Artisan Vegan Cheese: From Everyday to Gourmet

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We’re also working with a couple of other nonprofits that are going to use us as a test case and then create sort of a blueprint for other organizations to follow. Like the environmental considerations, when it comes to ethics, there are very few arguments that dairy cheese is more ethical than cheese made from plants. To produce dairy cheese, cows are held captive and milked until they are not able to produce sufficient quantities (and are then sent to slaughter). But they also have their calves taken from them soon after giving birth to them and these calves are often slaughtered for veal and to produce the rennet that is used in the production of some non-vegetarian cheeses and which is taken from the stomach of the slaughtered calf.

Funky London-based vegan cheese brand Palace Culture creates a wide range of cheese alternatives for every occasion. Its innovation range includes both hard and soft varieties. If you want to go the whole hog (no, we don’t think using a saying that involves an animal is non-vegan), why not make your own vegan cheese. Many people will find it far easier and even cheaper to just buy some vegan cheese. But if you have time, patience and a desire to create something, it could be a rewarding option.There could be some overlap between this category and some of the others, whether hard cheese, cream cheese or artisan cheese. But we’re focussing on those that are infused with some non-cheese ingredient, whether chillies, cranberries or sundried tomatoes. Moreover, the brand is passionate about being eco-friendly, so its kitchens are run on Ecotrcitit renewable energy.

You’ll have to make your own mind up, but for us, given that it’s a 100% vegan product, it is perfectly fine. And if Applewood sell loads of their vegan products, maybe one day they’ll ditch dairy altogether. Violife have three options for their grated cheeses: Cheddar Flavour, Original Flavour, and Mozzarella Flavour, which melts exceptionally well so works perfectly for homemade vegan pizzas. This feta-like vegan cheese has the appearance of the dairy cheese it mimics. It is not quite as crumbly but it’s not bad. The Violife Blue Wedge has a similar texture and could be worth a try too.I Am Nut Ok creates tasty vegan alternatives to classic cheese varieties such as cheddar, parmesan, mozzarella, feta and ricotta. There are some imaginatively flavoured vegan cheese wheels from Green Vie that come in the following varieties: Wheel with Mango, Lime & Chios Mastic, Wheel with Mild Peppers & Sundried Tomatoes, or Wheel with Mushrooms & Truffle Flavour. One of the more artisanal vegan cheese producers to have at least partially broken through to the mainstream, Tyne Chease might have misspelt the word cheese, but we’ll forgive them that because they have created some excellent products. Using traditional cheesemaking techniques (but without the need for cows!) their nut-based cheeses are cultured and aged and there’s a strong emphasis on the flavour of the end product. Bute Island Foods

Did you enjoy learning about these artisan vegan cheese brands shaking up the plant-based industry? There is little doubt among scientists who study such things that food products made from animals are significantly worse for the environment than those made from plants, particularly in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. Indeed an extensive research study published in 2014 found that the mean dietary greenhouse gas emissions per 2,000 kcal of meat-eaters were more than double those of vegans and it was 2.5 times as great once adjusted for sex and age.Depending on which international cheese authority you believe, there are between 51 and 1,000 different varieties of dairy cheese. These can differ by moisture levels, firmness, country or area of origin, the source of the milk used and how mouldy it is. With regards health it is commonly accepted that in almost all ways a well-planned vegan diet is a match for one that includes meats and dairy (as we explain in detail in our article on the health reasons to go vegan). In addition, a vegan diet automatically excludes a number of foods that are known to be extremely unhealthy. Chief amongst these are red and processed meats but vegan diets also tend to be far lower in saturated fat too. What’s more, on average, vegans consume far more fibre and are more likely to consume a wide range of fruit and veg too. But that does not mean that all vegan products are automatically healthy. When it comes to vegan cheese, it is something of a mixed bag when compared to dairy cheese. Unlike supermarket cheeses which are often made from oil, artisan vegan cheeses are typically made by culturing ingredients such as nuts to give them a more authentic, punchy flavour. Their fresh vegan cheeses are available in Herbes de Provence, Pepper, or Greek Style flavours and they have various soft cheese options and even their Free The Goat options that resemble cheese made from the milk of goats.

Supermarkets have finally cottoned on to the fact that the number of vegans is growing and will continue to grow in the UK in the coming years (partly driven by the strong environmental arguments to go vegan). As such, they’ve started to produce their own versions of popular vegan products, including vegan cheese. Here are how the main supermarkets are getting on at the time of writing. Cheese Name/Brand Billing: due to the really low monthly membership price and the nature of the benefits, FEC subscription is billed and paid yearly. This enables us to plan ahead and ensure that we can offer the best range of benefits available to all members. The membership fee will be automatically charged to your card every 12 months. The essential tools you will need to work with vegan cheese - you will find these easily and without spending too much. This could be seen to be a rather general category and could technically cover some of the cheese that also feature in other categories. Generally speaking, this category would cover the higher-end more gourmet vegan cheese options, often produced from organic and/or locally sourced ingredients and sometimes in small batches.There are two Greek Style vegan cheese options from Green Vie: simple Greek Style and Greek Style with Dried Oregano and Olive Oil. They both offer a feta-style crumbliness and tang of the dairy version though aficionados would certainly be able to tell the difference. Available from an increasing number of shop, including TheVeganKindSupermarket, Bute Island’s Grated Sheese comes in the following flavours: Grated Mozzarella Style, Grated Mild Cheddar Style, Grated Mature Cheddar Style, and Grated Hard Italian Style (similar to parmesan). Violife have pulled out all the stops with their vegan cheese slices and offer the following flavours: Original, Mozzarella, Cheddar, Smoky Cheddar, With Herbs, With Tomato & Basil, Smoked, and Mature Cheddar. The Smoky Cheddar Flavour Slices work particularly well on burgers, in our view. Using a mixture of oats, rapeseed oil, coconut oil and starch – among other things – Oatly have produced a cream cheese-like spreadable vegan cheese that is significantly lower in saturated fat than those that use more coconut oil.