Best Vegetarian Roast Dinner in the UK: Lancing seafront cafe wins UK title with its sharing vegetarian roast dinner

The seafront cafe Perch on Lancing Beach has today been crowned the winner of Best Vegetarian Roast Dinner in Knorr Professional’s Great British Roast Dinner Competition.

It beat off tough competition from all over the UK with its sharing roast, winning the category for vegetarian or vegan roast dinners.

Alex Hole, owner at Perch on Lancing Beach, said: “It’s a real honour to have our veggie roast recognised in this way. Our team, especially our head chef Jenny, have worked incredibly hard to produce a dish that takes quality ingredients and serves them in a unique way that our customers love.

“Our roast is presented on a sharing board with the intention of emulating the way people eat at home. It really takes the roast back to what it has historically always been about – sharing and enjoying delicious food with family and friends.

“We’re a family restaurant so it’s important we reflect that in our offering and in our relaxed, informal and unique environment.”

The competition seeks to recognise the very best roast dinners served across the UK and to honour the professional chefs who work hard to create them.

Winners were decided by an esteemed judging panel, including Alex Hall, executive chef for Unilever Food Solutions, and finalists were scored based on quality, service, cleanliness, value for money, presentation and, of course, taste.

Kate Drew, senior marketing manager for Knorr® Professional, said: “This year the competition saw an exceptionally high standard of entries from establishments across the UK. Winning this award is an incredible achievement and a testament to the work that the team at Perch have clearly put in to serving an outstanding roast dinner.

“We particularly loved how they are putting their own twist on the traditional roast by serving a sharing roast.”

Perch On Lancing Beach, opened in 2015, is housed in the largest carbon zero building in south east England.

The café won the vegetarian category with its Ultimate Sharing Roast. Cumin spiced roasted squash and lentil wellington is served with roast potatoes, Sussex charmer cauliflower cheese, market vegetables, homemade Yorkshire puddings, stuffing and gravy - a sumptuous feast to behold when it arrives on a sharing board for two.

Kate added: “We were extremely excited to include the vegetarian / vegan category in our Great British Roast Competition for a second year running.

“It’s important that the competition reflects the consumer landscape, and with the meat-free market in the UK now worth £258million a year, it makes perfect sense that we should continue to recognise the chefs that are working hard to meet this increasing demand.”

Perch On Lancing Beach will receive a prize package including a £3,000 voucher to spend on equipment for the business.