Food Photographer of the Year 2023 Winners

The Candy Man of Mumbai puts on a stunning display of juxtaposition to take the title of Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year 2023

The Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year contest celebrates the art of food photography and film, telling the most important food stories from across the world. “War in Europe, climate change, soaring inflation all to be grappled with” says Phil Turnbull, CEO of APAL, “but at the same time, we continue to grow, forage, cook, eat, celebrate, gather together, feast.”

This year, Jon Enoch took the title for his snap of a candy-floss seller on the streets of western Mumbai. A common practice among sellers on the beaches and fairs, vendors imagine unique ways to attract custom, like Pappu Jaiswal’s (the seller) stacked display. “Ever since I saw the candy floss sellers”, Enoch recalls, “I was drawn to the shapes, colours and juxtaposition of the candy and the urban environment.”

Founder of the contest, Caroline Kenyon says the image “evokes the great late 18^th and early 19^th century portraits of Reynolds and Gainsborough – the gaze, the full-length figure, the subject’s position in the frame”. She goes on to underline the ‘splendid’ figure of a man despite his humble way of life – “dignified, confident, direct, he is anyone’s equal in a society riven with division and caste differences. This image shows us beautifully the universal truth, we are all the same.”

The Politics of Food prize category was won by Syrian photographer, Mouneb Taim for ‘Ramadan Meals Among the Ruins in Idlib’. It captures breakfast during Ramadan amongst the rubble left after a series of bombing destroyed the landscape of Idlib.

Every year thousands of photographers from around the world submit their images to an expert judging panel; this year, entrants came from over 65 countries. The panel of judges was chaired by legendary food photographer, David Loftus and featured a host of food professionals.

The exhibition of the 2023 finalists is hosted at the Royal Photographic Society in Bristol from 20 May to 11 June 2023. It forms part of Bristol’s ‘World Photography in Focus’ campaign, during which the likes of Wildlife Photographer of the Year and Travel Photographer of the Year will be exhibiting the city.

For more, head to the Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year website.