PayPal, Uber Eats and Allwyn join star-studded cast of sponsors at Grocer Gold Awards 2024

As the companies and individuals shortlisted for the Grocer Gold Awards 2024 prepare for the biggest night of the year in the food and drink calendar, it’s time to meet the sponsors.

The awards take place tonight (Tuesday 2 July) at the Royal Albert Hall. It promises to be a spectacular evening with 34 trophies awarded at the lavish ceremony featuring award-winning food and drink, as well as award-winning entertainment. 

And the sponsors play a vital role in supporting this magnificent occasion, which returns to the Royal Albert Hall for the second year running. So we wanted to introduce you to the sponsors, including PayPal, Uber Eats and Allwyn, which have joined a star-studded cast of sponsors at the Grocer Gold Awards 2024 in recent weeks. 

And as we throw a spotlight on the sponsors it’s also an opportunity to review the shortlists in the awards they’re sponsoring. 

Online Service of the Year – sponsored by Paypal

US multinational online payment system giant Paypal will sponsor the Online Service of the Year award, which for the first time will see online food delivery service Deliveroo go head to head with the online services of the leading supermarkets.

Paypal UK vice president and managing director Vincent Belloc said it was “thrilled” to sponsor the Online Service of the Year at the Grocer Gold Awards for the first time.

“As a global leader in payments, PayPal has always been committed to empowering businesses, large and small, to grow and succeed in the digital economy. The Grocer Gold Awards perfectly align with our mission, as they recognise and honour the outstanding achievements of grocery retailers, suppliers, and individuals. We look forward to this prestigious event and we wish all finalists best of luck.”

Online Service of the Year finalists: 

• Asda
• Deliveroo
• Iceland
• Ocado
• Tesco

Store Manager of the Year – sponsored by Uber Eats

Online ordering platform Uber Eats Grocery is partnering with The Grocer Gold Awards to sponsor the Store Manager of the Year 2024 competition. Alex Troughton, general manager of Uber Eats, Grocery for UK, said: “With such close relationships with many supermarket and convenience brands, partnering with The Grocer for the industry-leading Gold Awards was a no-brainer. We’re looking forward to celebrating with the nominees and winners, and wish the very best of luck to everyone.”

Store Manager of the Year finalists: 

• Adam Bell-Eteo – Sainsbury’s Tritton Road, Lincoln
• Alex Boak – Tesco Wragby Road, Lincoln
• Debbie Henton – Morrisons, Birtley
• Michelle Lambert – Asda, Newport
• Barry Griffiths – Waitrose, Lichfield

Independent Retail Chain of the Year – sponsored by Allwyn

Allwyn, the global lottery operator that secured the UK National Lottery licence in February, is sponsoring the Independent Retail Chain of the Year award. Jenny Blogg, Allwyn’s operations director said it had chosen the independent retail chain category to reflect the importance of true national representation in its success. 

”Around 40,000+ retailers help make a massive difference to life across the UK day in, day out by selling National Lottery products in their stores – so Allwyn are delighted to be sponsoring this year’s Grocer Gold Awards through our tie up with the Independent Retail Chain of the Year category.”

Independent Retail Chain of the Year finalists: 

• Greens Retail
• Henderson Retail
• James Convenience Retail
• Jempsons
• Oseyo
• Sterling Meat Company

The Grocer of the Year and The Supplier of the Year – sponsored by AlixPartners

AlixPartners, a financial advisory and global consulting firm, is the headline sponsor of the Grocer Gold Awards, and is also sponsoring two of its most prestigious awards: the Grocer of the Year and Supplier of the Year. 

Of the 2024 awards partnership, AlixPartners head of EMEA consumer products Andy Searle said: “When the opportunity arose to partner on one of the premier UK awards ceremonies, if not the premier event in the fmcg calendar, it’s a very easy decision to make.

“We are extremely excited to be the headline sponsors of The Grocer Gold Awards, and look forward to celebrating the best-in-class brands and suppliers, and their unique and innovative ways of reaching, engaging, and delivering to consumers. Best of luck to all entrants!”

Grocer of the Year finalists: 

• Aldi
• Company Shop Group
• Lidl 
• M&S Food
• Sainsbury’s
• Tesco

Supplier of the Year finalists: 

• Britvic
• Charlie Bigham’s
• Danone UK&I
• Glanbia Performance Nutrition
• Procter & Gamble UK

The Grocer 33 Awards – sponsored by Assosia

The Grocer 33 Awards is an annual competition, with three highly-coveted awards handed out, for price, customer service and availability. The awards are sponsored by The Grocer’s technology partners Assosia, whose price and promotion platform, along with bespoke mystery shopper software, powers this unique service.  

“Our sponsorship of the Grocer Gold Awards is central to our core insight-based mission,” said managing director Kay Staniland. ”We are completely invested in the delivery of the Grocer 33, and work very closely with The Grocer to ensure the competition remains as vital and relevant as ever, with recent changes to reflect the importance of loyalty pricing and further exciting development to come.

”So we are thrilled to support these magnificent awards, and look forward to working with The Grocer for many years to come.”

Grocer 33 Awards finalists:

• Asda
• Morrisons
• Sainsbury’s
• Tesco
• Waitrose

Food Brand of the Year – sponsored by Savi

Marketing technology specialist Savi is supporting the Food Brand of the Year category, one of the most keenly contested awards, with eight finalists of all shapes and size. 

Savi chief commercial officer Steve Smith said: “We’re genuinely thrilled to sponsor the Gold Awards once again and wish all of the entrants the very best of luck. Our decision to partner with The Grocer stems from the remarkable synergy between Savi’s mobile coupons and the outstanding, innovative brands in the fmcg industry.”

Food Brand of the Year finalists: 

• Branston Baked Beans
• Huel
• Love Corn
• McVitie’s
• Pip & Nut
• St Pierre
• St Ewe Free Range Eggs
• Vadasz

National Wholesaler of the Year – sponsored by Aqua Carpatica

The National Wholesaler of the Year will be supported by premium water supplier Aqua Carpatica. 

“Aqua Carpatica’s sponsorship of The Grocer Gold Awards is a testament to our unwavering commitment to excellence in the dynamic grocery sector,” said Aqua Carpatica PR & trade comms director Alina Balatchi-Lupascu. “The awards align perfectly with our values. This partnership not only allows us to celebrate success but also fosters a collective dedication to continuous improvement and innovation.”

Balatchi-Lupascu added: “Proudly associated with an initiative that mirrors our commitment to excellence, we look forward to continued collaboration with The Grocer Gold Awards, contributing to the cultivation of a culture that values and promotes industry-wide achievement.”

National Wholesaler of the Year finalists:

• Bestway Wholesale
• Bidfood UK
• Booker
• Brakes
• JJ Foodservice

Symbol/Franchise Retailer of the Year – sponsored by SHS Group

Symbol/Franchise Group of the Year is supported by household brands and drinks supplier SHS Group.

SHS Group CEO Arthur Richmond said: “We are delighted to continue our long-standing sponsorship of The Grocer Gold Awards. We believe these awards offer an excellent platform to celebrate and acknowledge outstanding innovation and standards in our industry.”

Symbol/Franchise Retailer of the Year Finalists:

• Bestway dual-branded stores
• Booker Premier
• Keystore
• Nisa
• One Stop
• Spar UK

Sustainability Initiative of the Year – sponsored by GS1 UK

The Sustainability Initiative of the Year is sponsored once again by GS1, the global non-profit standards organisation that first introduced the barcode in 1974 and which continues to evolve in support of supply chain and sustainability improvements. Chris Tyas, OBE and chair of GS1 UK said GS1 was supporting The Grocer Gold Awards to “help bring the industry together and to recognise the critical role the food and drink value chain provides for the economy and society as a whole.

”Innovation has always been part of what this industry strives to do, and this has never been more critical than now as it seeks to address the challenges of delivering a more sustainable future. This is why we are thrilled to sponsor the sustainability award which recognises the businesses and individuals looking to address these challenges now.”

Sustainability of the Year Finalists:

• Abel & Cole – Club Zero Refillable Milk
• Arla Foods – Customer Sustainability Programme
• Central Co-op – Green energy self-sufficiency
• DDRS Alliance – Brecon Digital DRS Trial
• Dentek – Making the dental accessories category more sustainable
• Greenvale – Integrated intervention for sustainable potato production
• When in Rome Wine – Paper wine bottles

Soft Drinks Brand of the Year – sponsored by Boughey Distribution

The Soft Drinks Brand of the Year features the longest shortlist in this year’s Gold Awards competition, with nine fantastic brands shortlisted. Angela Carus, managing director of sponsors Boughey Distribution said that it was “extremely proud” to be involved as a sponsor.

“As first-time sponsors of The Grocer Gold Awards in 2023, our goal was to gain increased exposure for our company across the grocery industry. The Gold Awards definitely delivered this, and more. Our sponsorship package included media coverage in The Grocer and thegrocer.co.uk, and the awards event provided an opportunity for us to meet with key industry contacts.

”The Royal Albert Hall also provided a spectacular venue for what was a memorable and expertly organised dinner. Our company was showcased superbly on the evening and we were extremely proud to be involved as a sponsor.”

Soft Drinks Brand of the Year Finalists:

• Buxton – Sweat & Tears
• Dash Water
• Fever-Tree Drinks
• Hip Pop
• Mockingbird Raw Press
• Moju
• PerfectTed
• Swizzels Squash
• Trip

Employer of the Year (Retailer & Supplier) – sponsored by Newton Europe

“People are at the heart of every thriving business,“ said Tim Murray of Newton’s decision to sponsor the two Employer of the Year awards. Newton, a specialist consultancy in operational improvement, was ”proud to support the Employer of the Year Award to recognise and celebrate the achievement of the employer who has created the most positive working environment. Whether it’s the best training and development pathways, best recognition and benefits schemes or leading the way on equality, diversity and inclusion, the winner of this award understands the importance of looking after its people.

Employer of the Year (Supplier) Finalists:

• Arla Foods
• Finnebrogue
• Glanbia Performance Nutrition
• Heck Food
• Huel

Employer of the Year (Retailer) Finalists:

• Aldi UK
• Lidl GB
• M&S
• Ocado Retail
• Sainsbury’s
• Tesco

With thanks to our sponsors