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Entries for the 2026 Hive Awards are open, but the clock is ticking, with 1 week left to get your entries in – the closing date is 13 March. There are nine awards up for grabs, with three new categories this year – Best Food Product, Best Beverage, and Best NPD. Read more
Welcome to Food & Drink Business PLAY. Here are our top stories for February – from food safety and major retail scrutiny, to a big sustainability investment and a new global player backing an Australian beverage business.
Our Top 100 2025 edition of Food & Drink Business magazine is more than the annual flagship Top 100 Report. Industry leaders reflect on the year past and the one ahead, we provide our annual news review, M&A wrap-up, and all the executive moves, and a Roman-inspired sports drink, Posca, is our final Rising Star for 2025.
Food & Drink Business and IBISWorld present this year’s Top 100 companies, a ranking of Australia’s largest food and drink companies by revenue. This year reflects a sector positioning itself for immediate term viability and long-term competitiveness.
Nestlé Germany is testing cocoa-free chocolate alternatives in its confectionery portfolio, launching a new “Snack Vibes” line under its Choco Crossies brand made using ChoViva, a cocoa-free chocolate ingredient developed by German food-tech company Planet A Foods.
Global ingredient company, Döhler, has strengthened its presence in the Australian and New Zealand food manufacturing sector with the acquisition of Melbourne-based culinary solutions specialist EzyChef. It marks the next stage in a partnership that has been building over several years.
Victorian-based Aquafab has set sail, landing contracts with major cruise lines including Disney, Princess, Holland, Seabourn, Silversea, and Crystal. The company has just launched a capital raise through Birchal to continue its impressive growth journey, hoping to expand its national presence and make its way into bars throughout the US and UK.
The New South Wales government has awarded $1.1 million to All G through the latest round of its Biosciences Fund, and announced a new $20 million funding program to support companies developing high-tech innovations in New South Wales.
The Hunter Valley Wine & Tourism Association, McLaren Vale Wine Region and Riverland Wine will deliver Wine Australia’s 2026 Next Crop program, aiming to equip emerging leaders with practical skills to support the long-term resilience of the grape and wine sector.
Tasmanian premium food manufacturer Pure Foods Tasmania (ASX: PFT) says a year of restructuring and cost discipline is beginning to stabilise the business, with improved margins, expanding retail distribution and several months of positive operating cashflow recorded in the first half of FY26.
Endeavour Group has reported modest sales growth but weaker earnings for the first half of FY26 as the liquor and hospitality giant stepped up price investment and accelerated capital spending across its network.
Bulla Dairy Foods CEO, Allan Hood, has stepped down after 12 years of leadership within the company. James Downey, a fifth-generation member of one of Bulla’s three founding families, has taken up the role of acting CEO.
IVE Group says its diversification strategy – including investment in packaging capacity – remains central to growth despite softer revenues in traditional print segments.
The Hive Awards are live! PKN's sister title, Food & Drink Business, is calling on all processing and packaging innovators in the food and beverage sector to get on board and submit entries by 13 March.
A new AFGC snapshot of Australia’s food and grocery manufacturing sector highlights rising costs and slowing real growth – while calling for national progress on packaging circularity and digital labelling.
