A total of 62 products registered with the Vegan Trademark won prizes at the 2021 Free From Food Awards.
Holders of The Vegan Society’s Vegan Trademark dominated the 2021 Free From Food Awards, with 62 food and drink products winning prizes.
Across a total of 27 categories, 600 entries were blind-tasted by judges to pick the standouts for the free-from awards. 12 products registered with the Vegan Trademark were awarded gold, 18 won silver, and 28 received bronze prizes.
Scottish producer Sheese won the product of the year award for its Smoked German Style cheese, which is a vegan, gluten-free and non-GMO alternative to cheese and is certified by the Vegan Trademark.
Asda won gold for Retailer of the Year, bagging 36 awards. Among the Breakfast category winners were Asda’s Free From Pure Porridge Oats landed bronze and its Free From Special Flakes received silver. Asda’s Free From range also won bronze in the Store Cupboard category with its Chow Mein stir fry sauce, Gravy Granules and Smoky Three Bean Chilli.
Read our behind-the-scenes look into how products are certified with the Vegan Trademark.
Vegan Trademark-certified products were also recognised in the Snack Bars and the Savoury Snacks and Crackers categories, with Blackfriars Bakery’s Cocoa, Cranberry and Orange Porridge Oat Bar and Purely’s Nice and Spicy Plantain Chips taking home silver.
In the Pasta and Pizza Category, Mr Organic’s Gluten Free Oat Mezzi Rigatoni was the only product registered with the Vegan Trademark to win a prize, gaining silver.
Four Vegan Trademark-holding products won prizes in the Child and Teen Friendly Food category, with PlayInChoc bagging gold for its Toychoc box, Asda’s Choc Tree Decoration and Moo Free’s White Choc Bar winning silver, and Sproud’s chocolate milk receiving bronze.
Check out how Sproud fared in our ultimate showdown for the best barista plant-based milk in the UK.
Other gold award winners were Saintly’s Dark Chocolate Tarts in the Desserts and Puddings category and Booja Booja’s selection box of chocolate truffles in the Gift category. Foodologie’s Plant Pot Roasted Roots and Fry’s Rice Protein and Chia Nuggets both took won gold under the Vegan Snacks and Meal Ideas group. Saintly was also awarded gold for Best Packaging for Free From Product for its British Apple Tarts.
Ericka Durgahee, The Vegan Society’s marketing manager, said: “To see one or two Vegan Trademark holders take home prizes from this year’s Free-From Awards would be enough, but to have 62 winners is just fantastic. Every year we’re seeing new, exciting and innovative vegan products hitting the shelves.”
She added: “Both the Vegan Trademark and the Free From Food Awards make it easier for consumers to know what they’re buying is suitable for their needs whether that’s nut-free, egg-free, milk-free or vegan.”
This comes a week after 32 products carrying the Vegan Trademark were nominated as finalists for the 2021 Free From Skincare Awards, whose winners will be announced in early July.
