STOCKTON'S only vegan cafe has won a national award.

The Labyrinth Cafe, on Skinner Street near The Arc, won outright in the cafe category in the FreeFrom Eating Out Awards in London and cafe co-founder Deb Knibbs received the award from TV chef Antony Worrall Thompson.

The cafe made headlines earlier this year after creating the world's first vegan 'parmo.'

The judge's commendation said: "Labyrinth is a delightful and unexpected oasis of friendly welcome and delicious food prepared to order with care by the knowledgeable and helpful staff. As a 100 per cent gluten free cafe that caters for multiple allergens and dietary preferences in a severely deprived area of the country, it would be a worthy winner in its category. I loved it. I just wish it were my local."

Ms Knibbs explained that the cafe also caters for meat eaters and vegetarians and means that friends with different eating requirements have a place they can go to together. "We had an idea that we might be highly commended and we were really pleased with that," she said. "When we actually won it we were ecstatic."

The Ugot cafe, which has branches in both York and Newcastle, was highly commended