The awards, now in their sixth year, aim to celebrate those who go the extra mile for their vegan and vegetarian residents.
VfL recently surveyed 1,000 care homes to find out how many residents are vegan or vegetarian. Since the survey was last commissioned in 2014, the number of vegans in residential care has increased by 167%.
Amanda Woodvine, chief executive of Vegetarian for Life, said: “The awards have become a much-anticipated event, with the ceremony taking place in the House of Parliament in recent years.
“Covid-19 restrictions have made a physical event impossible, so this year’s ceremony was again held virtually. We’re delighted that Matt Adlington returned to present the awards, along with some fantastic celebrity friends.”
2021 winners:
- Veggie Care Chef of The Year – Champa Mistry, of Avery Healthcare's Birchwood Grange Care Home in Harrow
- Most Innovative Veggie Dish – Tom Waters, of Barchester Healthcare's Ashfields Care Home
- Veggie Wholesaler Of The Year – Anglia Crown
- The Beulah Charity Trust Special Recognition Award – Birchwood Grange culinary team
Mary Wedge, business development manager at Anglia Crown, said: “We are really pleased to receive this recognition. After becoming the first manufacturer in healthcare to register dishes with the Vegan Society in 2017, we now offer more than 70 vegan and vegetarian dishes.
"Our vision is to drive excellence in health and social care catering, and we do this through continuous product development, innovation and paying attention to our customers’ needs.
“Throughout the pandemic, our team focused on maintaining our production and delivery to our customers who were working on the front line, protecting their residents and patients from the effects of Covid-19. We used the time to innovate and in April 2021, launched 17 new and improved dishes to ensure our customers’ needs were met.
"I am very proud of the entire team that worked tirelessly to ensure the business operated consistently throughout the Covid period.”
And Simon Lawrence, head of culinary and hospitality at Avery Healthcare, added: “It is incredible for the Birchwood Grange team and Champa to have won two awards this afternoon, and not for the first year either. The passion and attention to detail that the team put into their diverse dishes to accommodate our residents so that they don’t have to give up their life choices because they have moved into care is astounding.”