From greenqueen.com.hk
Italian non-dairy cheese maker Dreamfarm has expanded into supermarkets in France, bringing its suite of innovations to the Paris area.
Parisians can get a taste of classic Italian cheeses made without the cow, as Dreamfarm brings its nut-based alternatives to grocery stores in the French capital.
The start-up has gained a listing with retail giant Monoprix, rolling out six of its innovations in around 70 stores across the Paris area. “We’re proud to bring our plant-based alternatives to such an iconic cheese-loving country,” says Dreamfarm CEO Giovanni Menozzi.
Dreamfarm is hoping to tap into France’s burgeoning vegan cheese market – sales of dairy-free cheese grew by 19% in 2024 (albeit from a relatively small base), making it the fastest-growing segment in the country’s plant-based food market.
Dreamfarm wants to tap into France’s ‘incredible food culture’
Founded in 2021 by Maddalena Zanoni and Mattia Sandei, Dreamfarm uses almonds and cashews to make clean-label dairy-free alternatives to staple Italian cheeses like mozzarella, ricotta, and stracciatella, each with a Nutri-Score A rating.
The mozzarella, its flagship product, comes as a ball-shaped piece submerged in water, reminiscent of its conventional counterpart. And earlier this year, Dreamfarm debuted vegan ciliegine, or mini mozzarella balls. The firm also makes cream-cheese-like spreads in plain and garlic-and-herb flavours.
Its cheeses have already been available in France at online retailer Official Vegan Shop, and via Végétal Food and Prevogel for foodservice. The Monoprix launch marks the brand’s brick-and-mortar debut, opening it up to a wider audience of “flexitarian, vegan, and food-curious consumers”.
“France has an incredible food culture, and we believe Dreamfarm can be part of it, offering the same pleasure and creativity of traditional dairy, but made from plants,” Menozzi said.
Plenty of potential and challenges for non-dairy cheese in France
Dreamfarm raised €5M in funding in 2023, and is actively targeting the Gen Z market. In May, it conducted a guerrilla marketing stunt in the streets of Milan, with actors posing as tourists wearing cow masks and vacation-ready attire to send cows on a break, since they’re no longer needed to produce great-tasting cheese.
Now, to celebrate its French launch, Dreamfarm and Monoprix are planning in-store tastings, local events, and collaboration with food influencers. The company will face competition from existing vegan cheese players in the country, including Jay&Joy and its now-subsidiary Les Nouveaux Affineurs, Sojami, Petit Veganne, and Tomm’Pousse.
Despite vegan cheese’s growth in France, it remains 42% more expensive than conventional cheese, and makes up just 0.1% of the overall market. Dreamfarm’s products are highly rated—they have earned rave reviews from Miyoko Schinner, a pioneer of modern plant-based cheese, who told Green Queen she found its cheeses “voluptuous, silky, and delicious”.
The development follows Dreamfarm’s expansion in other European countries, namely Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany. Now, it aims to continue its continental growth, with plans to enter more nations this year.
https://www.greenqueen.com.hk/dreamfarm-vegan-cheese-mozzarella-fromage-vegetal-france/
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