Gala Ball and Vegetarian Society Awards 2001

Sam Calvert looks back on a night to remember…

To celebrate National Vegetarian Week 2001 the Society organised its first ever Fundraising Gala Ball and Vegetarian Society Awards 2001. Hailed as a great success and a fantastic night out by everyone who attended it, the Ball and Awards Ceremony took place on Friday 29 June 2001 at the Grosvenor House Hotel on London's Park Lane.

Only two days earlier and just a few hundred yards away, the SuperMeat Awards took place at the Hilton International Hotel. We like to think that our compassionate version was a more enjoyable event - and it certainly showed that you can't keep vegetarians down!

The Award Ceremony for vegetarian foods was created because the Society felt it was high time that those companies and organisations catering for vegetarians were rewarded for good practice. It is also an opportunity to try to raise standards by setting an example and so further improve provision for vegetarians. Research tells us that many more people would be vegetarian if they thought it was easier to find and buy vegetarian products and easier to find vegetarian dishes when eating out. Our awards were created with the aim of encouraging companies to do more for vegetarians.

The event was also inspired by the need for funds to support our vital educational work. The foot and mouth disease crisis placed a great strain on the Society's resources and National Vegetarian Week costs many thousands of pounds to fund each year. Part of the sale of each ticket raised funds for the Society as did a silent auction (sealed bids) for items donated by vegetarian celebrities.

The evening began with a reception during which vegetarian wine was served to guests. I spent part of the reception in a corner on the mobile being interviewed by BBC London Live, and the rest of it sorting out the charity auction. I managed to be around as Richard Cawley (right) arrived - he had called me several times with his estimated time of arrival having been caught in a demonstration for over an hour while travelling through London. Richard had chosen a 'variant on the theme of black tie' with great style.

The reception was followed by a welcome address by President of The Vegetarian Society, Maxwell Lee. Around 200 guests sat down to dinner and so many people commented on how wonderful it was to sit down to dinner without having to worry about the food. Savour the menu:

• Mediterranean vegetable terrine accompanied by a tomato confit served with lentil dressing
• Puff pastry lattice filled with pumpkin and spinach garnished with walnuts and wild mushrooms in a rich gravy
• Roasted barrel shaped potatoes
• Green beans with basil oil and chopped sun dried tomatoes
• Delicious dark chocolate mousse set on a biscuit base served with maple syrup
• Coffee and petit fours

Dinner was accompanied by more vegetarian, organic wine, fruit juice or mineral water and some great music from 'Impromptu' (all the musicians are vegetarians). After dinner Catherine Yorke, presenter from Sky TV and a vegetarian, took to the stage in a stunning evening dress to host our first ever awards. She did a marvelous job and the whole ceremony went off without a hitch. There were some interesting entrances and exits to the stage to receive awards - proof that no-one knew who was going to win was the fact that no-one had got the 'enter stage right and exit stage left' message! Most award winners chose to say a few words. Memorable among them was the acceptance award for Maya Gold which not only thanked those who nominated the product but the people who grew it. The other memorable acceptance was a few well-chosen words from Mary McCartney accepting the Vegetarian Society's Achievement Award on behalf of her mother the late Lady Linda McCartney, former patron of The Vegetarian Society. This final award was clearly one that the audience were very interested in and a huge round of applause greeted the announcement of each nominee. Many of the Society's awards were presented by well-known vegetarians such as Wendy Turner-Webster, Gary Webster (right), Jerome Flynn and Emma Wray. The judging panel for the awards comprised chef, Richard Cawley, Vegetarian Society Patron, Jerome Flynn and Principal of the Cordon Vert Cookery School, Lyn Weller. Our judges worked their way through everything from veggie turkey and bacon to chocolate cake and muffins in search of those products that had made life easier and better for vegetarians.

One of the highlights of the evening for many people came after dinner when Hazel O'Connor, accompanied by harpist Cormac De Barra (above), performed for the audience. The performance included classics such as 'that one about coffee' as well as new items. Hazel also paid a memorable tribute to Linda McCartney, who she had worked with in the musican's group Reprieve by dedicating her final song to her.

The evening was rounded off with more lively music and dancing from 'Impromptu'. The dance floor was full from the moment they started playing and stayed that way till the last note. At 2am the Grosvenor House Hotel staff were still trying to persuade vegetarians to leave their premises. Who says we don't know how to have a good time?

And what of the auction? Another great success. A total of 31 lots varied from signed photographs and books to personal items such as a costume from A Woman of Substance donated by Jenny Seagrove and Evelyn Glennie's drumsticks. Popular lots included a silver Tiffany and Co harmonica, signed by Bryan Adams, a copy of The Beatles Anthology signed by Paul McCartney and a Stella McCartney for 'Chloe' embroidered jersey dress. In all, our auction raised over £3500 to help promote vegetarianism. Our thanks to all those who generously placed bids and to those who donated items to the auction.

The Winners:

presented by Jerome Flynn
The Award for Best Vegetarian Snack or Confectionery goes to: Green and Blacks Maya Gold, Whole Earth Foods Limited

presented by Tina Fox
The Award for Best Vegetarian Beverage goes to: Organic Best Ale, Samuel Smith

presented by Richard Cawley
The Award for Best Vegetarian Convenience Food goes to: Quorn Roasts, Marlow Foods Limited

presented by Richard Cawley
The Award for Best Vegetarian Dessert goes to: Chocolate Fudge Cake, Kinnerton Co Ltd

presented by Jerome Flynn
The Award for Best Independent Retailer for Vegetarians in association with Brunel Healthcare Ltd., goes to: Fresh and Wild, London

presented by Hazel O'Connor
The Award for Best Hotel or Guesthouse catering for Vegetarians goes to: The Greenhouse, Edinburgh

presented by Emma Wray
The Award for Best Independent Restaurant or Café catering for Vegetarians goes to: Terre a Terre, Brighton

presented by Penny Junor
The Award for Best Multiple Restaurant or Café catering for Vegetarians goes to: Pizza Express Limited

presented by Wendy Turner-Webster
The Award for Best Vegetarian Non Food Product in association with Reflex Limited goes to: Samsung 210SE Digimax Digital Camera

presented by Virginia McKenna
The Vegetarian Society's Travel Award goes to: Virgin Trains

presented by Maxwell Lee to Mary McCartney
The Vegetarian Society Achievement Award in association with Fry's Chocolate Cream goes to: Lady Linda McCartney