39 Breathtaking Shots That Won The 2026 World Food Photography Awards

I had planned this image for six to seven years but kept postponing it, feeling unworthy of capturing them. Now, because of their age, I couldn’t wait. Grandma went to the hairdresser, Grandpa shaved, and I filled their kitchen with studio gear. When she saw the photograph, my grandmother called me an artist.

In this whimsical family portrait, a white eggplant and a deep purple eggplant pose as mother and father behind an ornate gilded antique frame. Three striped offspring stand proudly before them. Bathed in dramatic warm lighting, the scene rests on a rustic wooden table against a weathered, peeling wall, evoking a sense of nostalgia.

I wanted to create a unique image of candied fruit, and I have always been fascinated by the transparency of colours revealed through the process. I began by slicing a pear very thinly and boiling the slices in a mixture of sugar and water. Once the slices became transparent, I laid them out to dry on paper. The image was created using sugar water and a pear slice placed on a glass sheet, along with coloured plastic in front of a table lamp. I photographed the setup multiple times from different angles, and finally, I used Photoshop to combine the various images.

Shot in Kyoto, Japan in September 2025, this image was taken in a split second as I moved through the packed, sweaty crowd at Nishiki Market. With barely any space to stop, I raised the camera and captured a brief, unfiltered moment of the energy and intensity of the market at its busiest.

The Khoja Obi Garm sanatorium (health hotel), Tajikistan, is a brutalist concrete monstrosity built on hot radon gas-infused springs in the mountains. During Soviet times, communist workers were given two weeks annual holiday here. Today its low price - $28 per day including full board and treatments - attracts ordinary Tajiks plus tourists from the neighbouring 'Stans' and the odd backpacker. Treatments include hot pools and steam rooms, wax wraps and tanning barrels, plus hearty healthy meals.

Dark, moody noodles with texture that you can almost feel. Mysterious, bold and irresistible.

I wanted to capture this image in a minimal and moody style, showing the quiet drama of this classic dessert. I was inspired by the way the light filters through the jelly like a jewel, and used a shadowed and geometric background to show beauty in the ordinary.

A precise cross-section of a constructed sandwich reveals layers of texture, colour and repetition. Styled as a graphic portrait, the image elevates a familiar food into a study of structure and balance, where each ingredient plays a defined visual and culinary role.

Little Asilbek touching the hot bread, straight out of the family tandoor. In Samarkand (Uzbekistan) the 'non' is unlike any other: round, dense, with a thick, chewy crust, and always marked in its centre with black sesame seeds.

During the cleaning of the underground tanks, Pedro goes down and cleans the walls and floor of the remains of the previous wine with pressurised water. Once clean, his partner lowers a small bucket with a sponge inside to collect the remains that are left in the lower corner.

This vineyard is just beside a main road but you can't see it unless you stop. It is sort of hidden. This image was taken while Mount Pleasant Wines picked their Semillon grapes. I stopped to shoot the ground action but the drone gave me a great perspective and nature did its best to help me.

A towering stack of pancakes becomes a study in balance and excess. Suspended toppings and syrup emphasise height, gravity and indulgence. The image transforms a familiar breakfast into a playful yet precise exploration of structure and anticipation.

I wanted to capture the simple act of dipping bread into a bowl of fresh, warm lentil stew, a moment of comfort and indulgence. The composition highlights the warmth, cosiness, and soulfulness of the scene, as well as the intimacy of a shared, home-cooked moment.

An image taken during a personal just-for-fun photography project. Experimenting with light and motion, capturing a single burst of flour, revealing the unseen labour of baking. Flour, usually passive and powdery, becomes dynamic.

In Mahasthangarh, Bogra, a large vegetable market comes alive each morning. Farmers bring in their freshly harvested cabbages, usually transported by rickshaw vans, and gather for the daily cabbage market. Traders buy the produce here and supply it to Dhaka and other major cities.

An open-air restaurant owner serves food to her customers. She sells at a low price so that daily labourers who work at Gabtoli coal station can afford it. The photograph was taken in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

At sunrise beneath Howrah Bridge, a small crew hauls in their nets on the Hooghly River. River fish remain everyday food and income here: catches from boats like this are sold in nearby markets and prepared that very morning in Bengali kitchens. A quiet, collective harvest beneath the city’s busiest crossing.

I feel this image portrays the power of friendship. Four women (unknown to me) having a fun day out, enjoying a sneaky bag of chips. The image was not constructed, just a spontaneous capture of a joyous moment, which they were happy to share. Taken at Beamish open-air museum, County Durham.

This image creates a cinematic mid-century mood with high contrast, warm tones and textures. The cake is the centrepiece with symmetrical lines and buttercream swirls glowing in firelight. The scene is filled with hidden vintage surprises, family heirlooms and trinkets. A nod to the era and a moment in time.

Every morning, hundreds of sheep arrive in the village from the high pastures of Mount Nemrut for milking. After the milking is completed, at sunset, the sheep set out once again toward Mount Nemrut, and their dusty journey begins.