The winners of the 2025 Edgy Veg Awards have been crowned and five local businesses in the Macedon Ranges and Mount Alexander Shires have been celebrated for their incredible vegelicious fare.
The awards are now in their fourth year and expanded to Mount Alexander Shire for the first time in 2025.
This event is the longest-running trail in Australia that celebrates delicious food made from 100 per cent vegetables.
The project is delivered by Veg Action of the Macedon Ranges Sustainability Group and supported by Healthy Loddon Campaspe in Mount Alexander Shire.
Throughout April local patrons were encouraged to hit the Edgy Veg Trail and vote for their faves.
With 46 venues on board, including 16 in Mount Alexander Shire, there were even more vegelicious choices, more seasonal food, more opportunities to support local businesses and growers, with new cafes, restaurants and pubs to discover.
In Mount Alexander Shire, the highest-scoring dish for the restaurant, pub and bar category was Shedshaker Brewing, for their “elegantly presented and impeccably cooked” Gnocchi alla Romana dish, which was also described by one reviewer as “so flavoursome, light and filling. So well presented. Delicious.”
The Railway Hotel placed a close second in this category.
Shedshaker Brewing’s Jacqueline Brodie Hanns said the competition ticked so many boxes.
“It helps us reduce our carbon emissions, it’s future-focused because reducing meat is good for the environment, and it has the advantage of being super healthy and incredibly tasty,” Jacqueline said.
In the café category, Five Flags Merchants at Campbells Creek took out the award with their sumptuous Toby’s Chocolate Cake with Seasonal Fruit Compote. Perfectly capturing voter sentiment about the winning cake, one voter stated, “This cake is a winner. Melt in your mouth moist chocolate cake with beautifully piped frosting and delicious local fruit compote on the side. Very satisfying, filling and at the right level of sweetness. Well done.”
Togs Café came a close second in this category.
Five Flags Merchants’ Natasha Siebert said they were chuffed and excited to be among the winners.
“It really encourages people to sample more plant-based food and explore our wonderful range of vegetarian and vegan options showcasing local produce,” she said.
Cake creator Toby Rice said they were incredibly grateful to the patrons who took the time to vote for them.
“It’s really humbling,” he said.
Mount Alexander also introduced a new category of bakeries this year, with Maldon Bakery taking the award for their delicious Curried Lentil and Vegetable Pie, that according to one voter had “so much flavour in the sauce and lentils and the pastry is perfect too”.
Maldon Bakery’s Celia Swenson said it was lovely to receive the acknowledgment against such high-calibre competition.
“We really pride ourselves on our selection of vegetarian options and in particular our pies,” she said.
In the Macedon Ranges, Fook Shing in Kyneton won the restaurant, pub and bar category, with their vibrant Taste of Sri Lanka Vegan Curry Plate, which included a Coconut Cream Cashew Nut Curry, Sweet and Sour Pineapple Curry, and a Jackfruit Curry served with a coconut sambal. Described by reviewers as “Scrumptious!” with “So many intense and unusual flavours”, and as a “Taste explosion in my mouth!” with one reviewer stating, “I wanted to lick the plate!”.
Coming a close second in this category was the Woodend Wine Bar with their innovative Tomato Tartare.
In the café category, Macedon Ranges Wholefoods in Gisborne claimed the gong with their moreish and ever-popular Mushroom Jaffle, described as having an “amazing flavour” by reviewers and “hands down one of the best toasties I have ever eaten”. Another customer stated in their review, “Had one and wanted to order a second straight away”.
Social Foundry in Kyneton, last year’s café category winner, came a close second, followed by Harvest and Soul in Macedon.
