World Food Photography Award winners highlight power of food stories and the essential role of food in communities across the world
A Woman Eats in the Canteen of the Soviet-era Sanatorium, by British photographer Jo Kearney, has been crowned overall winner at the World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Tenderstem.
The winners of the competition’s 27 categories were announced yesterday (2 June) by chef and food writer Gennaro Contaldo at a ceremony at London’s Mall Galleries.
This year’s judging panel, chaired by food photographer, David Loftus, assessed nearly 9,000 entries from over 50 countries. Judges included the CEO of Fortnum & Mason Tom Athron, chef Jamie Oliver and food campaigner and author Olia Hercules.
British photographer Jo Kearney was awarded the prize of £5,000 for her image taken at the Khoja Obi Garm sanatorium in the mountains of Tajikistan.
The building dates back to the Soviet era and remains one of the few such sanatoria still in operation, where guests can take thermal baths and steam therapy, and are served soups, fruit, tea and traditional Tajik dishes.
“There is so much to see and so much to feel in this image,” said awards founder, Caroline Kenyon. “She is alone, her simple breakfast on the table before her echoes the fruit in the painting on the wall behind.”
Other category winners included a candied pear by Canadian photographer, Anne Mason-Hoerter, was the winner of the Bimi Prize. Branded brassica Tenderstem is marketed as Bimi in the rest of the world, and Broccolini in Australia and New Zealand.
“These awards highlight the power of photography to tell food stories from around the world,” said Tenderstem brand director, Dave Samuels.
“The remarkable images remind us of the essential role food plays in communities across the globe – through growing, harvesting, cooking, eating, celebrating and surviving. Whatever changes the world goes through, food remains central to our lives.”
A free exhibition of all 203 finalist images will run until Sunday 7 June, with a selection of the images hand-picked by Fortnum & Mason also displayed at the retailer’s flagship store on Piccadilly.
