Stephen Harris among the winners at Fortnum & Mason Food & Drink awards

Chefs Stephen Harris and Ruth Rogers and food critic Jay Rayner were among the winners at the sixth annual Fortnum & Mason Food & Drink awards.

Harris won Cookery Book of the Year for his book The Sportsman, detailing the story of his Michelin-starred pub and how he built its reputation up to what it is today.  

Rogers was presented with the Fortnum’s special award in honour of her more than 30 years at Hammersmith institution The River Cafe.

US chef and food writer Samin Nosrat won Debut Food Book of the Year for Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, which addresses the “four basic factors that determine how good your food will taste”.

The Restaurant Writer award went to journalist and broadcaster Jay Rayner for his work as The Observer Magazine’s resident food critic.

The awards, which celebrate the food industry’s best writers, publishers, presenters, image makers and personalities, were hosted by Claudia Winkleman.

Winners were selected by a panel of judges including Noble Rot founder Dan Keeling; food writer Diana Henry; chef José Pizarro; and journalist Marina O’Loughlin. The panel was chaired by Fortnum & Mason CEO Ewan Venters.

The Food Writer award went to Bee Wilson for her Guardian long read article on clean eating. Commenting on Twitter, she said that it was “not least because editor Claire Longrigg had to persuade [her] at first that there was something new to say on the subject”.

The 2018 winners in full:

Food book

The Christmas Chronicles: Notes, stories & 100 essential recipes for midwinter by Nigel Slater (4th Estate)

Cookery book

The Sportsman by Stephen Harris (Phaidon Press)

Debut food book

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat (Canongate)

Drink book

The Wine Dine Dictionary by Victoria Moore (Granta Books)

Debut drink book

Bursting Bubbles by Robert Walters (Quiller Publishing)

Food writer

Bee Wilson, The Guardian and Observer Food Monthly

Cookery writer

Meera Sodha, The Guardian Weekend magazine

Drink writer

Nina Caplan: New Statesman

Restaurant writer

Jay Rayner, The Observer Magazine

Programme

Nadiya’s British Food Adventure, BBC Studios, Unscripted Productions

Radio or podcast

Turmeric, The Food Programme, BBC Radio 4

Photographer

Hugh Johnson

Personality of the year

Nadiya Uussain

Fortnum’s special award

Ruth Rogers