It must be the number one comment about turning vegan (or not being able to) and that is, ‘I couldn’t give up cheese’
Firstly, and apologies for briefly stepping on my soap box, if you’re really passionate about making a change and you have the mindset and realisation of why you’d want to be vegan then to be honest, not being able to give up anything shouldn’t even be a factor. I’m pretty sure the mother cow will be super pleased you gave up dairy and her own baby can get the milk that is rightfully theirs.
(And now I’ll climb off my soap box and avoid you stopping reading)
Secondly – the vegan cheese market is now insanely good. I’m not saying that as a worn-down-I’ll-take-what’s-on-offer vegan that has no choice and has to make do, but as a extraordinarily happy vegan that has witnessed the vegan cheese market explode in the last few years, and especially in the last couple of years, seen incredible options not only from boutique indie makers but also from the big old supermarkets too.
When Tesco brought out their own label Wensleydale With Cranberries I couldn’t quite believe what I was eating – the flavour, the texture, the look. Not only was it spot on and so tasty, but this proved the opportunities to bring out non-dairy versions of classic cheeses. This was both a joy to vegans but also to all those folks with a dairy intolerance that really, even more so than vegans, benefit from these developing foods.
Since then, wow, there really is so much choice. Indeed yes, there are some dubious options out there still and it is a case of trying and experimenting to see what right for you but honestly – this makes being vegan so so much easier than say five years ago.
There are cheeses that melt, there are cheeses that wouldn’t be out of place on fine dining cheese boards, there are cheeses for the perfect toastie, there are cheeses for a mouth watering fondue, there are cheeses for layering up on a burger, there are cheeses for a summers greek salad and there are even cheeses to use in cooking and (Shhhhh don’t tell them) but your dairy friends would never tell otherwise.
Finally, we did a haul from the sheese-heaven that is La Fauxmagerie – the UK’s first plant-based cheesemonger – available both online and from their East London store. If they can’t swing you round to the idea that dairy is just not needed for cheese then i’ll eat my (vegan) hat.
Just imagine getting your cheese fix but knowing that no animal came to any harm in the process – winner!
We got five to try from their uber huge range and settled down for cheese board one night for dinner. The bread was crusty, the crackers were a-plenty, the homemade chutney was ready and the token few grapes were slung at the side.
LA FAUXMAGERIE CAMEMVERT A faux camembert coated in a delicious white bloom rind: creamy, gooey and melty. Indescribably good, but I’ll try. The perfect ooze. We had in straight but I’ve oven baked it previously – it tastes equally good both ways. It has a natural ability to melt like it’s fine dairy relative, in normal room temperature, softening as the cheese board is enjoyed – and has that background tang and nutty earth tone that makes it so different, like with dairy, to it’s close friend – brie. I’m pretty glad we have a second one in the fridge ready for valentines. My husband ( a still occasionally dairy but mostly vegan is also flabbergasted with how ace this is – definitely one to always have on hand for a dinner party or when a cheese board is needed to solve the lazy chef issue!
STRICTLY ROOTS BETTA FETTA Incredible feta style cheese: creamy, crumbly and tangy This is a favourite of mine. Previously discovered in another London vegan store, whenever it was available, I was sure to buy it. Another one that nails the texture and taste. Like a gourmet feta, this is unlike any standard supermarket bought light feta/vegan feta, but has a creamy yet crumbly consistancy that only a hand crafted feta cheese would offer. Its a delight. It’s pricey for a small block but that merely reflects it’s high quality and highlights that it is from an independent small producer background.
KINDA CO SMOKED CHILLI Spicey, creamy cheese with a delicious building heat It was up to my chilli-loving husband to be the judge of this one and he was seriously a fan. I think he’d have by the bucket load on bread if he could. He’d definitely say, in his opinion, it seems more of a pate than a cheese spread because of the texture but either way it’s delicious. A nice warming kick to it with the chilli heat.
STRICTLY ROOTS BLUFFALA A creamy mozzarella-style cheese with an almond and organic soya base, perfect in salads or melted on pizza, pasta or baguettes We had this as part of our cheese board but I also tried it melted on toast. This take on buffalo mozzarella isn’t identical, although very close, but boy is it tasty in it’s own right. Another example of how astonishingly people can replicate the texture, taste and appearance of dairy cheese so well. This is a beautiful cheese. I happily enjoyed it with crusty bread but equally loved it melted for a posh cheese on toast (I wanted to test how well it melted!). It doesn’t look as if it has melted much but on trying it was really gooey and soft and the right texture you’d expect plus it worked so well being warm. I used to be a huge fan of buffalo mozzarella so finding this vegan version is pretty damn satisfying. At £6 a ball it’s not cheap but its worth it – and any decent dairy version had a reasonably high price tag anyway.
KINDA CO FAUX LOX AND DILL CREAMY SPREAD A creamy, tangy cashew cheese, peppered with salt-baked carrot ‘lox” and laced with fresh lemon and dill. A gorgeous alternative to smoked salmon and cream cheese. I’ve previously had this so knew it was a delight. Super smeared over crackers or bread but equally a great creamy cheese for use in cooking – pestos, carbonaras, quiches or pastries.
And our faux cheeses from The Vegan Kind, shaped up pretty good too (they also stock La Fauxmagerie Camemvert!)
TYNE CHEASE LTD SUNDRIED TOMATO This is, by their definition, an artisanal cultured and aged cashew nut product. Now we’ve had cashew based cheese before and weren’t entirely sold on them but as with many foods sometimes you ain’t gonna like them all. This however, once you get past that familiar greyish tone that cashew cheeses seem to have was a delight. An excellent flavour, smooth texture and a great addition to our cheese board.
THE LOCAL VEGAN 