Strictly Embargoed until 9.30pm, October 30th 2003

Magic moments for the winners of the
2003 Vegetarian Society Awards

This year’s Vegetarian Society Award Ceremony was a spellbinding mixture of anticipation and celebration for businesses large and small. Finalists joined Vegetarian Society staff, award sponsors vertesetm and celebrities at London’s Magic Circle tonight (Thursday 30 October), as the mystery of who would be going home with one of the coveted trophies was finally solved.

The vegetarian sector is one of the food and drink industry’s biggest growth areas. The retail market of dedicated vegetarian products alone has been valued at £470m by Key Note market intelligence. Continued growth is predicted. The Vegetarian Society Awards generate further industry and consumer excitement and have become and important tool for recognising and promoting best practice and integrity within the sector.

The Society’s Chief Executive, Tina Fox said,” The winners of The Vegetarian Society 2003 awards are to be congratulated on reaching extremely high standards of customer satisfaction, in terms of products, services and understanding of vegetarian requirements.”

The winners of each category are as follows:

Best vegetarian café or restaurant
Joint winners:
Quince & Medlar, Cumbria
Manna, London
“ The Quince & Medlar offered fantastic food, provided excellent service and a unique ambience that made for a really memorable evening” Mystery Diner
“ Manna in more than just name! What a gorgeous restaurant. So much amazing food in such a lovely location – I am going back!” Mystery Diner

Best vegetarian provision in an omnivorous café or restaurant
Winner:
Arisaig, Glasgow
“ Demonstrated a genuine consideration of vegetarian needs and offers a real choice of dishes rather than a ‘veggie option’.” Mystery Diner

Best Retailer for Vegetarian Products
Winner:
Fresh & Wild, London
“ Gives value for money, an excellent choice of quality produce and they are extremely well informed about what vegetarians are looking for.” Mystery Shopper


Best Vegetarian Ready Meal
Winner:
Get Real! Ambledown Pies
“ Absolutely scrumptious! These delicious pies will always be on my shopping list from now on.” Category judge

Best Meat or Fish Substitute
Winner:
Cauldron Foods Lincolnshire Sausages
“ Wow, these are almost too convincing.” Category judge

Best Vegetarian Wine or Beer
Winner:
Grolsch
“ Beer like this proves how unnecessary isinglass, gelatine, battery eggs and other slaughterhouse by-products are to produce a quality tipple.” Category judge

(Im)perfect World Award
As well as giving out accolades to those businesses that have served us right, this year the Society decided to shake a magic wand at some of the businesses who seem to ignore their potential vegetarian customers. The Society hopes that the winner of this category heeds the wish that this product could be made suitable for vegetarians.

Winner:
Walkers Cheese & Onion Crisps
“I just can’t get my head around why any crisp manufacturer would use cheese powder with animal rennet. Are they trying to lose business?” Category judge

Notes for editors

• For quotes from the winners, photography and more information about the awards please contact Kerry Bennett, Press Officer T. 0161 925 2012, E. kerry@vegsoc.org or visit www.vegsoc.org/awards (click here for press photos)

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