Congratulations to The Hive Awards finalists for 2025! This year's entries continued the high standards of innovation and excellence set by the inaugural program in 2024. The 2025 winners will be announced at a long lunch in Sydney on 8 May, so book your tables now. We can't wait to see you there!
Special thanks to our judges for their time, expertise, and insights. It's quite the undertaking to judge awards and we truly appreciate it.
Angeline Achariya, CEO, Innovation GameChangers
Samantha Blake, director, Australian Food & Grocery Council
Michelle Colgrave deputy director – Impact, Future Protein mission lead, CSIRO Agriculture & Food; Professor of Food and Agricultural Proteomics, ECU
Dr Chris Downs, director, Australia’s Food and Beverage Accelerator (FaBA)
Ian Hayes, PackPro Consulting
Katherine La Macchia, general manager, Grains & Legumes Nutrition Council; Standards Australia, Food Standards committee member
Vanessa Matthijssen, executive member, Consumer Industry lead | AP Future of Food lead, Deloitte Australia
Mark Peters, national director, Projects, and state director, Queensland, Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre
Paul Wood, board member, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering
Jessica Zhou, associate director, Advanced Manufacturing, Investment NSW
The Finalists
BEST INGREDIENT AWARD: Recognises the development or application of an innovative ingredient in food and beverage products, evaluating its uniqueness, impact on product quality, example of company’s R&D practice, and consumer acceptance.
Aquafab
Earlee Products
Hang 10 Distillery
BEST PACKAGING AWARD: Celebrating packaging innovation, this award assesses creativity, functionality, sustainability efforts, and the packaging’s effectiveness in attracting consumers and enhancing the product experience.
Allied Beverages
Chobani Australia
Close the Loop
Grove Juice
MeAgain
Zipform Packaging
BEST TECHNOLOGY AWARD: This award is open to individuals, teams, or companies that have developed or implemented innovative technologies, equipment, or systems that set new benchmarks for excellence in food and beverage manufacturing.
HMPS Propac
Melville Park
mQ Intelligence
Treasury Wine Estates
LOCAL MANUFACTURING AWARD: Honouring excellence in Australian food and beverage manufacturing, this award reviews local sourcing commitments, manufacturing quality, sustainability practices, and community engagement efforts.
Packserv
Springhill Farm Australia
The Triffid Tonic Company
Yarra Valley Gourmet Foods
EXCELLENCE IN VALUE INNOVATION: Recognising companies that have responded to current economic and cultural conditions with innovative value-driven solutions that successfully balance customer needs, profitability, and business relationships, to create impactful, sustainable, and commercially viable outcomes.
Ferndale Foods Australia
Hirsch Wine Group
Urban Forager
OUTSTANDING BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Recognising a business that encapsulates organisational excellence, emphasising leadership, innovation, sustainability, and quantifiable performance metrics.
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners
Unipharm Healthy Manufacturing Co.
RISING STAR AWARD: Presented to start-ups under three years old, this award acknowledges disruptive impact, innovation, resilience in overcoming challenges, and future growth potential. For eligibility, start-ups need to have been registered and operating as a company no earlier than 2020.
Aquafab
Cocktail Candy
Elato
Hang 10 Distillery
Night Cap
Simply Wholesome Pantry
VITHIT Australia
GAMECHANGER AWARD: Recognising companies driving industry change, this award values innovation, sustainability, industry impact through collaborations, and a forward-looking vision for transformative practices.
Close the Loop
Gina’s Table
TomKat Global Solutions
Treasury Wine Estates
We Feed You
Yaala Sparkling
