30 Winnaars van de Wereld Voedselfotografieprijzen

Een tedere afbeelding getiteld A Woman Eats in the Canteen of the Soviet-era Sanatorium, gemaakt door de Britse fotograaf Jo Kearney, is de Overall Winner van de World Food Photography Awards, gesponsord door Bimi®.

De foto, die oorspronkelijk de Fortnum & Mason Food at the Table-categorie won, werd genomen in het Khoja Obi Garm-sanatorium in de bergen van Tadzjikistan. Het colossal betonnen complex is gebouwd op radon-rijke warmwaterbronnen en dateert uit het Sovjet-tijdperk. Het blijft een van de weinige dergelijke sanatoria die nog steeds actief zijn, waar gasten voorgeschreven behandelingen ondergaan zoals warmwaterbaden en stoomtherapie, en waar voedzame maaltijden worden geserveerd — soepen, fruit, thee en traditionele Tajikische gerechten — in overeenstemming met de herstellende ethos van het sanatorium. Met een prijs van circa £33 per dag voor verblijf, logies en behandelingen is het sanatorium enorm populair.

“Er is zoveel te zien en nog meer te voelen in deze afbeelding,” zegt Caroline Kenyon, oprichter van de World Food Photography Awards, gesponsord door Bimi®. “Een oude vrouw schenkt zichzelf thee — maar het is veel meer dan dat. De uitdrukking op haar doorleefde gezicht is prachtig; het riep tranen bij mij op. Ze is alleen, haar eenvoudige ontbijt op tafel vóór haar weerspiegelt de fruitigheid van de schilderijen op de muur achter haar. Tegenover de uitgedroogde tinten van de scène buiten het raam geven de diepe kransen van de kranenkleuren een koninklijke kwaliteit aan de setting, en hoewel ze eenvoudig gekleed is, straalt haar waardige houding ook koninklijk.”

De winnaars van de 27 categorieën werden vandaag bekendgemaakt door de gerenommeerde chef-kok en voedselschrijver Gennaro Contaldo tijdens een awards-avond in Mall Galleries, Londen, in aanwezigheid van sterren uit de food- en kunstwereld.

“Deze prijzen benadrukken de kracht van fotografie om voedselverhalen uit de hele wereld te vertellen,” aldus Dave Samuels, Brand Director van Tenderstem® Bimi® Broccolini en hoofdsponsor van de prijzen. “De opmerkelijke beelden herinneren ons aan de essentiële rol die voedsel speelt in gemeenschappen wereldwijd – bij het telen, oogsten, koken, eten, vieren en overleven. Wat de wereld ook doormaakt, voedsel blijft centraal staan in ons leven.”

Categorie-Winnaars

Several squid are hung by strings on a rope to dry in the sun, with a scenic background of blue water, distant mountains, and green hills.

Close-up of two bundles of uncooked fettuccine pasta, neatly coiled with long, flat noodles, set against a dark background. The light accentuates the pasta’s smooth texture and golden color.

Two young girls in matching dresses and flower crowns hold baskets and snack packs while eating chips at an outdoor event, surrounded by people in formal attire.

A group of people row a wooden boat on a calm river at sunrise, with the Howrah Bridge visible through the mist in the background. The scene is peaceful, with soft pastel colors filling the sky.

A person in a brown suit holds a glass of whiskey and a lighter behind a tall, frosted chocolate cake with a lit candle on a stand; vintage items and toys are scattered on the table.

A vibrant, crowded night market with many people dining at tables filled with food, viewed from above. Warm lights and colorful dishes create a lively atmosphere in an outdoor setting.

A shepherd with a staff walks through a dusty landscape, guiding a large flock of sheep along a hillside, with sunlight streaming through the haze.

Close-up of a stacked sandwich with layers of lettuce, tomato, pickles, sliced salami, cheese, and mustard between slices of brown bread.

A creative arrangement of mushrooms, a red chili, bok choy, an egg, and glassware, with some ingredients balanced atop overturned glasses against a beige textured background.

A woman wearing a hair net and apron sits at a counter, holding dollar bills. Behind her are papers, lab coats, and various office supplies, suggesting she is in a small business or restaurant setting.

Black and white image showing grapes falling into a large circular vat from above, with a person standing at the top center, watching or guiding the process.

Aerial view of a vineyard at sunrise, with rows of grapevines running diagonally, a small pond surrounded by trees, and a group of people working among the vines as sunlight filters through the landscape.

A person wearing a headlamp stands under a ladder, looking up at a metal bucket suspended from the ceiling, illuminated by a beam of light in an otherwise dark, reddish-toned space.

Four women sit on a bench against a brick wall, smiling and laughing while eating snacks. They appear relaxed and happy, dressed in casual clothes and sunglasses. The photo is black and white.

A dark bowl filled with brown soup, with a cooked fish head floating in the center, sits on a dark, textured surface.

A busy outdoor market where vendors and buyers gather around large stacks of leafy vegetables, loaded on bicycles and rickshaws. People are mingling and the scene is lively, surrounded by trees and small buildings.

Two hands reaching for rustic bread; one takes slices from a basket, the other dips bread into a bowl of stew on a dark table with small dishes of dried chili and a brown cloth.

A worker covered in white powder wears a protective mask and headscarf, standing beside industrial machinery in a factory setting. The environment appears dusty, with powder on surfaces and in the air.

A young boy sits on a chair next to a table with several loaves of bread, reaching toward them. The scene is set against a worn, textured wall with a small shelf holding some items above the table.

Two waiters in white jackets work behind a dark wood bar inside a vintage, elegant café with ornate lighting, wall art, and shelves of bottles. One waiter stands behind the bar, while the other walks briskly in front.

A red gelatin dessert topped with whipped cream and a cherry sits on a dark tablecloth next to a black spoon, against a dark background.

An elderly person in period clothing stands in a doorway holding a tray, inside a vintage room with wooden furniture, a bed with a colorful quilt, and a framed portrait on the wall.

A close-up of a pear sliced in half, showing its seeds and inner texture. The fruit glows with golden yellow and purple hues against a black background, with light reflecting off its moist surface.

A street food vendor cooks seafood at a colorful market stall in Japan, surrounded by displays of crab, shellfish, and food signs written in Japanese. The scene is lively and full of vibrant colors and textures.

A dark purple and a white eggplant lean together inside an ornate, vintage frame, resembling an embrace, with three small striped eggplants in front on a rustic wooden surface. The background is textured and gray.

A woman serves food from a roadside stall beside a river, handing a plate to a man. Industrial cranes, ships, and coal are visible in the misty background, indicating a busy worksite near the water.

An elderly woman in an apron cuts dough for cookies on a wooden board in a cozy kitchen, while an elderly man sits at a table in the background reading a newspaper. Sunlight streams in through a window with flowers on the sill.

Close-up of a dark red cocktail in a martini glass with a brown sugar rim, garnished with a slice of red chili pepper, set against a rich red background.

A smiling woman in a kitchen pours coffee from a long-handled copper pot. The counter in front of her is filled with various foods, canned goods, fresh fruit, eggs, and bottles. Shelves with kitchenware are in the background.

Deze jaar wereldwijd beoordelingspanel kreeg de opdracht om bijna 9.000 inzendingen uit meer dan 50 landen te beoordelen. Een gratis tentoonstelling van alle 203 finalefoto’s gaat op donderdag 3 juni in première in de Mall Galleries in Londen en loopt tot en met zondag 7 juni. Een selectie van de beelden, handmatig gekozen door Fortnum & Mason, zal vanaf dinsdag 9 juni in hun iconische winkel aan Piccadilly worden tentoongesteld.

Om de online galerij met alle finalisten van 2026 te bekijken, bezoek www.worldfoodphotographyawards.com. Inzendingen voor de editie 2027 openen later dit jaar, in september.