Most supermarket vegan cheese is made with coconut oil due to the makers having no idea how to make vegan cheese (real vegan cheese is made with nuts in the same way as real cheese, and also has protein and calcium). If you’re on a budget, then use coconut oil cheeses in recipes or grated, but they won’t taste as good as artisan brands on crackers. Coconut oil cheese is also full of saturated fat, and often has a funny aftertaste.
Recycle packaging at supermarket bag bins. Avoid unpasteurised, blue and mould-ripened cheese during pregnancy/nursing and keep ice-packs away from children and pets. Read food safety for people & pets (keep vegan cheese away from pets, due to nuts, salt, garlic, spice).
Kinda Co (Somerset, England) is a wonderful little company that began in London, and now makes award-winning dairy-free cheeses (both block and cream cheeses). Most use compostable or easy-to-recycle packaging, and the cream cheeses are sold in glass jars.
The founder was a cheese addict, who after ditching dairy began experimenting with plant-based alternatives. They turned out so good, the woman runs her own mini-vegan-cheese empire! Today the cheeses are sold online and throughout England. She even teaches others how to make vegan cheese at her own Kindacademy (and Made in Hackney, a London community-based plant-food cooking school).
Kinda Co Italian-Style cheese is not just vegan but also sold in a glass jar. Made in Somerset, it’s made with protein-rich almonds, and even browns in the oven, so good to top a pasta bake or lasagne. Good also for pasta, risotto, pizza and Caesar salad. Lasts for 3 months in the fridge.
Many people are unaware that Parmesan cheese is not vegetarian as (by law) it contains an Italian cheese made with calf rennet. So many restaurants, chefs and cookbook authors wrongly claim meals are vegetarian, when they’re not. Or make your own vegan Parmesan.
Mostly, these cheeses are made with cashews and almonds, so they are high in protein and calcium (though obviously not suitable for nut allergies). There are many soy-free cheeses, and some use miso (a fermented Japanese ingredient that is one of the few plant foods with perfect umami – the combination of all tastes). And good for your tummy!
Once bought, store these cheeses in the fridge (they have a several-week shelf life until opened, then enjoy within a few days). You can freeze the block cheeses for 6 months, then defrost overnight in the fridge before eating. It’s not recommended to freeze the jar cheeses, due to the glass containers. If you like ‘melting cheeses’, the block cheeses are ideal, and can also be stirred into mashed potatoes or pasta sauces. Wholesale orders are available, just get in touch!
The block cheese range includes:
- Farmhouse (like mature cheddar)
- Greek-style (like feta cheese)
- Garlic & herb (Boursin alternative)
- Summer truffle
- Smoked
- Blue
- Chilli
The glass jar cream cheeses include:
- Farmhouse (mature cheddar)
- Nacho dip
- Lemon dill
- Sour cream & chive
artisan vegan cheese from Tyneside
Tyne Chease (based just outside Newcastle) makes truly wonderful vegan cheeses. Expensive, but worth it for a treat! Cultured and aged like traditional cheese, these are sold in good delis and farm shops, or order online (including taster boxes). Most are based around organic cashew nuts, and the company works with supplieres, to ensure fair working conditions.
These artisan vegan cheeses keep up to a month in the fridge (or 3 months if frozen). Once opened, store in their boxes (or transfer to airtight containers) but don’t store near the back of the fridge, as this increases condensation. These are not ‘melting cheeses’ (though you may be able to turn them into sauces or fondue if you’re a good chef!), but are more for cheeseboards with fruit and wine. All have a tangy taste, due to the culture. Choose from:
- Apple smoked
- Chives or garlic
- Pink peppercorn
- Provencal
- Smoked
- Pickled onion
- Ethiopian spice
- Cream cheeses in glass jars (smoked, truffle, creamy garlic & chives)
artisan vegan cheese (sold in Waitrose)
Palace Culture has become one of the first artisan vegan cheeses to make it to supermarket shelves. This one is now stocked in Waitrose. Sold in sustainable packaging, this company began in a family kitchen in London due to the founder’s son’s dairy intolerance. The cheeses are made from organic cashews and almonds (grown with regenerative farming in Spain) and the company offers hard and cream cheeses, flavoured with sea salt, herbs and spices.
unique artisan vegan cheeses from London
Honestly Tasty is now sold at M & S and online at Ocado. Enjoy Blue, Bree & Shamembert in M & S and via Ocado (where you’ll also find their Garlic & Herb). All made from natural ingredients to artisan cheese-making standards. You’ll also find these cheeses in 70 indie stores and in Selfridges (London) and Planet Organic (a chain of London health stores). 2% of all revenue is donated to a farm sanctuary in Wales (and a non-profit social enterprise in London).
The cheese is also sold in around 1000 stores nationwide including Holland & Barrett stores (they make cheese under the shop label). Pretenslydale, Smoked Good-a and Lemon & Dill are all seasonal specials, only available until the end of Veganuary!
artisan vegan cheese from London
I Am Nut OK is a gourmet brand founded by an American/Italian couple. As well as a wonderful non-dairy cheddar alternative, it also offers a Parmesan alternative, log pepper cheeses, and a vegan feta block. Or find a more affordable ‘wonky wedge’ to combat food waste!
