Business Monday: 2 weeks remain in inaugural Big Island Vegan Chef Challenge

Chorizo nachos. Stir-fry. Chili with corn chips. Philly cheesesteak sliders. Pizza. Chicken pesto pasta. Even soft serve ice cream and a cookie dough sundae.

Makes your mouth water just reading that menu, right? They all sound delicious, and they’re all dishes you can get right now on the Big Island.

With a twist.

None of them have or are made using any products derived from animals.

That means no meat, people. No eggs, no milk, no dairy cheese and the list goes on.

It’s all part of the first-ever Big Island Vegan Chef Challenge that started Aug. 1 and runs through the end of the month.

Nine businesses around the island are participating, showcasing the creativity and culinary prowess of talented chefs who have cooked up some delightfully delectable vegan dishes that even the most devoted meat lover would devour.

They’re competing for the public’s vote with their plant-based specialties, with a winner to be announced in September at the third annual Big Island Veg Fest. This year’s festival is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 7 in Kailua-Kona.

It depends on the source how much of the population in the United States considers itself to be vegan, with figures ranging between 1% and 4%, but most of them seem to agree that veganism is on the rise.

The numbers and expectations of continued growth by analysts, while indirect and inexact measurements, do support the growth model.

Retail sales of plant-based foods in the United States climbed more than $4 billion from 2017 to 2023. Plus, firms focused on plant-based food earned more money from investors in the 3 years between 2020 and 2023 than during the entire prior 14 years before.

People on the Big Island now have an excuse to make their own decision.

“This challenge is ideal for the island, as it offers an unique opportunity to highlight local businesses while showcasing how delicious vegan cuisine can be,” said Lydia Green, director of sanctuary operations at Magical Creatures Sanctuary in Laupāhoehoe, the challenge’s organizer.

Green, a vegan herself, said people choose the lifestyle for many reasons including animal rights and welfare, reducing greenhouse gas emissions — as animal agriculture is a leading driver of climate change — and addressing diet-related health concerns like lowering cholesterol.

Her journey as a vegan began unexpectedly 8 years ago after watching a series of documentaries that were recommended to her that she called eye-opening and completely transformed her perspective.

She would have never thought she would have gone vegan before then.

Green added that the more people on the Big Island who choose to eat vegan or additional plant-based foods, the more the island will benefit.

“By promoting plant-based eating, we can make a significant impact on animal welfare and climate change, helping preserve the island’s natural beauty and resources for generations to come,” she said.

The 9 participating businesses and chefs in the Big Island Vegan Chef Challenge are:

• Alebrije Hawai‘i, No. 111, The Shops at Mauna Lani, 68-1330 Mauna Lani Drive, Kohala Coast.
• Fair Wind Cruises, 78-7130 Kaleiopapa St., Keauhou.
• Herbivores, 75-5722 Hanama Place, Kailua-Kona.
• Island Organic Cuisine, 213 Kalaniana’ole St., Hilo.
• Journey Café, C-106, Kona Inn Shopping Village, 75-5729 Ali’i Drive, Kailua-Kona.
• Mauka to Makai Eatery, 95-1910 Kaalaiki Road, Nā‘ālehu.
• Sweet Cane Café, 48 Kamanā St, Hilo.
• The Veli, 15-2958 Pāhoa Village Road, Pāhoa.
• What’s Shakin’, 27-999 Old Māmalahoa Highway, Pepe‘ekeo.

Fair Winds Cruises, the challenge’s sponsor, is offering the vegan version of those Philly cheesesteak sliders mentioned at the beginning of this story as a new lunch special this month as an entry into the contest.

They replace the BBQ jackfruit slider and are offered aboard the Hula Kai Kona Coast Snorkel Cruise the business offers.

The savory sandwich features hearty jackfruit, bell peppers, mushrooms and onions all marinated in a flavorful sauce and baked to perfection. It’s then topped wih au jus and a nut-free “cheese” sauce.

Fair Winds calls the sliders a crowd favorite and encourages people not to wait to try them.

“I would eat anything Jenn makes!!!” commented Katy Schrum on the Facebook reel Fair Winds posted of the new vegan sandwiches.

“That sounds absolutely delicious!” added Sue Haas in another comment.

“Looking forward to trying these! Jenn cooks up some amazing foods with the help of the kitchen staff,” replied Jackie Moore Andresen, speaking about the Fair Winds chef and her crew.

Green said the response to the challenge so far has been incredibly positive. Chefs have embraced it and are enjoying the chance to be creative while competing against their colleagues around the island to win some prizes.

They’re all also excited to hear the feedback from the diners trying their new culinary creations.

She said the community also has been enthusiastic as even non-vegans are enjoying the experience and are eager to explore the new dishes as part of the challenge.

“We’re hopeful that some of the restaurants will consider making their challenge dishes a permanent part of their menus once the competition ends,” Green said.

Some of the other options include vegan chili with corn chips, the Veggie Lover’s Soft Taco and veggie stir-fry at Island Organic Cuisine; vegan chorizo nachos, a vegan chorizo-potato burrito and a vegan cookie dough sundae at The Veli; and Faith’s Smoky Pizza at Journey Café, cuz “whoever knew strawberry, macadamia nut and gochujang hot sauce would be a match made in heaven?”

Herbivores is offering vegan carne asada burritos, vegan chick’n pesto pasta and soft serve. Yum.

And at Alebrije Hawai‘i you can get a cauliflower Baja bowl that the restaurant calls an “explosion of flavors” with Poblano beans, coleslaw, homestyle papas fries, pico de gallo, guacamole and corn-battered cauliflower.

“This is an opportunity to challenge and expand your palate in the most delicious way possible,” said Roberta Celebrano, assistant Vegan Chef Challenge coordinator with Vegan Outreach, an international nonprofit working to end violence toward animals by promoting a vegan lifestyle that reignited the Vegan Chef Challenge program nationwide in 2022. “The public is raving about the event and is super excited to see 9 of their favorite businesses take part in the challenge.”

Magical Creatures Sanctuary’s mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and provide lifelong sanctuary to animals on the Big Island while serving the community through programs that promote kindness, compassion and stewardship.

It was founded in 2018. The nonprofit farm, animal rescue and sanctuary is home to about 90 animals that were saved from slaughter or neglect, have special needs or where orphaned or injured in the wild.

Green said the sanctuary is always looking for ways to get more engaged in the community beyond tours and events it hosts on-site and it also wanted to do something to promote plant-based eating.

When she heard about the Vegan Chef Challenge in 2019 and saw its success in other places on the mainland, the sanctuary thought it would be a fun, interesting and impactful concept to try on the Big Island and decided to partner with Vegan Outreach to bring it here this year.

The challenges are now hosted in more than 20 communities throughout the country.

“The Big Island Vegan Chef Challenge pefectly aligns with with our mission, values and vision, making it a natural extension of our work to inspire more compassionate choices within our community,” Green said.

She and the sanctuary encourage everyone to show their support for the participating businesses and chefs by trying as many of the challenge dishes as possible and voting for their favorites during the last 2 weeks of the event.

Green has had the pleasure of trying several of the challenge dishes and said they’ve all been fantastic.

“I’m making it a personal goal to dine at all the participating restaurants before the challenge wraps up this month,” she said.

Plus, even diners have a chance to win some exciting prizes at the end of the challenge.

And iust because they’re vegan doesn’t mean you have to be a vegan to enjoy the inventive and scrumptious plant-based foods the restaurants and their chefs are dishing out.

“Your participation not only supports local chefs but also helps to highlight the variety and flavor of vegan cuisine,” Green said.

Green said the Magical Creatures Sanctuary team is thrilled to have brought the Vegan Chef Challenge to the Big Island and is even more excited about its potential to grow in the coming years.

The sanctuary hopes the event not only continues to thrive here but also inspires similar challenges on the other islands.

“As an expansion of the Big Island Vegan Chef Challenge, we invite everyone to visit the sanctuary, hear the stories of our residents and make a deeper connection that can lead to more informed and compassionate food choices,” Green said.

To learn more about the Big Island Vegan Chef Challenge, participating businesses and to vote, click here.