Fortnum & Mason Food & Drink Awards 2019 Shortlist Announced

It’s one of the most eagerly awaited dates in the food writing & broadcasting calendar.  Recognising excellence in food and drink writing, broadcasting and photography, for seven years, Fortnum and Mason have championed those who help others to enjoy, explore, experiment, and discover more about food and drink, through their writing, photography, and commentary.  It’s an area that women do very well in and this year is no exception,

The awards have three shortlisted people, books, or programmes in each category. There is a woman shortlisted in every category with the exception of photography and non debut drinks book. Women make up the majority of most categories particularly in the cookery book listings.

Niki Segnit‘s companion version to bestselling  Flavour Thesaurus – Lateral Cooking and Black Sea by Caroline Eden (whose first book, Samarkand, won the Guild of Food Writers Award for best food and travel book in 2017) are both up for Best Book.

Diana Henry with her classic How to Eat a Peach: Menus, Stories and Places  is shortlisted for Best Cook Book along with former Fortnum & Mason Food Writer of the Year, Sybil Kapoor for her book Sight Smell Touch Taste Sound: A New Way to Cook

Debut books

Librarian Majory Szurko with her book Sweet Slices of History published by Prospect Books and Melanie McGrath with her first food book Pie & Mash down the Roman Road are shortlisted for best debut food book.  In the debut cook book category Women in the Food Industry supporter Asma Khan is shortlisted for her book Asma’s Indian Kitchen and Anja Dunk is in this category for her book – Strudel, Noodles and Dumplings: The New Taste of German Cooking.  Up for best debut drinks books are Aperitif by Kate Hawkings and The Wandering Vine  by  Nina Caplan

In addition to strength in books the all-female Food Writers shortlist is made up Clare Finney for Foodism / Market Life (Borough Market), Hattie Ellis for her writing in The Field and Josie Delap for The Economist 1843

TV, Radio and Podcast Programming

For the best programme on food or drink broadcast on any medium, the awards shortlisted Nadiya’s Asian Odyssey and Saturday Kitchen from the mainly female production team at Cactus TV.

The shortlist for best radio programme or podcast on food or drink the awards features Lucy Dearlove for Lecker, Joe, Honey & Co  for The Food Talks with Samin Nosrat and BBC’s The Food Chain for Raw Grief

You can see the full shortlist of the Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards for 2019 here.  The category winners – along with the TV Personality of the Year and the Fortnum & Mason Special Award – will be announced at a reception at Fortnum & Mason on 16th May 2019