Totally Local Company Launch Their Project Green Genius Competition
Design Your Dream Plant-Powered Dish: Join the Green Genius Competition!
At Totally Local Company, we’re always looking for ways to bring fresh, exciting, and sustainable ideas to the table. That’s why we’re thrilled to announce our Design Your Dream Plant-Powered Dish competition.
We are inviting students to share their creativity and design a plant-based dish that can be featured in our Autumn/Winter 2025 menu!
The competition is open to all students currently attending schools catered by our teams at
Totally Local Company.
Spearheading the campaign is our Food Development Chef Rebecca Sly and Quality & Training Lead Lisa Tottle, who are passionate about creating delicious, nutritious, and environmentally friendly meals. Together, we are working in collaboration with Pro Veg UK, and they are excited to offer students this fantastic opportunity to make their mark on our school menus.
Why Plant-Based Meals Matter
As we continue to move towards a more sustainable future, plant-based meals are becoming an essential part of our everyday diet. By incorporating more plant-based foods, we not only support our health but also help reduce our environmental footprint. Plants are packed with nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, and by choosing plant-based ingredients, we can minimize the impact our food choices have on the planet.
This competition gives students the chance to explore the delicious world of plant-based ingredients and create meals that are not only good for the body but also great for the environment.
How to Enter the Competition
Whether you’re a budding chef or simply passionate about healthy, sustainable food, this competition is a great way to showcase your creativity. You can enter as an individual or as part of a team. We welcome all ideas if they are plant-based and affordable.
Here’s what you need to do to submit your competition entry:
- Name Your Dish – Make it creative and mouth-watering!
- List Your Ingredients – Your dish should be entirely plant-based and suitable for both vegetarian and vegan diets.
- Include Your Recipe Instructions – Share your step-by-step method, making it easy for others to recreate.
- Budget Friendly – Use accessible ingredients that won’t break the bank.
- Your Vision – Showcase your creativity with photos or drawings of your dish to help us visualise your creation.
Will there be Prizes?
Absolutely! The winning dish will be added to the Totally Local Company Autumn/Winter 2025 menu! But that’s not all! The winner will also receive:
- A comprehensive award, including a certificate of achievement and a special feature on our website, newsletter, and social media channels.
- A month’s subscription box of fresh fruits and vegetables delivered weekly to your door.
- Special recognition for the top three submissions with eco-friendly gift bags and culinary tools.
Runners-up will also be celebrated, and everyone who participates will have contributed to making school meals more sustainable and exciting!
Judging Criteria
Our team, along with the experts at Pro Veg UK, will judge the submissions based on the following criteria:
- Plant-Based Ingredients: The dish must be plant-based and suitable for vegan or vegetarian diets.
- Nutrition: We’re looking for meals that promote balanced eating while using budget-friendly ingredients.
- Creativity: Show us how original and inventive your dish is!
- Appeal: Make us hungry with your use of enticing and descriptive language in your recipe.
- Feasibility: Your dish must be practical for large-scale preparation in schools.
When can I submit my competition entry?
The competition is now live and was launched on Thursday, 20th March 2025.
When is the deadline for competition entries?
The submission deadline for all competition entries is Friday, 18th April 2025. Judging will take place during 23rd – 25th April 2025, and the winner will be announced shortly after the Easter break.
Submission Portal
You can submit your entries by emailing Rebecca.sly@totallylocalcompany.co.uk or sending physical submissions to:
FAO: Rebecca & Lisa
Catering Management Team
Endeavour House
Bredbury Park Way
Bredbury, Stockport, SK6 2SN
Bring your ideas to life
We encourage all schools catered by Totally Local Company to promote this exciting opportunity within their communities. The more students that participate, the more ideas we’ll have to create exciting new dishes for school menus!
Our aim is to build a community of young, passionate, and eco-conscious food lovers who understand the importance of sustainability in their diets. We are excited to work with you to bring your ideas to life and create a new menu that reflects the values of healthy, sustainable eating.
Looking Ahead
The Green Genius competition is just the beginning! We believe in creating menus that reflect the needs and tastes of our school communities, and what better way to do this than by giving students the chance to contribute their own ideas? We can’t wait to see the incredible dishes that students will create, and we’re so excited to see the influence of plant-powered meals on school menus across the region!
Let’s get creative and make this competition one to remember. Happy cooking, and may the best dish win!
For further details on how to enter, including the full submission guidelines, contact our Development Chef Rebecca Sly at Rebecca.sly@totallylocalcompany.co.uk
Good Luck Everyone, and Happy designing, and we look forward to tasting your amazing creations!
