Speciality Food March 2026

specialityfoodmagazine.com 39 “F irst and foremost, the whole ethos behind the Biona brand is centred around the belief that organic food has a positive impact for the environment, for wildlife and for those that eat it,” says Carmen Ferguson, brandmanager at Biona’s parent company Windmill Organics. “We are a family-run business led by Noel and Donata, who live and breathe the sustainable lifestyle and ensure our delicious products will never come at the expense of our values, so despite the tough economic climate we have remained 100% organic and haven’t introduced any conventional lines which have higher environmental impacts.” The health of people and planet is at the heart of Biona’s values. “Our mission remains to make it easy for people to choose food that’s good for them and great for the planet, so all our products are grown on organic land to the highest welfare and environmental standards,” Carmen continues. “This means Biona’s customers know that they’re investing in all the benefits organic brings to the environment, from reduced greenhouse gas emissions to greater biodiversity and soil healthy enough to feed the world for generations to come.” “But our sustainability credentials are not just around our product range. We focus on sustainable sourcing so, for example, all our soy comes from deforestation-free sources, we use only a very small amount of palm oil (all of which is RSPO certified), and where possible we only use plastic-free packaging across our portfolio, such as in our pasta range which is sold in paper bags. Despite an extensive catalogue of over 400 products, we never use air freight and also optimise transportation and logistics to reduce the number of shipments we’re bringing in and only work with third parties who are moving towards EV’s. In 2025, we measured our full carbon footprint for the first time which confirmed very low Scope 1 and 2 emissions of greenhouse gasses, largely due to our environmentally conscious office which is run on clean energy. Finally, in 2025 we donated 9,553kg of short-dated stock (around 24,000 portions of food) to City Harvest to reduce food waste and support local communities.” The future looks green for Biona. “The brand will continue to put its money where its mouth is, so as Biona grows, the company continually reinvests in spreading our mission to convert farmland to organic land across the world, to the benefit of everyone.” BIONA “We continually reinvest in spreading our mission” A wareness is definitely growing around the dangers of pesticides and PFAs (“forever chemicals” – which are often found in the artificially derived pesticides that are not permitted in organic farming) and consumers are seeking to reduce their chemical load. Organic offers a trusted alternative which is demonstrated in this year’s organic market report, showing a continued growth in the market. Soil Association Certification is continuously committed to raising awareness of the benefits of organic with campaigns like Wake up to Organic, Organic Open Farm Sunday and Organic September, which we would love to see independent retailers get involved with. Availability of organic food continues to be a barrier for many people. We know that demand for organic food remains high with the latest figures showing that there has been 7% growth of sales of organic in major retail over the last 12 months ( Organic Market Report , Soil Association Certification, 2026). While some consumers may see price as a barrier to eating more organic food, some of the latest research actually shows that it is lower- and middle-income shoppers who are now the most frequent buyers of organic food and drink, whereas the highest income bracket are “Deal- seekers”, buying organic less frequently when offers mean the price is more comparative to conventional. The research shows consumers are seeking a balance between cost and value and health, quality and dietary needs are driving more frequent purchases of organic food and drink across all income brackets. LEE HOLDSTOCK HEAD OF REGULATORY AND TRADE AFFAIRS AT SOIL ASSOCIATION “Quality and dietary needs are driving more frequent purchases of organic food and drink across all income Meet the gamechangers We are all familiar with the language around sustainability, and if you read our recently published Ultimate Guide to Sustainable Supply – available to download via the Speciality Food website – you’ll have heard frommultiple experts why it is so vital that we act now to save the health of our planet and the people who rely on it. You’ll find yet more valuable insights within these pages and in our report on page 25, as well as inspiring stories from the businesses and food and drink brands who are making it their mission to build a better future for us all. From operational innovations to planet-first philosophies, the businesses profiled on the following pages are truly moving the needle when it comes to sustaining the food industry and beyond for future generations. In the fine food industry, we have the luxury of being connected to both the grass roots of the food we work with and the end consumer who enjoys them, and those connections are invaluable. Nobody likes to be preached to, but by educating ourselves around the value of working more sustainably, being inspired by businesses such as those featured in the following pages, and making active change to be more supportive of people and planet, we can hold our heads up high as champions of a sustainable future. HOLLY SHACKLETON | EDITOR We profile the businesses putting sustainability at the heart of their mission this year SUSTAINABLE CHAMPIONS 2026