February 21st, 2022New vegie foodie award

BEST vanilla slice award? How many hundreds of bakeries lay claim to that prize. But there is a new prize in town for the cafés and pubs of the Macedon Ranges, The Edgy Veg award.
Veg Action, an initiative of the Macedon Ranges Sustainability Group is running the award and Edgy Veg coordinator Lucy Campbell said one venue would be wearing the crown for the best plant-based dish, as voted by the customers. “This is an Australian first, happening in your local neighbourhood,” Lucy said.
“Around 20 of the most innovative and creative cafes and pubs in the Macedon Ranges will take part, and customers will get to comment and vote on the featured dishes over the Autumn Festival from March 25 to April 26.

“Kyneton’s Homegrown on Piper was the first café to submit a dish, Greens Galore. Two golden potato rostis with pea smash, sautéed broccoli, brussels sprouts, kale and chard, accompanied with sautéed garlic and thyme mushrooms, avocado, all drizzled with salsa verde and topped with sprinkled soy pepitas.”
Lucy said all the dishes would feature on The Edgy Veg Trail, a map showing where to sample great plant-based food in the Macedon Ranges during the Autumn Festival.
“It is aimed to attract locals and tourists alike. Armed with this map of all the venues in the ranges with plant-based dishes, why not impress your friends from the city by taking them to some of our fantastic eateries. It’s a perfect way to get out and show your support for local businesses too.”
The map is available at any Macedon Ranges tourist information centre or online at www.veg.mrsg.org.au/edgy-veg-awards Voting can also be done online.
Lucy said plant-based dishes were not only great for health but also for the planet. “According to a MedAlertHelp statistic if everyone went vegan, the world’s emissions related to food would drop 70 per cent by 2050. So why not utilise the expertise of our local chefs and try a plant-based dish today.”