BBC Food and Farming Awards 2026 winners announced

The winners in each category of the awards – created to ‘honour those who have done most to promote the cause of good food’ – were chosen by an expert panel of judges led by local chef and broadcaster Paula McIntyre.

Northern Ireland winners and finalists were:

Farming for the Future: Bronagh O’Kane, Co Tyrone, who farms near Cookstown – winner.

BBC Radio Ulster Food Hero: Sean McDermott and Rory Blight, Belfast, Keen 2B Green/Source Grow – winners.

BBC Radio Ulster Food Hero: Jenna Morris, Crawford’s Rock Seaweed, Kilkeel, Co Down – finalist.

BBC Radio Ulster Food Hero: the Alexander family, Ballyboley Dexters, Greyabbey, Co Down – finalist.

Best Food Producer: Richard and Leona Kane, Broighter Gold Rapeseed Oil, based at Limavady, Co Derry/Londonderry – finalist.

Best Drinks Producer: Mourne Mountains Brewery, based in Warrenpoint, Co Down – finalist.

Best Drinks Producer: Shortcross Distillery, Crossgar, Co Down – finalist.

Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister Andrew Muir congratulated Northern Ireland’s winners and finalists.

Minister Muir, who presented the BBC Radio Ulster Food Hero Award, said: “It has been a fantastic evening for Northern Ireland and for our food and farming sector. Hosting these prestigious awards in Belfast for the first time has provided a wonderful opportunity to showcase the quality, innovation and ambition that we have right across our agri-food sector.

“I was particularly delighted to present the BBC Radio Ulster Food Hero Award to Sean McDermott and Rory Blight. Their work demonstrates how food production can go hand-in-hand with stronger communities, opportunities for people and care for our environment.

“I also want to warmly congratulate Bronagh O’Kane on winning the Farming for the Future Award. Her success is fitting recognition of the innovation and leadership we are seeing within Northern Ireland agriculture as farmers work towards a more sustainable and resilient future.

“Northern Ireland was very well represented across tonight’s awards and every one of our finalists should be extremely proud. Their recognition on this UK-wide stage is testament to the people, businesses and ideas that make our food and farming sector so special.”

The BBC Radio Ulster Food Hero Award was introduced as a special category for 2026, celebrating people providing high-quality, home-grown and seasonal food that reflects Northern Ireland’s distinctive food identity.

Highlights from the ceremony will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4’s The Food Programme with Shiela Dillon at 11am on Friday, 23 October with a repeat on Saturday, 24 October at 10.15pm.

There will also be coverage from the awards on Your Place and Mine on Saturday, 24 October from 8am on BBC Sounds and BBC Radio Ulster and on Countryfile on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the coming weeks.

The event was supported by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and Food NI.

2026 Winners

Best Food Producer – Judged by Paula McIntyre and Sheila Dillon

Dun Flashadder Cottage Croft (Skye)

Based on croft land on the Isle of Skye in the Inner Hebrides, Jake, Aoife and their daughter Corran breed native Hebridean hogget.

They are dedicated to whole-animal butchery and sustainability. Alongside livestock farming, they manage a mature fruit orchard producing blackcurrants and blueberries which are supplied directly to consumers, chefs and local gin distillers in Portree.

The judges were impressed with their knowledge of, and commitment to, crofting – a unique form of food production in the Scottish Highlands.

Best Drinks Producer – Judged by Jaega Wise

MOMO Kombucha (London)

MOMO makes authentic kombucha the traditional way, fermenting sweetened tea into a naturally healthy drink using only the finest ingredients. MOMO keeps its kombucha raw to deliver its flavour, ensuring every bottle is packed with live cultures and remains true to what kombucha should be.

The taste and marketing of the product set MOMO apart for the judges, as the brand helps to bring kombucha into the mainstream, introducing more people to a drink once seen as niche.

The Digital Creator Award – Judged by Leyla Kazim

Jade Greenhalgh @jadesbites

Jade is a self-taught chef, passionate recipe developer, and the winner of Next Level Chef UK 2023, mentored by Gordon Ramsay. With a natural flair for flavour and creativity in the kitchen, Jade has captured the hearts – and stomachs – of food lovers across the UK with achievable, wholesome, and budget friendly recipes designed for real life.

The judge chose Jade a winner for the impact she has had, inspiring people to cook from scratch on a budget but also to think seriously about the ingredients they use.

The Archers and Farming Today Farming for the Future Award 2026 – Judged by Charlotte

Smith and Mali Harries

Bronagh O’Kane (Co Tyrone)

Bronagh returned to the family farm in Co Tyrone after an engineering career in the Royal Air Force.

Driven by a desire to improve the farm’s resilience and future legacy, and troubled by the decline in Northern Ireland’s biodiversity, Bronagh made it her mission to find practical, nature-based solutions to the challenge of degraded, sticky, compacted soil and to farm in a new and more sustainable way.

The judges chose Bronagh because of her confidence to innovate and embrace regenerative principals and they were inspired by the change that one person can make.

The Food Innovation Award – Judged by Dan Saladino

Tilda Sustainable Rice Programme

Tilda’s Sustainable Rice Programme (TSRP) is a pioneering supply chain transformation initiative designed to make rice cultivation more sustainable while improving farmer livelihoods and strengthening long-term supply resilience.

Launched in 2021 as a pilot involving just 50 farms in northern India, the programme was created to address one of the biggest environmental challenges in rice production: the high greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption and energy use associated with traditional flooded paddy cultivation.

The judge was impressed by the relatively simple innovation of using a plastic tube to evaluate water levels in a rice field that had a huge impact on the environment.

Countryfile Young Countryside Champion – judged by Adam Henson

Lily Herniman (Devon)

Lily is a dedicated young conservationist and volunteer with the UK Wild Otter Trust, where she has been involved since the age of 15. With a strong farming background and an impressive knowledge of wildlife, she is passionate about protecting and restoring natural habitats.

The judge chose Lily because she brings together her farming background with a real passion for nature recovery and understands that farming and conservation don’t have to sit on opposite sides, and is actively trying to bring those two worlds closer together.

The BBC Radio Ulster Food Hero Award - judged by Your Place and Mine presenter Eve Blair

Sean McDermott and Rory Blight (Co Down)

Rory and Sean are owners and directors of Source Grow and co-founders and directors of Keen 2B Green. The company aims to promote a fairer food system by providing local growers with a direct route to market.

The organisation operates through a variety of channels and is a social enterprise dedicated to connecting people with their local environment through wildlife and food.

The judge chose Sean and Rory because they are connecting the dots between nature, people and good food and because they are championing their local area.

The Derek Cooper Outstanding Achievement Award – judged by whole judging team

Claire and Michael Morpurgo

Claire and Michael Morpurgo founded Farms for City Children in 1976. The charity has given more than 100,000 children the opportunity to experience life on its farms at Nethercott House in Devon, Lower Treginnis in Pembrokeshire and Wick Court in Gloucestershire.

This award recognises the charity’s exceptional contribution to connecting young people with farming, food production and the natural world, and its dedication to enriching the lives of generations of children.