World Food Awards Nominees 2009 Announced

The sales of ready packaged Indian foods of good quality are slowly picking up in India. We still have a long way to go before we see the kind of foods we see in the west, without preservatives and additives, on our grocery shop shelves. Foods whioch might actually be healthy to eat.

Meanwhile  far from these shores, in London, the World Food Awards 2009 (WFA)  has  announced its nominations ahead of the inaugural awards ceremony on Saturday 31^st October.

What the awards do is highlight the efforts of ethnic food .manufacturers in the UK.You will note many names of Indian origin.

 Nominees this year include big name brands like Tesco and ASDA in the Best National Retailer category, as well as established ethnic brands like Veetee and Kohinoor for Best Packaging. Levi Root's Reggae Reggae Sauce, of Dragon’s Den fame, has made the list for Best New Product, while world food industry veterans Meena and Kirit Pathak OBE and Sir Gulam Noon MBE are among those up for the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award.

Nominations are:

World Food Award 2009 - Best New Product

• Ashoka Olive Oil Pickles, ADF Foods Ltd
• Jamaican Patties, Caribbean Savouries Ltd/Caribbean Food Delights
• Levi Root - Reggae Reggae Sauce

World Food Award 2009 - Best Packaging

• Aisha's Original Recipe, Halal Range, Cofresh
• Kohinoor Basmati Rice Bags, Indo European Foods Ltd
• Veetee Dine In, Veetee Rice Ltd

World Food Award 2009 - Best Marketing Campaign

• Heera Chappati Flour, P & B Foods
• Reggae Reggae Subway
• Wanchai Ferry, General Mills UK

World Food Award 2009 - Best Wholesaler

• Donatantonio
• Hyperama Wholesale
• Wanis

World Food Award 2009 - Best Catering Supplier

• 3663
• Eurofoods Group Ltd
• JJ Food Service Ltd

World Food Award 2009 - Restaurant of the Year

• The Cinnamon Club
• Haandi
• Haozhan

World Food Award 2009 - Best Independent Retailer

• Quality Foods
• Sira Cash Carry, Southall
• V B & Sons

World Food Award 2009 - Best National Retailer

• ASDA
• Sainsbury's
• Tesco

World Food Award 2009 - Top National Account Manager

• Saj Noray, Cofresh Snack Foods Ltd
• Yonas Tekle, Shana Foods Ltd
• Zaff Khan of J K Foods Ltd

World Food - Lifetime Achievement Award

• Meena K Pathak OBE & Kirit K Pathak OBE
• Sir Gulam Noon MBE
• Terry Butcher, Westmill Foods

 

Currently busy deliberating the winners, this year's high-profile judging panel comprise of celebrity chefs Ainsley Harriott and Anjum Anand; David Moore, of BBC's The Restaurant; Simon Numphud, Head of AA Services; Tony Matharu, Managing Director of Grange Hotels; Humayun Hussain, Editor of Tandoori Magazine; Kirti Mistry of BNP Paribas Fortis Bank and David Jago of Mintel.

Ready packaged food is a huge market which is ripe for entry in India. It would be nice to see some small local players try to address this market with quality foods.