"This year's finalists provide an insight into the incredibly talented and diverse companies that are helping to power forward their organisations in this dynamic sector of UK industry."
Sue Nelson
A vegan alternative to honey made from rice has created a buzz after winning the ‘Food Innovation’ category in the Future Food Awards.
Veganista - trading as Bee Approved – is a new company aiming to provide healthy, tasty and cruelty-free food options as an alternative to animal products.
Their first product – Bee Approved – looks and tastes like honey but no bees are harmed in its production. It can be used raw or cooked as a garnish, or as the main ingredient in a variety of dishes including desserts, yogurts and sauces – or even in cocktails. It is derived from premium quality brown syrup and made by breaking down the starch content of cooked rice, turning it into easily digestible sugars.
Bee Approved - based on Failsworth Industrial Estate in Manchester - is one of nine businesses to have been selected to go through to the 2019 Future Food Awards finals at the Bread & Jam Festival this Thursday at the iconic 116 Pall Mall, London, the home of The Institute of Directors. The winners will pitch to the full panel of expert judges at the festival in a bid to be crowned Supreme Champion.
The judges said: “Strict vegans cannot eat honey as it is considered an animal product. Bee Approved have managed to make something which looks, smells and tastes like honey that, unbelievably, is actually made from rice. The judging panel thought this was a real game changer for vegans who cannot eat honey.”
The co-founders of the Future Food Awards met at the FoodTalk offices in Ashford, Kent, to judge the shortlisted finalists in each of the nine categories. After much deliberation, the judges – Speciality Food magazine editor Holly Shackleton, FoodTalk founder Sue Nelson and Bread & Jam founder Jason Gibb – unveiled the finalists and winners in each category.
Sue Nelson said: “This year's finalists provide an insight into the incredibly talented and diverse companies that are helping to power forward their organisations in this dynamic sector of UK industry. These Awards give food and drink businesses ranging from small-scale producers to technology-driven innovators a chance to shine.”
The Future Food Awards are the brainchild of Holly Shackleton, editor of the biggest trade magazine in the fine food sector – and Sue Nelson, founder of The FoodTalk Show – a dedicated podcast enjoyed around the world. They have joined forces to merge the New Producer Awards and The FoodTalk Awards in order to offer the industry a pioneering awards scheme to benefit and promote both the companies at the heart of food and drink innovation and the industry at large.
https://www.specialityfoodmagazine.com/news/category-winners-for-the-future-food-awards-revealed
https://foodtalk.co.uk/blog/2019/01/foodtalk-awards-2019
