is required or three published articles.
– Articles may be from the same or different publications and may have appeared online, in print or both.
– Books and articles should be supplied in PDF format or as links to an online source via the entry form
– All article-based entries are to be submitted as PDF files or as online links clearly showing qualifying date and publication.
Hard copies of the publication are required to be sent to the judges. A PDF, if available, to be uploaded via the appropriate category entry form
– We will provide details of where to send hard copies after the closing date.
– All online sources should be free to access and not require a subscription or be behind a firewall for the purpose of judging.
FOOD MAGAZINE OR SUPPLEMENT AWARD
About the Award
This award is given to the editorial team responsible for magazines and periodicals that take food as their main subject or food supplements comprising a collection of articles within a larger publication.
Judging Criteria
– Online nominations should have clearly-defined issues or food sections which are emailed or made available to subscribers as a collection of content published together.
– To qualify for entry into the 2027 Awards the magazines and periodicals must have been published in the UK between 1 January 2025 and 31 December 2025.
Entry Requirements
– The award is judged on the basis of up to three issues or editions of the magazine or section.
– All entries must be submitted as PDF’s, online links or links to digital work clearly showing qualifying date.
– If you wish to supply optional hard copy printed material we will provide details of where to send hard copies after the closing date.
– All online sources should be free to access and not require a subscription or be behind a firewall for the purpose of judging.
– Please also supply mission statements and target audience where possible to aid judging of your entry.
SELF PUBLISHED ONLINE FOOD WRITER AWARD
About the Award
This category recognises the increase in online publishing for non-commissioned food writing by professional writers.
The award recognises talent for creating work generated by self-motivation to reach a wider audience. It may or may not generate a revenue, but it shows the skill and dedication required to establish and maintain a presence as a food writer.
Judging Criteria
– The self published writing may be text- or recipe-led work directly related to the topic of food and may include photographs, videos and illustrations, or consist solely of written material.
– Eligible work includes newsletters, blogs and online writing platforms such as Substack. Social media platforms including Instagram and Facebook are not accepted.
– Examples provided should focus on written material and not be based purely on audio-visual material.
– All work must have been self-published by the author between 1 January 2026 and 31 December 2026. Work that has been released or published in another country more than two months before release or publication in the UK or the Republic of Ireland is not eligible.
Entry Requirements
– The Award is judged on the basis of 3 pieces of work entered via the entry form.
– Where an online platform has been used, please provide the specific link. Please provide links to highlight three individual pieces for closer consideration by the judges
Please note – all self-published books should be entered into the appropriate category
Who is eligible for entry?
You do not need to be a member of The Guild of Food Writers to enter. The work you are entering or nominating :
- must have been published or broadcast or released in the UK or Republic of Ireland in the last calendar year between 1st January and 31st December
- Must be written and published in the English language. If published online it must be accessible from the UK
- Work that has been released or published in another country more than two months before release or publication in the UK or the Republic of Ireland is not eligible
- All work must be original. Under no circumstances does The Guild accept entries which have been created using generative AI for any part of the work
- All books entered must be first editions and not second or subsequent editions, unless they have been revised with 75% new content
- Work must not have been ghostwritten and must be entirely the work of the declared authors
- The Newcomer Award is for aspiring food writers who have never received payment for any form of published food writing. This includes paid subscriptions on platforms such as Substack; the one year date qualification does not apply on pieces entered for this category.
Any work that does not meet all these requirements will not be considered.
How are the awards judged?
For each award category, the Committee of The Guild of Food Writers appoints a lead judge. The remaining three judges are sampled from the Guild membership.
- No judges may have any of their own work entered in the category they are judging
- Each entry is considered on its own merit
- As The Guild of Food Writers we are honouring excellence in writing above all else.
- The recipient of each award is (are) the writer(s) or presenter(s) of the winning work
- In the case of the Food Magazine or Supplement Award and Food Podcast or Broadcast Award categories the award is given to the editorial or production team.
- No discussion or correspondence, outside the meetings of the judges, will be entered into
- The judges’ decisions are final
How will I know who has won?
- The shortlisted writers or broadcasters will normally be notified by telephone or email as soon as possible after judging has finished
- The shortlist will be published on the Guild’s website
- The winners of each prize will be announced at The Guild of Food Writers Awards Ceremony
Is there a prize?
The winning entry in each category will receive a trophy.
Want to join the Guild of Food Writers?
To join the Guild of Food Writers, simply complete our online application form. If you have any questions about the process you can contact our Administrator on admin@gfw.co.uk.