Linda McCartney Foods has announced the three finalists in the UK’s Tastiest Meat-Free Dish competition.

Kate Ford from Hertfordshire, Susan Edwards from Shropshire and Robert Stordy of Derbyshire were chosen for their creative and original dishes, all deemed delicious for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians.

Kate created a hearty mushroom, ale and puy lentil pie, Susan a “butternut squash and spinach lasagne’ and Robert a vegetarian moussaka.

The meals were chosen by a panel hosted by Mary McCartney and selected by the McCartney family. They included celebrity chef Aldo Zilli, Green & Blacks co-founder Josephine Fairley, Celebrity MasterChef's 2008 winner 2008 Liz McClarnon, Alex Connell of the Vegetarian Society’s Cordon Vert School and Alison Atkin of Sainsbury’s.

Following the success of the Meat Free Monday campaign, in November last year Linda McCartney Foods called on all budding chefs to submit their tastiest vegetarian recipes.

The panel chose from hundreds of entries, and chose the finalists following a tasting session on 10 February. Each won a Baumatic oven and will be the subject of three mini-documentaries to be aired on ITV's This Morning from 4-11 April, showing them creating their dish in their own kitchens.

The UK's Tastiest Meat-Free Dish will be chosen by the public through online voting in March, and the overall winner can look forward to seeing their dish become the inspiration for a new Linda McCartney Foods product that will hit shelves alongside the current range from this August.

“I’ve always been passionate about great food so I am delighted to be supporting our campaign to find the UK’s tastiest meat-free dish,” Paul McCartney said.

“Meat-free eating isn’t just for vegetarians, it’s for anyone looking to lead a healthier and more environmentally responsible way of living. Linda was always passionate about creating home-cooked meals, so I have been delighted with the enthusiasm and support we have had from our competition - it's even inspired me to try some new recipes!”

For more information on the competition, visit www.tastiestmeatfree.co.uk