World’s Best Food Photographs Served Up - Scottish photographers triumph

Chinese photographer Xiaoling Li has been crowned Overall Winner of the World Food Photography Awards

A heartwarming image, The Elderly Having Delicious Food, by Chinese photographer Xiaoling Li, is the Overall Winner of the World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Tenderstem®, the world’s greatest celebration of food photography. The image, which had first won the Food for the Family supported by The Felix Project category, was taken in Shuangliu Ancient Town in the Sichuan Province of China.

“The elderly ladies in the picture are ‘setting up a Dragon Gate formation’,” says Xiaoling Li. “This is an expression used in China to refer to neighbourhood friends coming together to chat, gossip and share stories. They eat the famous Sichuan snack 'Spring rolls’. Food makes these people happy; they enjoy a beautiful and joyful life.”

Chinese photographer Xiaoling Li has been crowned Overall Winner of the World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Tenderstem® and awarded the £5,000 (GBP) prize for a heartwarming image of elderly neighbours gathering to share stories over Sichuan spring rolls.

“What a perfect winning image for our times,” says Caroline Kenyon, Founder, World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Tenderstem®. “This beautifully framed shot captures five elderly women in Sichuan Province, revelling in good food with true friends. The joy they have in each other’s company is palpable, a powerful rebuke to those who would divide us. Colour, composition, the variety of expressions while one determinedly ploughs on with their food - I defy anyone not to be uplifted by this photograph."

Photographers of Scotland achieved great success in the competition; from nearly 10,000 entries submitted from 70 countries around the world, they had two finalist images.

Lynne Kennedy, from Kyle of Lochalsh, was once again recognised in the Champagne Taittinger Wedding Food Photographer of the Year - having been a finalist of the category multiple times and the winner in 2024. Her image, which captures a groom watching his new wife cleaning the knife while he munches on wedding cake, was awarded 2nd place.

Jacki Gordon was Highly Commended in the MPB Award for Innovation category with her creative image of miniature figurines in mushrooms made to look like explorers heading into a wood. Jacki, a retired mental health specialist, started her photography series featuring miniature figurines, called ‘Totie Photies’, during lockdown and has been shortlisted multiple times in the Awards with images from it. 

The winners of the competition’s 25 categories were revealed by renowned chef, restaurateur and food writer Yotam Ottolenghi at the Mall Galleries, London, on Tuesday 20 May at an awards evening gathering stars of the food and arts worlds.

Kyle of Lochalsh photographer Lynne Kennedy was awarded 2nd place in the Champagne Taittinger Wedding Food Photographer of the Year

 “These Awards showcase the power of photography in telling incredible food stories from around the world,” says Dave Samuels, Brand Director, Tenderstem® Bimi® Broccolini and headline sponsor of the Awards. “No matter how the world changes, food remains at the heart of our lives. These extraordinary images serve as a reminder of the fundamental role food plays across communities; bringing people together through growing, cooking, eating, celebrating and surviving.”

This year’s global judging panel was chaired by legendary food photographer, David Loftus, and included: Claire Reichenbach, CEO, The James Beard Foundation, Tom Athron, CEO, Fortnum & Mason, Max La Manna, Award Winning Digital Creator, Rein Skullerud, Senior Photographer & Photo Editor, United Nations World Food Programme and Mogau Seshoene, Chef and Author.

A free-to-enter exhibition of all 185 Finalist images premieres at The Mall Galleries, London, running from 21st - 25th May. A selection of images will also be exhibited at Fortnum and Mason from 2nd June, as well as the Museum of the Home from 3rd June - 7th September.

To see the online gallery of all the 2025 finalists, visit www.worldfoodphotographyawards.com 

Entries for the 2026 edition of the competition will open later this year in September.

Photographer Jacki Gordon from Glasgow was Highly Commended in the MPB Award for Innovation category with an image from her series featuring miniature figurines called ‘Totie Photies’.