The Fry family is an impressive one, having started a vegan company back when plant- based It was announced yesterday by Penguin Random House Publishers that the plant-based cookbook and lifestyle guide, Made with Love & Plants, written by Tammy Fry, has taken the prestigious “Best in South Africa” spot for the category “Corporate Tie-In” at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.
Making the awards shortlist of sixteen nominees down to six, Tammy’s book will now compete for Best in World at an awards ceremony in Sweden taking place in early June 2022 at the Umea Food Symposium.
On their website, the Founder and President of the Gourmand Awards, Edouard Cointreau said that the selection of the Gourmand Awards give an overview of the best around the world – showing just how prestigious these awards are. “In total, we estimate there are now over 100 000 food and drink culture books and documents every year, in print or digital, free or paid, with or without ISBN…. There is approximately 1% chance to be selected [on] this Gourmand Awards list!”
Tammy poured years of learning in the plant-based space into Made with Love and Plants. “I am thrilled with this acknowledgment. When writing the book I really tried to tap into my lived experiences as a plant-based athlete, nutritionist, advocate, mom and marketer to create something that was authentic, inspiring and easy to use,” says Tammy Fry.
“My dream was always to create something valuable and
accessible that both inspires people to explore their own
journey and support those that are already on one,” she adds.
Beverley Dodd, lifestyle publisher at Penguin Random House in South Africa says that a plant-based cookbook created by one of South Africa’s leading advocates for the lifestyle was an obvious choice for them.
“Tammy’s deep experience and understanding of what plant-based living means shone through in this book. It is a beautifully relatable, easy to follow guide for anyone, at any stage of the journey.”
Beverley adds that Penguin Random House, who were also recognised by the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards as Best Cookbook Publisher in South Africa, have seen a notable increase in demand for plant-based lifestyle content.
“There has been a definite increase in awareness around health and environment when it comes to food choices and our Best in South Africa winners reflect this. Congratulations to all the authors – we could not be more proud of you.”
Made with Love and Plants is packed with 75-plant-based, whole food recipes and loads of easy-to-follow information for people wanting to introduce more of a plant-based lifestyle. Tammy explains that she created her recipes through trial and error to make them as simple as possible. “I know what has worked for me and my busy family and I have tried to impart those learnings in the book.”
Tammy’s whole life has been fundamentally linked to the growth of plant-based living. As one of the Fry daughters, and a co-founder of The Fry Family Food Company, she has been at the forefront of helping her parents pioneer plant-based foods in South Africa and across the globe.
Chief Marketing Officer of LIVEKINDLY Collective Mick van Ettinger says that this kind of recognition is an incredible acknowledgment of the power of real stories behind real brands.
“I love how this beautiful cookbook, created with such love and passion by Tammy, has been so prestigiously recognised for its corporate tie-in to the Fry’s brand. The incredible work the Fry family have done in building their brand, pioneering plant-based living and supporting new and existing consumers to explore their own journeys grew out of an authentic desire to gently change the world. The brand, the family and their story are intrinsically linked in a truly authentic way – and this award reflects the strength of that.”
LIVEKINDLY Collective is the global plant-based food company that joined forces with the Fry’s brand in 2020.
Made with Love and Plants is available through all major book retailers.
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Issued by Genevieve Cutts on behalf of The Fry Family Food Co. For media enquiries please contact genevieve@thelivekindlyco.com or 082 546 4043.
About The Fry Family Food Co.
It all began in the Fry family kitchen in Durban over three decades ago, where Wally and Debbie Fry learnt how to make delicious and nutritious meat-free burgers and sausages to feed their family. Debbie is a born vegetarian and Wally was an avid meat eater but through lots of persuasion from Debbie and their daughter Tammy, Wally gave up meat.
30-years later, the Fry’s award-winning range of vegan products is available all over the world and the brand, under the guidance of Tammy, continues to pioneer the plant-based food space by making delicious meat-free alternatives that make introducing meat-free meals simple and fuss-free.
In 2020, The Fry Family Food Co. joined forces with LIVEKINDLY Collective as part of a leading global movement to make plant-based living the new norm. This unique collective is now on track to become one of the world’s largest plant-based food companies.
The Fry’s range of vegan food was awarded Best Vegan Meat in the VegFest Awards in the UK two years in a row (2020 and 2021). In 2021 the brand’s Chicken-Style Burger was the only plant-based chicken burger to make it onto abillion’s Top 10 Plant-Based Burger list and their ‘beefy’ Big Fry Burger won the inaugural Plant-Based Food Award at the Symrise Food Review New Product Competition. In 2022 Tammy Fry’s cookbook, Made with Love and Plants, received a prestigious Gourmand World Cookbook Award.