Following the cancellation of North West Young Chef Competition in 2020, the judging panel and lead sponsor, Essential Cuisine, have made the decision to return bigger and better in 2022. The 20th contest was set to be the biggest event yet, with record breaking entries. Sadly, due to the impact of COVID 19 on hospitality, the decision was made to put the competition on hold.
The demand for plant-based meals is increasing as more people adopt a 'flexitarian' approach to eating. There is evidence that both vegetarianism and veganism are gaining in popularity too, and all these changes are being driven by concerns about health, the environment and animal welfare. Caterers across the foodservice industry are having to respond to this demand from their customers while continuing to meet nutritional standards and provide a balanced diet that includes meat and dairy.
Today (May 10th ) marks the start of National Vegetarian Week! This year is pinned by the ‘Veggie 123 Challenge’, encouraging everyone to nominate two people to embrace vegetarianism for 7 days. According to BritishCouncil.org, 5.7% of the British population is vegetarian, that’s three million vegetarians across the UK. This figure continues to grow year on year, demonstrating the importance of having plant-based offerings on your menu.
May 10th marks the start of the annual Coeliac UK’s Awareness Week. This years focus for the campaign is creating new opportunities for earlier diagnosis of coeliac disease in children, but overall to increase awareness of the disease using the social media hashtag #ShineALightOnCoeliac.
