Randy Chandler
Whether you're a vegan or just looking to cut down on dairy, vegan cheese is a great alternative to the real thing. While it used to be a niche product, nowadays there are dozens of brands available in major UK supermarkets and independent retailers, in a wide variety of styles. From fondue to Babybel, feta to cheddar, mozzarella to camembert, there's a vegan cheese for every taste and every dish. You can even buy DIY starter kits to make your own cheese at home.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Vegan cheese shops in the UK | La Fauxmagerie, Honestly Tasty, Sophie's Delight |
| Vegan cheese brands | Violife, Sheese, Applewood, Cathedral City, Mouse's Favourite, MozzaRisella, I Am Nut OK, Nush, Green Vie, Haverstock |
| Supermarkets selling vegan cheese | Sainsbury's, Asda, Tesco, Ocado, Morrisons, Aldi, M&S |
| Restaurants serving vegan cheese | Pizza Express, Zizzi's, Ask Italian |
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What You'll Learn
Supermarket vegan cheese
Vegan cheese has become increasingly popular in the UK, with a wide variety of styles and brands available in major supermarkets. Most supermarkets now stock vegan cheese, with options to suit most tastes and dietary preferences.
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's was one of the first supermarkets to offer vegan cheese with its Deliciously Free From range in 2016. Since then, it has expanded its offering, and sales of its dairy-free cheeses have surpassed expectations by over 300%. Sainsbury's offers a variety of vegan cheeses, including Cathedral City Plant-Based Cheese, which retails for around £3.60.
Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, and Ocado
These supermarkets also stock the popular Cathedral City Plant-Based Cheese, as well as other options such as Morrisons' own-brand smoked vegan cheese.
Violife and Sheese
These two brands are widely available in major supermarkets and offer a range of vegan cheese options. Violife's Smoky Cheddar Flavour Slices, retailing at around £2.80, are a popular choice for those looking for a smoked vegan cheese. Meanwhile, Sheese's Mature Cheddar Style block, priced at around £2.50, is a good option for those seeking a mature cheddar flavour.
Other options
Other vegan cheese options available in supermarkets include Green Vie's Mozzarella block, Applewood's creamy and smoky vegan minis, and Nush's cream cheese-style spreads, which come in plain and flavoured varieties.
With the increasing demand for vegan cheese, supermarkets have responded by offering a diverse range of options, ensuring that those following a plant-based diet can still enjoy the taste and versatility of cheese.
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Artisanal vegan cheese
One of the most well-known artisanal vegan cheese producers in the UK is La Fauxmagerie, the country's first plant-based cheesemonger. They stock a wide range of dairy-free cheeses from independent vegan cheesemakers and also make their own artisanal fauxmage. Their vegan brie, in particular, has received rave reviews for its creamy texture and complex, buttery flavour.
Another popular option is the Bedford Cheese Company, which offers vegan cheese made from a combination of tree nuts, soy, seeds (especially cashews), starchy flours, legumes, and other plant-based ingredients. They deliver across the UK, with free delivery for orders over £60.
For those looking to try a variety of artisanal vegan cheeses, Yumbles offers a subscription service with a 10% discount on regular deliveries of their high-quality artisan brands. Honestly Tasty is another company that offers regular cheesy deliveries, featuring handcrafted, dairy-free cheeses from across the UK.
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Vegan cheese brands
There are dozens of vegan cheese brands available in the UK, in a wide variety of styles. These can be found in major supermarkets and independent retailers.
Violife and Sheese are two brands that are available in major supermarkets and online. Violife offers a range of smoked cheddar flavour slices, as well as original grated non-dairy cheese. Sheese, on the other hand, offers mature cheddar-style blocks, as well as jalapeno and chilli bakes.
Cathedral City also offers a range of plant-based cheeses, including dairy-free large slices and extra mature blocks. These are available from Sainsbury's, Asda, Tesco, Ocado, and Morrisons.
Mozzarella alternatives are widely available, with MozzaRisella's Classic cheese being used by some of the UK's largest Italian restaurant chains, including Pizza Express, Zizzi's, and Ask Italian. Green Vie also offers a mozzarella block, available for £3.15.
I AM NUT OK offers a range of popular vegan cheeses, including a cheddar style, parmesan, mozzarella, and smoked cheese.
Haverstock offers a white organic nettle cheese, marinated in oil with herbs and peppercorns. It has a similar texture to feta and is available online from Able & Cole for £12 a jar.
Other brands include Mouse's Favourite, which offers an aged classic vegan cheese for £8.99, and Nush, which offers a range of cream cheese-style spreads, including plain and chive flavours, for £2.75 each.
For those looking for a more artisanal experience, La Fauxmagerie is the UK's first plant-based cheesemonger, offering a range of artisanal, plant-based produce from across the continent.
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Vegan cheese alternatives
Vegan cheese has become increasingly popular in recent years, with a growing demand for dairy-free alternatives. While vegan cheese has traditionally been hard to come by, it is now widely available in the UK in supermarkets and independent retailers, as well as online.
Supermarkets
Supermarket own-brand vegan cheese has been available since 2016 when Sainsbury's launched its Deliciously Free From range. Since then, most supermarkets have followed suit, offering a wide variety of vegan cheeses, including fondue and Babybel.
Cathedral City Plant-Based Cheese is a popular option, available from Sainsbury's, Asda, Tesco, Ocado, and Morrisons, and scoring highly in taste tests. Other supermarket options include Morrisons' own-brand smoked vegan cheese, and Asda's Free From Grated Mozzarella Style Cheese, which is ideal for pizzas and pasta bakes.
Independent Retailers
La Fauxmagerie is the UK's first plant-based cheesemonger, offering artisanal, plant-based produce from across the continent. They host vegan cheese and wine-tasting evenings and fondue nights, showcasing their range of indulgent, dairy-free cheeses.
Online
There are numerous online brands offering vegan cheese, such as I AM NUT OK, which has a range of popular options including Vegan Cheddar Style, (Not) Vegan Parmesan, and Oh, Grate! Vegan Mozzarella.
Haverstock's white organic Nettle is another online option, marinated in oil with herbs and peppercorns, with a similar texture to feta. It is available from Able & Cole for £12 a jar.
Artisan Producers
Artisan producers are also creating delectable cheeses that are indistinguishable from their non-vegan counterparts. These are often available at vegan fairs and markets, such as Sophie's Delight, which has been praised for its incredible cheese.
Ingredients
Vegan cheese is often made from nuts, such as cashews or almonds, which provide natural fats that create a creamy texture. Coconut oil is also commonly used to replicate the fattiness of dairy, along with thickeners like xanthan gum or starch.
Taste and Texture
While early attempts at vegan cheese often fell short in terms of taste and texture, there have been incredible strides in recent years. Vegan cheese now comes in a variety of styles, including smoked, soft, grated, and sliced, and can be melted, spread, or crumbled.
Brands like Boursin have reformulated their recipes to more closely replicate the taste and texture of dairy cheese, with their vegan Garlic & Herbs cheese spread now boasting a rich garlic, parsley, and chive flavour, and a crumbly texture.
Health
Vegan cheese is generally considered healthier than dairy cheese as it is lower in saturated fat and often contains added vitamin B12, contributing to a healthy nervous system. However, it may have a higher sodium content and does not provide the same amount of protein as dairy cheese.
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Vegan cheese taste tests
Vegan cheese has become increasingly popular in recent years, with many people turning to veganism for environmental and health reasons. However, creating vegan cheese that replicates the taste, texture, and melting characteristics of dairy cheese is challenging. While some people recommend giving up cheese altogether when transitioning to veganism, there are now dozens of vegan cheese brands available in the UK, with some even claiming that their products are indistinguishable from dairy cheese.
Taste Tests
La Fauxmagerie, the UK's first plant-based cheesemonger, hosts vegan cheese and wine tasting evenings, allowing customers to indulge in carefully curated artisanal, plant-based cheeses.
Supermarket Options
Major supermarkets in the UK, such as Sainsbury's, Tesco, and Asda, now offer a wide variety of vegan cheese options, including the Deliciously Free From range by Sainsbury's.
Taste Test Results
- Cathedral City Plant-Based Cheese (available at Sainsbury's, Asda, Tesco, Ocado, and Morrisons): 9/10 for taste, 10/10 for aroma and texture, 8/10 for meltability, and an overall score of 9/10.
- Mouse's Favourite Aged Classic Vegan Cheese (available on the brand's website): 10/10 for taste and aroma, 9/10 for texture, and an overall score of 9.5/10.
- Trader Joe's Vegan Parmesan Shreds: This vegan parmesan cheese has a "funky tang" that makes it great for grating over dishes in small amounts but too intense to eat on its own.
- Trader Joe's Vegan Cheese Slices: These slices have a nice, almost smoky flavor and a creamy texture, making them ideal for grilled cheese sandwiches.
- Armored Fresh Cheese Slices (American, Cheddar, and Pepper Jack flavors): These slices resemble dairy cheese in terms of flaccidity and smell. The American and Cheddar slices have a plasticky flavor, but the Cheddar shreds have a strong cheddar flavor and melt well in the microwave or when steamed in a pan.
- The Laughing Cow Plant-Based Cheese (original and garlic and herb flavors): The garlic and herb version has an undercurrent of spice that makes the texture less distracting, while the original lacks flavor and has a more gelatinous texture.
- Boursin's Vegan Garlic & Herbs Cheese Spread (available in the UK): This product has a rich garlic, parsley, and chive flavor and a signature crumbly texture.
- MozzaRisella's Classic Cheese (available at Pizza Express, Zizzi's, and Ask Italian): This vegan mozzarella melts perfectly on pizzas.
- Violife (available in major supermarkets and online): Violife offers a range of vegan cheese options, including smoky cheddar flavor slices and original grated non-dairy cheese.
- Sheese (available in major supermarkets and online): Sheese provides mature cheddar-style blocks and jalapeño and chilli bakes.
- Green Vie Mozzarella Cheese Block (available online): This vegan mozzarella received a "Best vegan mozzarella" award from BBC Good Food.
- Applewood Vegan Minis (available online): Creamy and smoky, these vegan cheese minis are perfect for snacking.
- Nush Cream Cheese-Style Spread (plain and chive flavors, available online): Awarded "Best vegan soft 'cheese' (plain and flavored)" by BBC Good Food.
- Field Roast Chao Slices: These slices don't taste like any dairy cheese but are still enjoyable.
- Credo's Cashew Queso: Creamy and zesty with great spice and chunks of pepper, this cashew-based queso is perfect for dipping and drizzling over nachos or tacos.
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Frequently asked questions
You can find vegan cheese in most major supermarkets, including Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, and Aldi.
Some popular vegan cheese brands in the UK include I AM NUT OK, La Fauxmagerie, Kinda Co, Honestly Tasty, and Sophie's Delight.
Yes, there are several independent retailers that sell vegan cheese in the UK, such as Bedford Cheese Company and Fauxmagerie in East London.
There are many varieties of vegan cheese available in the UK, including cheddar, mozzarella, goat cheese, parmesan, feta, and cream cheese.
Vegan cheeses in the UK are typically made from a combination of tree nuts (especially cashews), soy, seeds, starchy flours (like tapioca flour), coconut, and legumes (like carrots and potatoes).
