The deadline for entries to the Oliver Kay National Vegan Dish of the Year 2020 has been extended to Thursday, 5 March. The extra time allows chefs who have been trialling new vegan dishes at the start of the year the opportunity to enter their recipes online at http://www.oliverkayproduce.co.uk/food-info/vegan
Running for the first time in 2020, the competition challenges chefs to create a new dish to appeal to the growing number of vegan and flexitarian customers eating out.
Jane Aukim, marketing manager for Oliver Kay Produce says: “We’ve had some great entries already, but we’ve also seen so much innovation in vegan dishes on menus at the start of 2020 that we’re extending the deadline to enter from the end of February to 5 March.”
The competition aims to find recipes with a strong appeal to customers looking for enticing vegan dishes, as well as to inspire hospitality businesses to create profitable vegan menus.
Shortlisted finalists will be invited to prepare, cook and serve their recipe for a panel of industry judges at the cook-off final, to be held at Oliver Kay Produce’s development kitchen in Bolton, on Monday 30 March. The final will also include a short Mystery Box challenge inviting entrants to prepare and serve a starter or dessert from a selection of fresh produce provided by Oliver Kay, including from the new Plant Based Collection of ingredients.
The judging panel includes:
• Adam Leavy: Semi-finalist in MasterChef the Professionals 2013, and head chef at Alvarium in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, which specialises in vegan small plates;
• Tony Naylor: Food and drink columnist and feature writer for The Guardian, BBC Good Food, and other titles;
• Day Radley: International professional chef, food writer and founder of The Vegan Chef School in London.
The prize on offer to the overall winner incudes a UK city break for two, including a dinner booking at a leading vegan restaurant. Finalists will receive a hamper of products from the Plant Based Collection, and the shortlisted recipes, credited to their creators, will be featured in a national marketing campaign.
Dishes entered must be the chef’s original creation and should include an element of protein, Beyond that, chefs have free rein to use all their creativity and skills to create a new vegan menu classic.
The Oliver Kay National Vegan Dish of the Year 2020 competition is open for entry at https://www.oliverkayproduce.co.uk/food-info/vegan. The closing date for entries is 12 noon on Thursday, 5 March 2020.
