The competition, organised by fruit and vegetable specialist Oliver Kay Produce, aims to discover new recipes to inspire hospitality businesses to create profitable vegan menus. 

The three finalists will prepare and cook their recipes for the judges. Finalists will also face a Mystery Box challenge, where entrants will prepare and serve a starter and dessert from a selection of fresh produce, supplied by Oliver Kay.

Jane Aukim, marketing manager for Oliver Kay Produce, said: “We had some great entries for the competition, and it was a tough process to narrow it down to our three finalists. It will be very interesting to see them put through their paces at the final.”

The Vegan Dish of the Year 2020 finalists include:

• John Boddice: head chef at Roccos Italian kitchen who was selected for his wild nettle agnolotti.
• Sunil Varma: head chef with contract caterers Bartlett Mitchell, who cooked his broccoli shank with black beans and ginger dish.
• Yuhan Li: level three student at Westminster Kingsway College, working part time at Japanese restaurant Koya City. His shortlisted dish was deconstructed cauliflower. 

The winner will receive a UK city break for two including a dinner booking at a leading vegan restaurant. Finalists will also receive a hamper of products from the Plant Based Collection, a new range of premium vegan ingredients available through Oliver Kay Produce. 

The shortlisted recipes credited to their creator, will be featured in a national marketing campaign.

The judging panel includes:

• Adam Leavy: Semi-finalist in MasterChef the Professionals 2013, and head chef at Alvarium in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, which specialises in vegan small plates.  
• Tony Naylor: Food and drink columnist and feature writer for The Guardian and BBC Good Food.
• Day Radley: International professional chef, food writer and founder of The Vegan Chef School in London.

The final will take place at the Oliver Kay Produce kitchen in Bolton on March 30.