Winners gather with emcee Vance Lehmkuhl at the 2019 Philly Vegan Awards.

Thanks to all who offered suggestions on categories and venues! The categories to be officially honored in the 2023 Philly Vegan Awards are:

Best New Vegan Restaurant
An entirely vegan venue offering sit-down meals that has opened since November of 2019.

Best Vegan Offerings
This category restricted to NON-vegan venues that include vegan items on menu.

Vegan Breakfast Items
Must be available before noon.

Vegan Pizza
A pizza with vegan cheese (not simply tomato pie).

Vegan “Wings”
If you call them wings they fly here: eggplant, cauliflower, seitan, mushroom, etc. — any such appetizer paired with optional dipping sauce.

Vegan Sandwich (non-cheesesteak)
On bread or bun, wheat or GF, any kind of sandwich (including hot dog) goes here. No burritos or wraps.

Vegan Beauty care
Health and beauty products that are both free of animal products and not tested on animals.

Vegan Entree
A main dish serving as the anchor of a sit-down meal; more than a sandwich  and not an appetizer.

Fries
Fries: shoestrings, steak fries, piled fries, poutine — an offering based on strips of fried/cooked potato (white or sweet potato)

Vegan Desserts
Sweet treats and confections commonly enjoyed after the main portion of a meal. Cake, pie, ice cream, cookies all go here.

Vegan Caterer (non-restaurant category)
Business wholly devoted to creating and delivering vegan food to customers

Vegan Caterer (restaurant category)
Restaurant which also offers catering — creating and delivering vegan food to off-site events

AND

“Best Vegan Cheesesteak in Philly 2023”
As in previous contests, a sandwich on a long (vegan) roll identified as “cheesesteak” on permanent menu, including both an animal-free meat substitute and animal-free cheese substitute.

Venues and businesses eligible for the contest are located in Greater Philadelphia, comprising the Pennsylvania counties of Philadelphia, Bucks, Montgomery, Delaware, Chester, and New Jersey counties of Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester.

Voting for the Philly Vegan Awards will open on June 15th.

The 2023 Philly Vegan Awards ceremony, with preliminary vegan food sampling, will be held at the Friends Center at 15th and Cherry Streets beginning at 7 pm on Friday, June 30, 2023. More information here.