Tuesday 20 September 2016 1:21 pm

JD Wetherspoon, Pret a Manger, Leon and Zizzi nab prizes in the annual Peta vegan food awards

JD Wetherspoon may seem to some like an unlikely candidate for a vegan award, but a meat and dairy-free twist on one of its signature dishes has just nabbed it recognition from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta).

Those who want to both avoid animal-derived foods and join JD Wetherspoon's weekly curry club can breathe a sigh of relief, as the affordable pub chain's sweet potato, chickpea and spinach curry with pilau rice has been crowned the UK's best vegan curry.

It is one of only two vegan-friendly main courses on offer from Wetherspoon's, the other being a slightly less fancy-sounding jacket potato with a side salad and baked beans.

The winning curry (Source: JD Wetherspoon)

Other high-street winners in Peta's annual vegan food awards include Italian restaurant chain Zizzi, which won the award for best vegan pizza, and Pret a Manger, which scooped the title of best vegan sandwich with its Indian-style Chana Chaat Flat Bread.

Pret has been edging further into the vegetarian and vegan world this summer, with the opening of its now-permanent veggie pop-up in Soho and possible expansion with a branch in the City.

Last year Pret posted double digit growth in its vegetarian food items. The rise in popularity of avocados and other veggie offerings is partly linked to millennials, who are spurning meat and unhealthy foods in favour of more nourishing alternatives.

Elsewhere in Peta's charts, posh fast-food chain Leon was crowned as the maker of the best vegan salad (specifically its Vegan SuperClean Quinoa Salad), while Le Pain Quotidien's Cocoa and Pear Cake was dubbed the best vegan cake.

"From the corner shop to luxury restaurants, businesses are jumping to feed the public's hunger for healthy, human plant-based food," said Peta's Dawn Carr.