High-profile brands, retailers and industry specialists have joined forces with The Grocer to support the Grocer Gold Awards 2026, as the companies and individuals shortlisted for this year’s awards prepare for the biggest night in the grocery calendar.
This year, 34 trophies will be handed out during the evening ceremony, taking place on Tuesday 7 July, at London’s Royal Albert Hall, with Tesco, Kerry Group and DHL joining existing high-profile names lending their support, including headline sponsor AlixPartners, PayPal and Uber Eats.
Other industry partners for the awards, which attracted a record number of entries this year, include returning supporters such as Allwyn, Aqua Carpatica, Assosia, GS1, KPMG, SHS Group and Vusion.
Their backing plays a vital role in supporting the event, which returns to the Royal Albert Hall for another year of celebrating the very best in grocery retail and fmcg.
Coming on board for the first time this year, the UK’s biggest supermarket is sponsoring the Startup of the Year category, hosting the shortlisted challenger brands and entrepreneurs on its table for the event. Ashwin Prasad, UK CEO, said: “The Grocer Golds celebrate and showcase some of the amazing innovation at the heart of the retail industry, and we are delighted to help shine a spotlight on some exceptional startups this year.”
A host of drinks brands will also be making sure guests are well hydrated for the duration, with Jeremy Clarkson’s Hawkstone beer and cider brand coming on board to join long-term sponsors Ahmad Tea, Glen Moray and Moët Hennessy, while headline sponsor AlixPartners will be presenting the two final awards of the night: Grocer of the Year and Supplier of the Year.
“We are proud to continue our support of excellence and innovation across the retail and consumer products industry as headline sponsors of the Grocer Gold Awards,” said Andy Searle, EMEA leader, consumer products, AlixPartners.
”These awards celebrate the companies setting the standard in retail and consumer products: Lidl, last year’s Grocer of the Year, and Warburtons, Supplier of the Year, both demonstrated the creativity, agility, and consumer focus that define success in this dynamic sector. We look forward to recognising this year’s leaders who are driving the industry forward.”
Setting the standard
Spanning everything from consumer initiatives and sustainability breakthroughs to brand and category performance, technology transformation and retail execution, this year’s shortlist reflects an industry tackling cost pressures, changing shopper expectations and supply‑chain disruption head‑on.
Tesco leads the field with seven nominations, closely followed by Lidl with five, but several companies and brands have received three nominations, including Bio&Me, Dash, Little Dish, Morrisons, Ocado and Trip.
There are 34 categories up for grabs in total, including the highly prized Grocer 33 awards for price, service and availability. The annual competition is once again sponsored by The Grocer’s technology partner Assosia, which powers the weekly service with a price and promotion platform and bespoke mystery shopper software.
“The awards recognise the retailers, brands and individuals who are setting new standards across the grocery industry, and we’re delighted to celebrate their achievements,” said managing director Kay Staniland.
“We believe great decisions are powered by great insight and as a business built on helping our clients make smarter, data-driven decisions. We value the innovation, resilience and commitment to excellence that these awards represent.”
The prestigious Store Manager of the Year, sponsored by Uber Eats, is selected from the pool of Grocer 33 store of the week winners. Shortlisted candidates must then give a 10-minute presentation on why they should win, before being grilled for a further 10 minutes by a distinguished panel of judges.
Uber Eats said it was “thrilled” to be sponsoring the category and ”passionate” about supporting innovation, excellence and ”the people driving real change in the grocery retail sector”.
“We understand that great leadership at the store level is critical to a business’s success,” it added. ”Store managers are the unsung heroes of the grocery industry, delivering exceptional customer service, inspiring their teams, and adapting to meet evolving consumer needs.”
Wider industry backing
Elsewhere, National Lottery operator Allwyn is once again backing Independent Retail Chain of the Year.
“Independent retailers are the cornerstones of their local communities,” said Bridget Lea, managing director of retail. “From delivering essential services to constantly reimagining the in-store experience, they continue to innovate and inspire. Last year’s winner, Henderson Spar, is a shining example of an independent chain going above and beyond, so we are delighted to be supporting this category again for 2026.”
Natural mineral water brand Aqua Carpatica has also renewed its support for National Wholesaler of the Year, highlighting the “critical role” wholesalers play in bringing innovation to market.
“With the wholesale channel continuously evolving, it will be fascinating to see which businesses are pushing the boundaries even further this year,” it said, adding that ”wholesalers remain one of the most dynamic growth engines in UK grocery”.
Supply chain specialist DHL is sponsoring SME Brand of the Year, recognising and celebrating the smaller brands helping shape the industry’s future.
“SME brands play a critical role in driving innovation, responding quickly to changing consumer needs, and bringing fresh approaches to market,” said DHL Supply Chain UK & Ireland chief customer officer Mark Patterson.
”Their ability to adapt and grow in a demanding, fast-moving sector is what keeps categories evolving,” he continued, citing last year’s winner, Grind, as a great example of a worthy winner, for ”combining practical support with a strong consumer proposition”.
Driving innovation
Innovation also remains a key theme running across several categories. Kerry Group is sponsoring Own-label Range of the Year, citing growing consumer demand for products that combine quality, value and taste.
“We’re excited to support and recognise the brands pushing these standards even further in 2026,” it said. ”As consumer expectations continue to evolve, we’re seeing strong demand for high-quality, value-driven products that also deliver on taste. Last year’s winner demonstrated how companies can truly lead the way in creativity and quality, setting a benchmark for the sector.”
KPMG is returning to back the Technology Initiative of the Year category, recognising businesses using technology to drive growth, productivity and innovation, recognising how businesses are leveraging technology to drive innovation, growth and productivity, to inspire and shape the future.
“We see first-hand every day the transformative impact technology can have on our clients in the grocery and food sectors,” it said, adding that ”human-led tech enabled programmes are improving the customer shopping experience, optimising operations, and helping with better decision making across every part of the business”.
GS1 UK is once again sponsoring Sustainability Initiative of the Year, with chair Chris Tyas describing sustainability, resilience and transparency as “part of everyday decision making across fmcg”.
”The impact recently of geopolitical events has made this only too clear,” he added. ”The shift we are seeing is from ambition to delivery, with businesses under real pressure to improve the quality of their data and to share it more effectively across the supply chain. We are proud to be part of recognising businesses that are making tangible progress.”
Recognising industry leadership
The award for Online Service of the Year will once again be supported by PayPal, which said it was proud to be supporting the category recognising businesses creating “outstanding consumer experiences online”. Last year’s winner, Ocado Retail, was celebrated for ”continuing to raise the bar in online grocery”.
Elsewhere, SHS Group is sponsoring Employer of the Year, with group CEO Paul Gillow praising businesses that place “people at the heart of their culture”.
“Great businesses are built by great teams,” he said. “Retail is a people-first industry, and the employers who invest in their colleagues’ wellbeing, development and inclusion are the ones raising standards across the sector.”
“Supporting this award recognises those businesses that place people at the heart of their culture, while reinforcing our own commitment to being an employer that listens, supports and enables colleagues to thrive.”
Meanwhile, electronic shelf edge and retail technology specialist Vusion is sponsoring Entrepreneur of the Year.
“Supporting Entrepreneur of the Year is a natural extension of who we are, celebrating businesses that challenge the status quo, solve real customer problems, and help shape the future of retail,” said Roy Horgan, SEVP strategy, marketing & communications.
”It was an honour to present last year’s award to Bold Bean Co, a brand that truly embodied that entrepreneurial mindset. They transformed an everyday food through exceptional product quality, distinctive branding, and a genuine understanding of modern consumers. Seeing Bold Bean Co secure space on the shelves of major supermarkets is exactly the kind of success this award is designed to recognise – bold ideas translated into meaningful retail impact.”
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