André Simon 2025 Shortlist Announced

Shortlist Awards 2025

We are delighted to announce the 2025 shortlist for the 48th year of the prestigious André Simon Food and Drink Awards. This year's selection comprises seven food and four drink books, carefully chosen by two independent assessors with the support of the André Simon trustees.

This year's shortlisted food books reflect the extraordinary breadth of contemporary food writing, combining personal storytelling with cultural insight and deep research. Together, they take readers on a truly global journey, from Eastern Europe to Mexico and explore the forces that shape how and why we eat today. From how we grow, make, buy and eat food to the emotional meanings we attach to everyday kitchen objects. The drink books chart drinking cultures past and present. From beer in Ireland and the evolving world of sustainable wine, to a deep dive into tequila and mezcal, as well as an illustrated guide tracing more than 7,000 years of Lebanese winemaking, capturing the diversity, history and craftsmanship behind what we drink, and how those traditions continue to change.

The winners will be announced on 18 February at the André Simon Awards ceremony in London. Each year the entries are whittled down to two main winners: one for food and one for drink. Two further awards, the John Avery Award, in honour of a former trustee, and the Special Commendation Award are given at the discretion of the trustees.

Shortlisted food books 2025

How the World Eats: Where Our Food Comes From and Why It Matters by Julian Baggini, Granta
Kapusta: Vegetable-Forward Recipes from Eastern Europe by Alissa Timoshkina, Quadrille
La Mesa Mexicana by Rosa Cienfuegos, Smith Street Books
Lugma: Abundant Dishes and Stories from My Middle East by Noor Murad, Quadrille
Richard Hart Bread: Intuitive Sourdough Baking by Richard Hart, Hardie Grant Books
The Heart Shaped Tin: Love, Loss, and Kitchen Objects by Bee Wilson, Fourth Estate
The Science of Fermentation by Robin Sherriff, DK

Shortlisted drink books 2025

Filthy Queens: A History of Beer in Ireland by Dr Christina Wade, Nine Bean Rows
Rooted In Change: The Stories Behind Sustainable Wine by Jane Masters MW & Andrew Neather, Académie du Vin Library
Tequila, Mezcal & More by Anna Bruce, Octopus Publishing Group
Wines of Lebanon: The Journey Continues by Michael Karam, Librairie Antoine

Our 2025 Assessors

Food Assessor Rowley Leigh

"It was difficult enough to whittle the enormous number of entries to 14, but to narrow it down to seven has been a monumental task. In their very different ways, these writers prove how high the standard of food writing is and how far it has progressed over the past 30 years. We have an incredible variety of books: from a personal memoir focussed on kitchen implements and accoutrements to a beautifully produced book on Mexican food. I'm proud to have shortlisted them all."

Drink Assessor Alice Lascelles

"The first thing that strikes me about this year's shortlist is how wonderfully diverse it is; subjects range from agave spirits and female brewers in Ireland, to Lebanese wine and sustainability. All the writers exhibited deep knowledge of, and passion for, their subject, and a great knack for storytelling - I have come away inspired, galvanised, keen to travel more and very, very thirsty."

"A number of this year's food and drink nominees - from Julian Baggini's How the World Eats to Jane Masters MW and Andrew Neather's Rooted In Change - address the urgent environmental and sustainability issues of today in ways that are original and inspiring. Other authors breathe new life into traditional recipes and techniques, from Noor Murad's Lugma to Robin Sherriff's The Science of Fermentation. The drinks books include explorations from the classic wines of Lebanon by Michael Karam to Filthy Queens: A History of Beer in Ireland Dr Christina Wade. Congratulations to the shortlisted authors and publishers."

Nicholas Lander, Chair André Simon Food & Drink Book Awards