Finalists revealed in vegetarian and vegan care catering awards

Finalists have been announced in an awards ceremony celebrating excellence in vegetarian and vegan care catering.

Charity Vegetarian for Life will announce the winners of its 2021 Awards for Excellence in Vegetarian and Vegan Care Catering in a virtual awards ceremony held at 2pm on 26 January via Facebook and YouTube.

Now in their sixth year, the awards celebrate those going the extra mile for residents who have a meat-free diet.

Vegetarian for Life recently surveyed 1,000 care homes to find out how many residents are vegetarian and vegan and found that since the last survey was commissioned in 2014, the number of vegans in residential care has increased by 167%.

The awards will be hosted by MC, comedian and radio presenter Matt Adlington. The finalists are:

Veggie Care Chef of the Year

• Ben Kerslake - Frome Nursing Home
• Champa Mistry - Birchwood Grange Care Home
• Grant Burton - The Hawthorns Braintree

Most Innovative Veggie Dish

• Gary McGurk, Primrose Bank Residential Care Home - vegan, gluten-free nut brownies
• Grant Burton, The Hawthorns Braintree - Crispy gnocchi with a tomato and basil sauce
• Tom Waters, Ashfields Care Home - Chickpea 'tuna'

Veggie Wholesaler of the Year

• Anglia Crown
• Bidfood
• Thomas Ridley

Winner of The Beulah Charity Trust Special Recognition Award will be revealed on the day of the awards.

Television and radio presenter, property expert and writer Jasmine Harman will announce the shortlist for the vegetarian chef, while actress Roxy Shahidi, best known for her role in Emmerdale as Leyla Harding, will do so for the most innovative dish category.

Jasmine Harman, who will be announcing the shortlist for the Veggie Care Chef of the Year award.

Scottish actor Paul Higgins, best known for appearing in television shows The Thick Of It, Utopia and Line of Duty, will announce the wholesaler shortlist, while comedian, actor, writer and film producer Dave Spikey, who starred in British comedy Phoenix Nights, will announce it for the special recognition award.

“The awards have become a much-anticipated event, with the ceremony taking place in the House of Parliament in recent years,” says Amanda Woodvine, CEO of Vegetarian for Life.

“Covid-19 restrictions have made a physical event impossible, so this year’s ceremony will again be held virtually. We’re delighted that Matt Adlington will return to present the awards, along with some fantastic celebrity friends.”

For more information, head to https://vegetarianforlife.org.uk/veggiehero ​

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