Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions and answers about the Good Food SME Awards
Good Food is part of the Immediate family of brands. Formed in 2011, Immediate is home to the biggest and most loved lifestyle brands in the UK, including Radio Times, Good Food, Nutracheck, HistoryExtra and BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine.
We will only accept entries from SMEs as defined by the Advertising (Less Healthy Food Definitions and Exemptions) Regulations 2024. This would be a business which, on the first day of the financial year, employs fewer than 250 people.
The awards are open to SMEs (defined as a business which, on the first day of the financial year, employs fewer than 250 people) who produce and sell consumable food and health products to retail in the UK and are registered as a company in the UK.
You must be an SME at the time of submitting your entry.
Unfortunately, we cannot accept entries from the restaurant and hospitality sectors.
Please click here to be taken to our Awards entry website.
Please note the Nutracheck ‘Most Loved’ Product and the Overall Winner are not open for submissions and are selected using Nutracheck data and overall scoring from the judging panel.
Please look at the criteria for each of our categories for guidance. If you have any questions or want to discuss your entry, please feel free to contact: goodfoodSMEawards@immediate.co.uk.
Absolutely, and if you enter three or more categories within the same transaction, you will receive a 30% discount on the fourth entry onwards.
Yes! If you have your client’s consent, we would love you to enter.
There is an early bird pricing of £149 + VAT if you enter by 23:59 on 27 February 2026. The entry fee after this date will be £249 + VAT.
If you enter three or more categories within the same transaction, you will also receive a 30% discount on the fourth entry onwards!
Entries close at 11.59pm on Sunday 15 March 2026.
Please look at our judges section.
The Overall Winner will be an SME that demonstrates outstanding achievement and impact across several key areas. Judges will look for a business that sets a benchmark for excellence and embodies the spirit of innovation, growth, and responsibility within the food, drink, and/or health industries.
They will have shown strong commercial viability, and evidence of market adoption and financial success, while ensuring scalability and future growth. Simply put, the judging panel will be looking for an entry that "stands out amongst others" and offers a unique or exceptional quality that elevates it above even other category winners.
The Nutracheck “Most Loved Product” Award recognises the SME whose product has been entered into customers’ daily diaries more times than any other over the past 12 months, according to independent data provided by Nutracheck. This award highlights genuine popularity and consistent consumer choice within the food, drink and health sectors.
The winning product will be selected solely on the basis of verified entry counts, reflecting its widespread use and appeal among health-conscious customers. This accolade celebrates the SME whose product has become an essential part of daily routines, demonstrating outstanding relevance and impact in supporting healthier lifestyles.
The Overall Winner will win £25k of media spend to promote their products and business across Good Food platforms, which may include print, podcasts and digital, reaching our highly engaged foodie audience, and 1 stand worth up to £15k at one of the UK's biggest Christmas events: the Good Food Show Winter.
The category winners will receive 1 organic social post on the @goodfoodeveryday Instagram account, be featured in an advertorial alongside other category winners in the Good Food Magazine and get 10% off their next media campaign with Good Food.
Highly commended entries will receive 10% off their next media campaign with Good Food.
Shortlisted entries will receive 5% off their next media campaign with Good Food.
Please refer to our T&Cs for more information.
If you are shortlisted, you will receive a digital logo that you can use across digital channels for up to 12 months at no additional cost.
If you are awarded Winner, Category Winner or Highly Commended status, you’ll have the opportunity to license the official Good Food SME Award Winner badge for use on packaging, websites, advertising and more.
There will be a licensing fee payable for this usage. To find out more about licensing packages and pricing, please contact: goodfoodSMEawards@immediate.co.uk.
Licensing is optional, but it gives you the right to use the logo across your marketing materials for 12 months and may include additional benefits.
The shortlist will be announced online in the first week of May, with winners announced in the Good Food magazine when it goes on sale on 21 May. Additionally, we will be promoting the winners via our social channels.
The Overall Winner will be announced at our much-loved ‘Good Food Show Summer’, taking place at the NEC Birmingham on 18-21 June 2026.
If you are interested in being part of our Good Food SME Awards showcase at the event, please contact goodfoodSMEawards@immediate.co.uk.
Each entry should be a maximum of 500 words. When entering, you’ll be able to provide supporting materials such as images, videos, statistics and anything else you think our judges may want to see.
No, as the categories are focused on the business side of things, we don’t require samples or testing and tasting, and we won’t be judging the entries based on any samples received. However, if you are interested in separately sending samples into our editorial team, please feel free to contact goodfoodSMEawards@immediate.co.uk.
Yes, the awards are open to SMEs who produce and sell consumable food and health products to retail in the UK and are registered as a company in the UK.
