Winning awards is a bit like winning a prize at the funfair – anything that is easy to bag probably isn’t worth it.
And that’s exactly as it should be. Entering awards should be about more than simple point scoring, because – when they’re done properly – there is an emotional side to winning that goes far beyond profit and loss calculations.
It’s not easy to win a Grocer Gold. (If we’re being honest about it, it’s not even easy to enter; the submission process is notoriously stringent.)
Being shortlisted shows that your industry appreciates the great work you have done. But winning a Grocer Gold is about more than being able to take a trophy back to the office and add a new logo to your homepage (although that’s nice too, of course).
It’s recognition for all the hours of hard work, all the late-night emails, the rewritten plans, sitting in meetings for hours on end… Winning a Grocer Gold is something that really matters.
Taking home the Gold
Last year, Sainsbury’s was named Grocer of the Year for the first time in almost 20 years. CEO Simon Roberts said it was a “moment of immense pride” and was testament to the “hard work and dedication of brilliant colleagues, suppliers and farmers”.
Tesco dominated the night overall, winning seven of the 33 awards, including Employer of the Year and Online Retailer of the Year, but other winners included Procter & Gamble (Supplier of the Year), Moth (Drinks Brand of the Year), and Suri (Startup of the Year).
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Mark Rushmore, co-founder of Suri, described winning last year’s awards as a “genuine pinch-me moment” for the brand, which has opened conversations with new retailers and helped increase distribution over the past 12 months.
“As one of the most prestigious accolades in the UK retail industry, it meant so much to have our mission and growth recognised by such a respected panel,” he said, adding that the event itself brought together “some of the brightest minds in retail, sparking conversations and opening doors for Suri – many of which are still leading to exciting opportunities today.”
It’s a sentiment shared by Rob Wallis, co-founder of Moth, who was “thrilled” to be named Drinks Brand of The Year 2024, an accolade he described as “a testament to the incredible hard work of the team”.
The 2025 awards buzz
There’s a lot of buzz around this year’s Grocer Gold Awards.
Taking place tonight at the Royal Albert Hall, more than 170 shortlisted entrants will be coming together to find out if they’ve made it through the rigorous and extensive judging process to be taking home one of the 33 awards up for grabs.
This evening’s event will also include the first-ever winner of the new Social Impact Initiative of the Year, created for brands that have significantly improved the lives of individuals or communities.
The inaugural shortlist includes celebrity chef Jamie Oliver and B Corp brand Tony’s Chocolonely, who are being pitted against retail giants Sainsbury’s, Iceland and Co-op, as well as challenger brands The Jolly Hog, Aduna Superfoods and Ahmad Tea.
It’s also the first time I’ll be attending, after joining The Grocer in November last year. I’ve done more than my fair share of black-tie awards events in my time, but this feels different.
Partly, it’s about being in the room with the great and the good of the grocery sector. But mostly it’s because nothing we’ll be seeing tonight has come easy. And celebrating that effort is what really matters.
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