PETA UK has today announced its prestigious Vegan Food Awards winners, with the list ranging from small startups to huge names in the food industry – like McDonald’s and Burger King – highlighting how mainstream plant-based eating has now become.
Now in its ninth year, PETA’s Vegan Food Awards showcases some of the biggest and exciting new vegan offerings of the last 12 months over 24 categories.
BEST VEGAN CHICKEN
VFC – After its recent US expansion, the activism-first vegan fried chicken producer VFC recently signed its first major retailer listing with Tesco, the UK’s largest supermarket chain.
BEST VEGAN MEAT
Oumph! Kebab Döner Style – the Swedish plant-based brand Oumph! launched its kebab meat into Iceland supermarkets in the UK, made from pea protein, gluten-free, and “shaved” pieces like traditional kebab meat.
BEST VEGAN BURGER
McDonald’s McPlant – the vegan McPlant burger uses a plant-based cheese – made in collaboration with Irish food company Kerry, as well as a McDonald’s exclusive Beyond Meat patty, and is currently available at 250 locations across the UK and Ireland.
BEST VEGAN BACON
Finnebrogue Artisan Naked Without the Oink! Plant-Based Bacon Rashers – Currently also available at Costa Coffee in a bacon roll, Irish sausage-maker Finnebrogue is undergoing a “plant-based revolution”, with the opening of a £25 million plant-based facility in County Down, Northern Ireland.
BEST VEGAN HOTDOG
Plant Menu Meat-Free Hotdogs – Part of budget supermarket ALDI’s impressive Plant Menu, the range recently saw the launch of a new Ultimate No Beef Burger priced at 60% cheaper than those of alt protein leader Beyond Meat.
BEST VEGAN SAUSAGE
HECK Vegan Breakfast Sausages – British sausage brand Heck recently expanded its vegan range with plant-based versions of two of its most popular sausages, responding to high consumer demand.
BEST VEGAN PIZZA
Chicago Town Tomato Stuffed Crust Takeaway Sticky BBQ Jackfruit – Coming from frozen pizza producer Dr. Oetker, the Chicago Town brand also released a vegan ‘bacon’ stuffed crust pizza for Veganuary after the massive success of its first vegan product.
BEST VEGAN ICE CREAM
Wicked Kitchen Cookie Dough – 2021 has been another year of massive growth for Chef Derek Sarno’s brand, including the largest plant-based brand rollout in US grocery history and a first-to-market vegan lamb launch.
BEST VEGAN SANDWICH
Greggs Vegan Ham and CheeZe Baguette – UK high street favourite Greggs announced the launch of two new vegan products to its range; the baguette as well as a sausage breakfast roll, both made with Quorn‘s mycoprotein-based meat alternatives.
BEST VEGAN RANGE
GRO – British supermarket chain Co-op dramatically reduced the cost of its plant-based range, GRO to combat the “unfair” price disparity between plant-based and conventional foods, with the products now priced the same as their animal-based counterparts.
BEST VEGAN SQUID
wagamama Vegan Chilli ‘Squid’ – UK restaurant chain wagamama has launched its ‘Plant Pledge’ to encourage guests to eat more plant-based dishes with 50% of the menu to be officially plant-based.
LAUNCH OF THE YEAR
Burger King Vegan Royale – Burger King has been leading the way on the global fast-food scene with plant-based launches around the world, including opening the world’s first Plant-based Burger King Restaurant in Cologne, Germany.
Other winners include:
BEST VEGAN CHEESE
Nettle Macadamia White
BEST VEGAN MILK
MOMA Original Oat Drink
BEST VEGAN SUSHI
123V Sushi
BEST VEGAN FISH
The Brook Beer Battered Tofish
BEST VEGAN PIE
Higgidy Mini No-Pork Pies
BEST VEGAN DESSERT
Little Moons Vegan Passionfruit & Mango Mochi Ice Cream
BEST VEGAN CHOCOLATE
Buttermilk Peanut Butter Crunch
BEST VEGAN DOUGHNUTS
The Doughnut Whisperer
BEST VEGAN MAC
FacePlant Foods Mac ’n’ Cheeze Sandwich with Bacon
BEST VEGAN MENU
Woodlands Restaurant, Bannatyne Health Club & Spa, Bury St Edmunds.
BEST VEGAN COOKBOOK
Omari McQueen’s Best Bites Cookbook
Says PETA on today’s results: “Today, more and more humans are recognising that other animals share their desire to live and that eating vegan is better for their health and for the planet. And a growing number of businesses understand that vegan foods are profitable and more inclusive, can help them reach their sustainability goals, and are more appealing to that all-important younger demographic, which is passionate about forging a better future for every living, feeling being. As a result, you can now find innovative, filling, and simply delicious vegan food pretty much everywhere you go. We’re accelerating towards our destination of a vegan world, and we’re not going to stop.”
