October 2004

Vegetarian Society Announces Annual Awards Winners

On 28th October The Vegetarian Society announced the winners of its prestigious annual awards at London’s Magic Circle. Nominees gathered for an enchanting evening of celebration, hosted by the Society’s new patron Wendy Turner Webster.

Ms Turner Webster, known to TV viewers for her love of animals, told the audience:
“ These awards are an important milestone in the vegetarian year, giving us a chance to review the incredible progress made each year as organisations in every sector – from manufacture and retail to tourism and service industries – work harder and harder to satisfy the 3 million vegetarians in the UK.”

Not all companies do their best for veggies though – as Tina Fox, Chief Executive of The Vegetarian Society points out - those nominated in the ‘Imperfect World’ category don’t merit such praise:

“There are some companies putting gremlins on our shopping lists – making products that at first glance are vegetarian, but then you look a little closer, do a little research and find that the sweets your toddler asks for or the beer your host offers you, actually use animal by-products. We know the deliciousness of these products doesn’t depend on the animal ingredients, and the Imperfect World award is a message to manufacturers to consider the alternatives.”

Last year’s Imperfect World winner, Walkers Cheese and Onion Crisps, responded by reformulating their recipe so that veggies could finally tuck into a packet of the top selling crisps.

The Vegetarian Society Awards 2004 information pages

The nominations and winners:

Best Vegetarian Baby food
All Good Stuff,
Baby Organix vegetarian range
Fresh Daisy,
Winner: Baby Organix vegetarian range

Best Vegetarian Cooking Sauce
Dolmio Stir-in Sundried Tomato Sauce
Loyd Grossman Tomato & Basil Sauce
Seeds of Change Slow Roasted Garlic & Chilli Sauce
Sharwoods Black Bean Stir Fry Sauce
Winner: Loyd Grossman Tomato and Basil Sauce

Best Meat or Fish Substitute
Cauldron Foods Lincolnshire-style Veggie Sausages
Holland & Barret Porkless Pie
Linda McCartney Sausages
Quorn Mince
Redwood Foods Making Waves Fish-Style Fingers
Realeat VegeMince
Winner: Quorn Mince

Best Provision for Vegetarians in a fast food establishment:
Red Veg, London
V1, Nottingham
V2Go, Manchester
Wai Kika Moo Kau, Brighton
Winner: V1, Nottingham

Best Gourmet Vegetarian Restaurant
Café Maitreya, Bristol
David Bann Restaurant, Edinburgh
Greens, Manchester
Terre á Terre, Brighton
The Gate, London
Quince & Medlar, Cockermouth, Cumbria
Winner: Café Maitreya, Bristol

Best Vegetarian Wine and Beer Retailer
Co-op
Marks & Spencer
Tesco
Vintage Roots
Winner: Marks & Spencer

Best UK Destination for Vegetarians:
Brighton
Edinburgh
Glastonbury
Manchester
Winner: Brighton

(Im)Perfect World Award
Nominations:
Bassets Licorice Allsorts (contain gelatine from animal bones)
Guinness (fined with isinglass from fish)
Smarties (coloured with cochineal from crushed beetles)
Winner: Smarties

The Vegetarian Society Awards 2004 information pages

Notes for editors

• For more information & pictures from The Vegetarian Society Awards, please contact Kerry Bennett, Press Officer T. 0161 925 2012, E. kerry@vegsoc.org. Out of office hours call 07973 108 165 or visit www.vegsoc.org/awards

• The 2004 Vegetarian Society Awards were sponsored by The Vegetarian Society Visa credit card in association with the Co-operative Bank. For more information about The Vegetarian Society Visa credit card please contact The Co-operative Bank on 0800 002 006 or visit www.co-operativebank.co.uk

• Wine at the Vegetarian Society Awards was kindly supplied by Kumala

Press Officer press@vegsoc.org
For the latest Vegetarian Society press releases visit www.vegsoc.org
The Vegetarian Society
Direct line - 0161 925 2012
Fax 0161 926 9182
Registered Charity: 259358

The Vegetarian Society Awards 2004 information pages

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