May 25th, 2025Very edgy veg awards

Fook Shing in Kyneton has won the Macedon Ranges Shire’s Edgy Veg Award for Restaurant, pub and bar category while Shedshaker Brewery in Castlemaine has won the same category for Mount Alexander Shire.  

Fook Shing won for its Taste of Sri  Lanka vegan curry plate, which included a  coconut cream cashew nut curry, sweet &  sour pineapple curry, and a jackfruit curry served with a coconut sambal. Shedshaker won for its gnocchi alla Romana.  

The awards, run by Veg Action of the  Macedon Ranges Sustainability Group, started four years ago in Macedon Ranges Shire and have expanded to Mount  Alexander Shire, with 46 incredible, inventive venues on board.

This event is the longest-running trail in Australia that  celebrates food made 100 per cent from plants with 46 venues vying for the titles this  year.  

Coming a close second to Fook Shing was the Woodend Wine Bar with its  tomato tartare. The Railway Hotel, also in Castlemaine, came second to Shedshaker  Brewery.  

In the Macedon Ranges cafe category the winner was Macedon Ranges  Wholefoods in Gisborne for its mushroom jaffle, with a second to the Social Foundry in Kyneton, followed by Harvest & Soul in Macedon.  

In the Mount Alexander café category Five Flags Merchants has won with Toby’s chocolate cake with seasonal fruit compote. Togs Café came a close second.  

Mount Alexander also introduced a new category of bakeries this year, with Maldon Bakery taking the award for its curried lentil and vegetable pie.  

Above, from left, Fook Shing’s Robert Mariotti, Veg Action Group’s Claire  Rowland and Macedon Ranges Wholefoods’ Kat Buttigieg  Image: Tiffany Warner