Nominations are now open for Vegetarian for Life's (VfL) Awards for Excellence in Vegetarian Care Catering. Among our exciting categories, we're inviting you to put forward your nomination for Chefs' Hero Product 2025.
We’re asking chefs working in care homes and hospitals: What’s your secret weapon? That one ingredient you rely on to make your plant-based menus shine. It could be anything – from a stock powder or vegan cheese, to tofu, spice blends, or yes... even a sauce.
To get your creative juices flowing, VfL’s team of chefs has shared some of their own go-to favourites – this time focusing on sauces. But don’t let that limit your imagination. Although a sauce did take the crown last year (congratulations, Henderson’s Relish!), this award is wide open. Any product that makes your vegan and vegetarian cooking easier, tastier, or more exciting is fair game. Chef Alex reports on the team's picks.
As chefs, we are often looking for ways to improve or enhance flavour. Sauces are a useful and quick way to pep up everyday dishes, but also to give them depth. I asked each of our chefs to choose their two favourite sauces.
London-based Chef Ollie chose two sauces from Dr Will's range: “The Sriracha Hot Sauce is great with anything really; noodles, tofu, breakfast dishes,” said Ollie. “It contains fermented chillis, which add a natural sweetness along with dates, but no sugar – so this is a real winner for me”.
He also chose Dr Will's Tomato Ketchup. “Again no added sugar,” he said. “Vine-ripened tomatoes and dates add all the sweetness you need. Rich in flavour, and crafted with care. Slather over chips, or however you usually use ketchup.”
Chef Claire, based in Glasgow, chose two sauces produced by Inferno Foods. This could be no surprise, because Claire used to work for Inferno foods and helped to develop their sauces. She also worked with Jamie Oliver on a range of sauces. I asked whether Jamie got involved with the development of his range – Claire said that Jamie is very hands-on and writes all his recipes.
Although Inferno Foods is a small artisan business, it supplies supermarket giants Sainsbury's and Waitrose. Claire's standout sauce is Devils Brown Sauce – she recommends mixing with vinegar to douse chippy chips. Being a fan of chippy chips, brown sauce and vinegar, it sounds quite a treat. Claire added: “Brown sauce is a great addition to shepherds pie, chillis, stews, and casseroles for an extra flavour boost.”
Her second choice was Garlic Dijon which, she said, “Packs a punch with garlic top notes; it's perfect as a condiment; great in Mac'n'Cheez; and works wonderfully in aquafaba and olive oil for a cheat's aioli.”
With a little imagination, it would be possible to take any of your base sauces, mustards or mayonnaises and add a little extra ingredient to make your own personalised version – the world is your oyster (vegan version of course). Here's a chef's secret: Many chefs do this and pass off the whole sauce as house special.
Birmingham-based Chef Justina adopted a slightly different view. As she isn't usually a fan of sauces, Justina's first choice was balsamic vinegar glaze. She says this simple, thickened version of a standard balsamic gives a lift to salads, baked potatoes, bread, and even chips. Justina regularly uses Odysea which tastes great and is cheaper than many other brands.
If you are feeling adventurous, balsamic glaze can be served with strawberries and even ice-cream. I use it to jazz-up a pasta salad.
Justina's second choice goes slightly off-piste; she opts to add flavour with avocado or hummus. These, or roasted chillies, peppers and mango, add flavour, texture and moisture, alongside nutritional value.
Finally, my own choices: Henderson's Relish and Lancashire Sauce.
I like Henderson's so much that I take a bottle with me on holiday. It is a little like Worcestershire sauce, with the important difference that unlike Worcester sauce it does not contain anchovies. So it's both delicious and vegan. Splash it on almost anything: spaghetti bolognese, pasta salad, curries, soups, pies, sandwich fillings, rice, chips, salad. It’s also great in tomato juice. Henderson’s Relish also won VfL’s award for Chefs Hero Product in 2024.
My second choice, Lancashire Sauce, has a similar consistency to Henderson's, but it has a mild, slightly sweet curry flavour; a little like chip shop curry sauce. Shake well and splash it on pasta, roasted vegetables, potatoes, chips, rice, etc.
You can find most of these sauces in supermarkets or direct from the makers online.
But remember: sauces are just the start. The award is for your personal hero product – whatever that may be. It’s all about the ingredient you reach for time and time again, the one that never lets you down.
Nominations are open now, and winners will be revealed at a special ceremony at the Houses of Parliament on 22 October 2025.
Nominate your Chefs' Hero Product today – and let’s celebrate the unsung ingredients making plant-based care catering better than ever.
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