A first-of-its-kind competition has been designed to encourage venues across the shire to provide meat-free options.
The inaugural Edgy Veg Awards has been organised by the Macedon Ranges Sustainability Group’s (MRSG) Veg Action team, and will run as part of the Macedon Ranges Autumn Festival.
Cafes and pubs across the Macedon Ranges can enter 100 per cent plant-based and vegan friendly dishes, with entrants going into the draw to win a weekend away.
As well as having a singular winning dish, all entries will feature on the Edgy Veg Trail map, which residents and visitor can use to find the best vegetable fare around.
MRSG Veg Action team member Lucy Campbell said she hoped that pubs and cafes would embrace the opportunity.
“As it grows, we hope to run it again to see if it’s popular, then we can get the other cafes on board down the track when they can see that it is a growing market,” Ms Campbell said.
“And hopefully the trail will encourage people to try cafes they haven’t tried before.”
Ms Campbell said as well as being nutritious and better for the environment, a plant-based diet can also be more cost effective than meat dishes.
“This is the perfect opportunity to try, because you have an experienced chef creating a delicious plant-based dish for you,” she said.
“I would challenge them to find fault with it, there’s so many good vegan dishes out there.”
The Edgy Veg Trail maps will available for pick up at any Macedon Ranges tourist information
centre.
Details: veg.mrsg.org.au/edgy-veg-awards
Oliver Lees
