2026 Performance Awards Categories

The Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards are renowned for recognising and celebrating the best food products in Irish retail, wholesale and foodservice sectors. However, it is the individuals and teams behind these products’ development, production and distribution that makes them award winning.

There are no fees for entering any of these categories and anyone can nominate, including the company themselves.

In addition to the awards listed below, there will be a number of additional Performance Awards announced alongside the winners, which exceptionally-performing products and companies are automatically entered into. 

Entry deadline: midnight Friday 01 May

Brand of the Year

Recognises a brand that has achieved exceptional impact, consistency and growth within the Irish grocery market.

Enterable category.

This is a brand new award for 2026 recognising the best challenger brands making strides in the grocery retail sector.

Challenger Brand of the Year recognises a brand that is successfully challenging established players in the Irish grocery retail market. This award celebrates brands that demonstrate strong momentum through innovation, differentiation, consumer relevance and commercial impact, despite operating at a smaller scale than category leaders.

The award is open to food and drink brands available to Irish consumers that are actively growing distribution, disrupting their category or redefining consumer expectations.

Supplier of the Year

Recognises a supplier demonstrating excellence in partnership, quality, reliability and contribution to the Irish grocery sector.

Own Label Range of the Year

Awarded to a retailer own-label range demonstrating excellence in quality, innovation, scale and commercial performance.

Own Label Range of the Year recognises a retailer own-brand range that demonstrates outstanding performance, innovation and quality within the Irish grocery market.

This award celebrates own-label ranges that deliver clear consumer value while driving differentiation, growth and strategic advantage for the retailer. Eligible entries may include a full own-label tier (e.g. value, core or premium), a category-spanning range, or a specialist own-label range such as plant-based, free from, health-focused or seasonal.

Judges will assess how effectively the range meets consumer needs, evolves in line with market trends, and delivers measurable commercial success over the past 12 months.

Your entry should include:

  • An overview of the range to include launch date and scale (number of categories and SKUs)
  • Growth in the last 12 months (for example product range growth and revenue growth)
  • Range improvements and advances in the last 12 months (for example innovation, product development, strategies)
  • Results from the last 12 months. Please include as much information (including numerical) as possible e.g. market share, sales, profits, consumer engagement etc to enable judges to look at the business performance of the range.

Health & Nutrition Brand of the Year

Celebrates a brand leading the way in health, nutrition and wellbeing through credible products and strong market impact.

Health & Nutrition Brand of the Year recognises a food or drink brand that demonstrates outstanding leadership in delivering healthier choices to Irish consumers.

This award celebrates brands that place health, nutrition and wellbeing at the core of their proposition, supported by credible nutritional credentials, high product quality and strong consumer relevance. Eligible brands may operate across one or multiple categories and must be available to consumers in Ireland.

Judges will assess how effectively the brand balances nutritional integrity with taste, accessibility and commercial success, as well as its contribution to improving the health profile of the Irish grocery landscape.

Additional Performance Awards categories

In addition to the categories that you can enter above, there will be winners announced in the following Performance Awards categories, that all qualifying entrants are automatically considered for.

All Year Round

  • Retailer of the YearRecognises the retailer who has performed the best across the All-Year Round categories. Awarded on a points based system.
  • Product of the Year
  • Awarded to the standout food or drink product delivering exceptional quality, innovation and consumer appeal in the Irish market from entries into All Year Round categories.
  • Small Producer of the Year
    Celebrates an outstanding small producer demonstrating excellence in product quality, business resilience, growth and future potential. All small producer entries will be considered.
  • Brand of the YearRecognises a brand that has achieved exceptional impact, consistency and growth within the Irish grocery market. Enterable category.
  • Own Label Range of the YearAwarded to a retailer own-label range demonstrating excellence in quality, innovation, scale and commercial performance. Enterable category.
  • Locally Sourced Product of the YearCelebrates a product showcasing outstanding Irish sourcing, provenance and quality, with a strong connection to local production. All locally sourced Irish products will be considered.
  • Supplier of the YearRecognises a supplier demonstrating excellence in partnership, quality, reliability and contribution to the Irish grocery sector. Enterable category.

VIEW ALL YEAR ROUND CATEGORIES

Christmas

  • Christmas Retailer of the YearRecognises the retailer who has performed the best across the Christmas categories. Awarded on a points-based system.
  • Christmas Product of the YearAwarded to the standout festive food or drink product delivering exceptional quality, innovation and consumer appeal for the festive season in the Irish market from entries into Christmas categories.

VIEW CHRISTMAS CATEGORIES

Foodservice

  • Foodservice Operator of the YearRecognises the operator who has performed the best across the Foodservice categories. Awarded on a points-based system.
  • Foodservice Product of the YearAwarded to a product delivering outstanding quality, suitability and performance within foodservice environments. Nominations from the Foodservice product categories from judges.
  • Foodservice Innovation of the YearRecognises innovation that significantly improves foodservice quality, efficiency, sustainability or consumer experience. Nominations from the Foodservice product categories from judges.

VIEW FOODSERVICE CATEGORIES


Health & Nutrition

  • Health & Nutrition Retailer of the YearRecognises the retailer who has performed the best across the Health & Nutrition categories. Awarded on a points-based system.
  • Health & Nutrition Product of the YearRecognises a product delivering outstanding nutritional credentials, innovation and consumer relevance. Health & Nutrition Brand of the Year Celebrates a brand leading the way in health, nutrition and wellbeing through credible products and strong market impact. Enterable category.

VIEW HEALTH & NUTRITION CATEGORIES

Drinks

  • Drinks Retailer of the Year
    Recognises the retailer who has performed the best across the Drinks categories. Awarded on a points-based system.
  • Drinks Product of the Year
    Awarded to an outstanding alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink demonstrating exceptional quality, innovation and appeal.

VIEW DRINKS CATEGORIES

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