Entries are now officially open for the Grocer Gold Awards 2026, once again celebrating the very best from across the UK grocery industry.
The 33 awards – widely regarded as the industry’s most prestigious honours – will be returning to the Royal Albert Hall for the fourth time, bringing together senior leaders from retail, wholesale, brands and suppliers to recognise and reward outstanding performance, innovation and leadership across the sector.
Culminating in a glittering black-tie ceremony on Tuesday 7 July, the Grocer Gold Awards continue to evolve to reflect the changing priorities of the grocery industry.
The rigorous judging process that ultimately decides the winners begins this month, with expert panels drawn from across the industry assessing submissions against clear and transparent criteria, before shortlists are published in May.
Up for grabs are 11 industry awards for grocery retailers, wholesalers and suppliers; eight awards for brands and products; six initiative awards (including the new social impact award) and four people awards, including the Entrepreneur of the Year, the Store Manager of the Year and the Grocer Cup for outstanding industry achievement.
A further four awards are decided through use of exclusive, proprietary third-party data: Britain’s Favourite Supermarket (sponsored by NIQ) and the Grocer 33 awards for service, availability and price (sponsored by Assosia).
CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE GROCER GOLDS 2026
Financial advisory and global consulting firm AlixPartners returns as headline sponsor for the 2026 ceremony, supported by category sponsors Aqua Carpatica, GS1 UK, KPMG, PayPal, SHS Group, Uber Eats and Vusion Group.
Last year’s ceremony saw Lidl crowned Grocer of the Year after a standout period of growth, investment and execution, with judges praising the discounter’s sustained momentum and consistency across fresh food, range development and customer proposition.
The evening saw a raft of retailers and suppliers sharing the spotlight as they were rewarded for excellence across areas including social impact, sustainability, technology, supply chain and people development, underlining the breadth of achievement across the sector.
Other highlights included Tesco taking home Britain’s Favourite Supermarket (decided using independent shopper data), while CEO Ken Murphy was awarded the prestigious Grocer Cup for his outstanding contribution to the industry. Iceland scooped the inaugural Social Impact Initiative of the Year after expanding its Food Club programme to help low-income families.
The deadline for entries to the Grocer Gold Awards 2026 is Monday 2 March 2026. Businesses and individuals from across the grocery landscape are encouraged to enter, including retailers of all sizes, wholesalers, manufacturers, brand owners and service providers.
The shortlist will be published in May, with the ceremony taking place on Tuesday 7 July. Full category details, entry criteria and key dates can be found on the Grocer Gold Awards website, alongside information on sponsorship opportunities and how to buy tickets for the awards ceremony.
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