The Delicious Winners of the World Food Photography Awards

May 20, 2025

Matt Growcoot

Five elderly women, wearing colorful clothing and hats, sit on chairs outside a wooden building, eating food and smiling. Two black-and-white photographs are displayed on the wall behind them. — OVERALL WINNER (and Food for the Family supported by the the Felix Project). In an early spring afternoon in Shuangliu Ancient Town, Sichuan Province, China, five elderly ladies in their eighties sit together. Wearing colourful jackets and wool hats, they happily eat the famous Sichuan snack ‘Spring rolls’. A wrap of thin homemade dough, filled with cucumber, carrot, and shredded scallions, drizzled with green mustard, Sichuan pepper, red oil, sweet sauce, and sprinkled with sesame seeds. They are “setting up a Dragon Gate formation” – an expression used in China to refer to neighbourhood friends coming together to chat, gossip and share stories. | Xiaoling Li/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®

The winners of the World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi® have been announced with a group portrait of elderly women in China scooping the top prize.

The heartwarming image, The Elderly Having Delicious Food, was taken by Chinese photographer Xiaoling Li and has been crowned the Overall Winner.

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 photographer Xiaoling Li. “This is an expression used in China to refer to neighborhood 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.”

Two boys play joyfully in a flooded field; one is leaping mid-air holding a large fish trap, while the other runs beside him, splashing water. The scene is lively and captured in black and white. — Winner of Bring Home the Harvest category. After the rice harvest, the river water filled the paddy fields, and at some point, some fish from the river ended up here too. After school, the two children went to the field together to catch fish with their covers. Approaching quietly, leaping vigorously, and pouncing towards the target. | Chang Jiangbin/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®

A bride in a white dress and groom in a suit sit on a wooden swing at an outdoor wedding, surrounded by guests socializing under a canopy of trees and green tarps. The bride holds a bouquet and laughs. — Winner of the Champagne Taittinger Wedding Food Photographer category. Rebekah & Andrew enjoy canapes in the woodland setting at Middle Coombe Farm in Devon, May 2024. | Emma Stoner/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®

Two monks in orange robes sit among ornate golden trays filled with various fruits and flowers arranged on patterned carpets in a temple setting, creating a vibrant and colorful display. — Winner of The Bimi® Prize. Monks at a temple in Angkor Wat, Cambodia prepare traditional Buddhist offerings. This practice is deeply symbolic in Buddhism, often representing celebration, gratitude, respect and devotion to the Buddha, and the teaching and monastic community. The intricate arrangement of fruits and flowers emphasizes mindfulness and respect. | Ryan Kost/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®

A glass of ice-filled cocktail garnished with a lemon twist on a skewer sits on a wet surface, surrounded by melted ice and water droplets in dramatic sunlight and shadow. — Winner of the World of Drinks. Sun, ice and a gin tonic. Condensation drips, the table’s a mess, and the afternoon heat is winning the battle. But who cares? It’s cold, it’s strong and it’s exactly what this day needed. | Alessandra Bartoloni/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®

A man sits on a bed, gently supporting and feeding another man who is lying down and appears unwell, inside a dimly lit, woven bamboo hut with basic supplies on a shelf nearby. — Winner of the unearthed® Food For Sale. A unique, two-tiered tea shop thrives in a narrow alley of Kolkata, India, where tradition meets ingenuity. Below, the chai master serves warmth in a cup, while above, the betel leaf vendor tends to his craft. A layered tale of resilience and community. | Kazi Mushfiq/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®

An elderly woman in a floral shirt makes fresh pasta on a wooden table in a rustic kitchen with worn walls, tiled fireplace, and vintage utensils. Light streams in from a window on the left. — Winner of The Philip Harben Award for Food in Action supported by International Salon Culinaire. Fresh pasta is a symbol that represents the cultural richness of the Italian territory. An image of its processing becomes a means to telling history, traditions and centuries-old passions. Matassa pasta is made in Irpinia in southern Italy with a truly exceptional technique. | Diego Marinelli/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®

A butcher wearing an apron stands in a shop, holding a large rack of ribs. He faces forward, with a meat display case and labeled cuts to his right and candy dispensers on his left against a pale green and white wall. — Winner of the The James Beard Foundation Photography Award. Tom Moriarty and his wife, Caitlin, own Moriarty Meats and its adjacent restaurant, Cafe Bar Moriarty. Moriarty Meats is a whole-animal butcher shop in Buffalo, NY, sourcing local meats and inspired by traditional European butcheries. Tom and his team work exclusively by hand. | Luke Copping/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®

A man fries a large piece of bread in a deep pan at an outdoor food stall, while two others prepare colorful dishes beside him. Banners and vibrant food can be seen in the background. — Winner of the Street Food category. During the Ramadan months, Kolkata turns into a foodie’s paradise. Just after noon, huge ovens are lit and giant paranthas are prepared for the iftar. Not only Muslims, but people from all communities, throng around the food stalls, making it a culinary haven. | Debdatta Chakraborty/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®

Overhead view of a pot filled with mushrooms, surrounded by swirling white smoke or steam against a blue background. The mushrooms are tightly packed and illuminated from above. — Winner of the Production Paradise Previously Published award. Mushrooms enveloped in steam, immersed in a play of light and transparency, evoking the warmth of the kitchen like a sun in the sky. | Diego Papagna/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®

A group of women in burqas sit in front of a bakery stall, where two men are preparing and selling bread. The shop has naan displayed on a table and a sign with food photos above. — Winner of the Politics of Food award. Afghan women sit and wait for free bread handouts at the market as it’s difficult for them to earn money. | Jo Kearney/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®

A close-up of a yellow-orange squash blossom with textured petals surrounded by fuzzy green leaves and stems, displaying intricate details and natural light. — Winner of On the Phone in support of Action Against Hunger award. In the field, squash blossoms and their curly tendrils have an undeniable charm. | Linda Repasky/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®

An octopus hangs partly out of an open washing machine in a laundromat with pale green washers and a blue chair on a tiled floor. — Winner of the MPB Award for Innovation. Sometimes I have some weird ideas that randomly come to my mind. I had an idea of putting an octopus inside a washing machine or tumble dryer. This is one of the results. | Pieter D’Hoop/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®

Close-up of a single baked kale leaf, showing crisp, dark green texture and detailed veins, with ruffled edges, set against a black background. — Winner of the Marks & Spencer Food Portraiture award. A drizzle of olive oil, oven at 180°C, salt and pepper, 10 minutes… delicious and so crispy. | Simon Détraz/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®

A circular maze with cream-colored walls on a red surface, viewed from above. At the center of the maze is a pile of red granules or a textured red sphere. — Winner of the Hotel Art Group Food Stylist Award. Part of a wider food story concept titled Spaghetti. Exploring how ingredients could be styled in playful and innovative ways – a spaghetti strand maze guarding a delicious meatball at its center. | Costas Millas/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®

A plate of spaghetti with meatballs and tomato sauce sits on a black surface. The plate is broken into several pieces, with food and sauce spilled around the shards. A fork lies in the top left corner. — Winner of the Hotel Art Group Food Stylist Award. Part of a wider food story concept titled Spaghetti. A bold and fun capture brings to life the saying in the image title and the self-imposed challenge of styling a broken plate of food on the floor and still making it appetizing and appealing. | Costas Millas/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®

A woman in a rustic kitchen pours wine over a plate of food on a table covered with various dishes; pots, pans, and utensils hang from the wall and ceiling. — Winner of the Fortnum & Mason Food at the Table category. Ana’s twelve dishes during the Revol – the party celebrating the end of harvest in the Beaujolais region of France – at Domaine Louis-Claude Desvignes. Taken in September 2023. | Franck Tremblay/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®

A man with round glasses and a short haircut smiles widely. He is wearing a pinstripe suit, tie, and white shirt. The black and white photo has a plain, bright background. — Winner of the Food Influencer category. “Fergus Henderson, Chef, culinary disruptor, mentor and, dare I say, icon. Captured here against the austere white walls of St John during the Anniversary Party.” | Paul Hughes/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®

A group of curious black piglets stand close together on straw, with one piglet playfully raising its ear while the others look directly at the camera in a forest setting. — Winner of Food in the Field category. A litter of free range Large Black piglets. The Large Black is a rare breed and is Britain’s only all black pig. Adults weigh up to 350kg and have distinctive floppy ears that fall over their eyes, making them a challenge to photograph! They will eat anything, including my flash diffuser. | Susan Lang/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®

Sunlit rolling hills covered in lush green vineyards are framed by tall, leafy trees, with a partly cloudy blue sky above and a winding path leading through the landscape. — Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year – Places. This image, taken in July 2024, captures a vineyard in Oltrepò Pavese, a historical region in the province of Pavia in Lombardy, Italy. The trees on the road act as a backdrop to emphasize the scene in its natural and, at the same time, anthropized beauty. | Alessandro Anglisani/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®

Workers harvest grapes at night under bright lights, surrounded by grapevines. One worker lifts a yellow crate, while others pick grapes in the shadows and mist, creating a dramatic and atmospheric vineyard scene. — Overall Winner of Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year (and People sub-category). Under the glow of a tractor’s lights, vineyard workers handpick Pinot Noir in the cool, misty midnight air at Sanford & Benedict Vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills, an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located at the western end of the Santa Ynez Valley in California’s Central Coast wine region. One worker adds his contribution to the back of the tractor, a cascade of Pinot Noir falling from his picking bin. | Heather Daenitz/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®

A person in an orange shirt and black apron sifts flour into a bowl, with the flour forming a swirling pattern in mid-air. The scene is set against a dark background with kitchen utensils nearby. — Winner of the Cream of the Crop category. Part of the series ‘Perfectly Imperfect’ where I captured the process of baking sourdough bread while incorporating the symbolism of the Japanese Ensō sign (imperfect circle). Preparing food and photography are both mindful activities where calmness and creativity exist in the moment of creation. This makes the combination of both so magical. | Dorien Paymans/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®

10,000 entries were submitted from 70 countries around the world. To see the online gallery of all the 2025 finalists, visit the World Food Photography Awards website.