USA: Melty, Gooey, and the Cleanest Ingredients - Meet UmYum’s Vegan Cheese

From vegnews.com 

This award-winning cheese brand is redefining dairy-free with its luxurious plant-based Camembert and butters—crafted the old-fashioned way: simply, slowly, and packed with bold, complex flavour. Now, UmYum is finally bringing its next-level creations to the US

Baz Corden grew up in South Africa, where animal products are deeply woven into the culture. Dairy and eggs are dietary staples, and the national dish, braai, centres around barbecued meat. As a result, living without animal products wasn’t really part of the conversation when Corden was growing up. “There wasn’t really an idea about how many choices you had to eat things,” he tells VegNews.

But everything changed when he met his future wife, Katherine, who also grew up in South Africa, but was raised a vegetarian. “When Katherine and I got married, she used to make two different meals, and hers always looked better,” says Baz. Naturally, he made the switch to vegetarianism, too. But even then, cheese was everything.  “I love cheese,” says Katherine. “I was dairy all the way.”

Fast forward to today, the couple is better known as the founders of UmYum. The plant-based brand based in Canada, where the Cordens now live, is known in the Pacific Northwest for its creative, high-end, revolutionary artisanal dairy-free cheeses and butters (and winner of a VegNews Best of Show Award at Expo West in 2024). Monroe, for example, is a camembert-style cheese described as “charming, subtle, earthy, sweet, and creamy.”

Soon, UmYum will hit shelves in California—its first US market. So, how did two cheese-lovers become dairy-free entrepreneurs? It all started with their daughter.

The journey to dairy-free cheese

When Katherine was nursing the couple’s young daughter, the new mom quickly discovered that eating dairy wasn’t an option. “[My daughter] would react really badly,” she recalls. “And I would react badly.” Katherine began trying dairy-free cheese, but at the time, all she could find were plant-based cream cheese spreads. These were fine, but they weren’t cutting it—literally.

“I wanted my knife to feel tension,” she says. “I wanted to cut into a piece of cheese and cut a slice. Not a spread. That’s what started this whole thing.”

That “whole thing” became UmYum. The company specializes in artisanal, dairy-free cheeses and is perhaps best known for its adventurous flavor combinations. The Coffee & Pepper cheese, for example, was inspired by Katherine’s fond memories of eating cheese and black pepper on toast with instant coffee. Mango Chutney & Saffron is a nod to the fragrant ingredients of Indian and Persian cuisines. UmYum also makes four varieties of artisanal butter in flavours like herb, slow-roasted garlic, and truffle. 

UmYum has more products in the pipeline, too. Baz hints they might even be in a different category altogether. “We don’t have to stay in our lane,” he says. 

UmYum’s products appeal to everyone, from vegans to meat lovers. | VegNews

A creative pivot from pandemic disruption

Now synonymous with high-quality, minimally processed plant-based products, UmYum has come a long way. But the journey wasn’t easy.

The Cordens lost their full-time jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic and were forced to pivot. At the time, they had been experimenting with a food dehydrator to fulfil Katherine’s postnatal cheese cravings. After a few “horrendous” attempts, they eventually created something truly delicious. 

“We were just like, well, if we like it, other people might,” says Katherine.

Turns out, they were right. While the brand has certainly found love among vegans, its biggest fan base isn’t necessarily plant-based—it’s people who’ve gone dairy-free for reasons like allergies or intolerances.

“My brother-in-law is the biggest meat-and-potatoes eater ever,” Katherine says. “And one of his favourite things to do is take out our butter and put it on a steak on the barbecue.”

Redefining dairy and reconnecting people

UmYum is about to start distributing its popular cheeses to 16 stores in Southern California, including Bristol Farms, Besties, Follow Your Heart, and Organic Roots. It’s a milestone that is testament to just how good these products really are, and the significance is not lost on the Cordens. 

“As South Africans who are immigrants to Canada, starting a company and shipping products to the US, it’s like dream stuff, right?” says Katherine. “We’ve created something from a kitchen in a country we weren’t born in, now exporting to one of the biggest markets in the world.”

UmYum’s popular creamy butter is made with cashews. | VegNews

And the secret to their success? It’s keeping things as simple as possible. “We have not reinvented the wheel here,” says Katherine. Baz adds: “We take the highest calibre ingredients and combine them in the simplest way possible with minimal interruption. And it just so happens that we make delicious products that happen to be plant-based.” 

Some of the ingredients in their cheeses include organic cashew nuts, organic coconut oil, and lactic acid. UmYum’s cheeses are a world away from many of the ultra-processed dairy-free cheeses that currently line grocery store shelves.

“Baz always says that when people try to solve a problem, they keep adding and adding and adding,” explains Katherine. “But sometimes, it’s about removing. Whenever we’re creating something, we try and remove as much as possible to get it into a simpler state. I think having that approach means we’re removing the complexity, and it’s just coming out in the flavour.”

Staying focused on their mission also drives the Cordens forward; it’s not just about making delicious products, but making delicious products that bring people together over a great experience. In a time of division, especially in the food and wellness worlds where many have polarizing views, the Cordens believe this is more necessary than ever before. 

“We really do believe that food has the power to change the world,” says Baz. “It really does. It’s a significant part of people’s lives. It isn’t just about introducing a product. It really is about creating experiences for people.” Katherine agrees. “There’s something about getting back to the roots of enjoying food together,” she says. “Trying to bridge the gap between the ‘them and us’ mentality a little bit.”

Soon, they’re bringing that attitude to California, where the Cordens have no doubt their products will seamlessly fit into the lifestyle. “California is great,” says Baz. “Sunshine outside, a glass of wine with friends, and a cheeseboard.” If that sounds like your dream afternoon, keep an eye out for UmYum hitting Southern California shelves. 

Soon, the brand, which is already available in stores across Canada’s Pacific Northwest region, will expand to Northern California, too. And then to the rest of the US, of course. Keep up to date with UmYum’s journey here.

Thank you to UmYum for partnering with VegNews on this story. 

https://vegnews.com/melty-gooey-and-the-cleanest-ingredients-meet-umyums-vegan-cheese

I tried 12 vegan and lactose-free cheeses in the quest to make the best grilled cheese sandwich—this is the best one

From vegoutmag.com

By Adam Kelton

A methodical investigation into whether plant-based cheese can deliver the platonic ideal of crispy-bread-melty-centre 

My partner developed lactose intolerance at 34, which is apparently when your body decides to start making executive decisions about your diet without consulting you. One Tuesday in October, after watching her stare longingly at my grilled cheese for the third lunch in a row, I said the words that would consume the next six weeks of my life: "How hard could it be to find a good vegan cheese?"

Reader, I was naive.

What followed was a systematic testing of every plant-based and lactose-free cheese available within a 20-mile radius of my apartment, plus three mail-ordered because Reddit convinced me they were "game-changers." I ate 47 grilled cheese sandwiches. I took notes like I was defending a dissertation. My local Whole Foods cashier started greeting me as "cheese person."

Here's what nobody tells you about vegan cheese: it's not trying to be cheese. It's trying to be the memory of cheese, the idea of cheese, the Instagram filter version of cheese. Most of it fails because it's solving for the wrong problem. It's optimizing for looking melted in photos instead of actually melting. It's prioritizing "stretchy" over "tastes good." It's performing cheese rather than being cheese.

But one of them works. Actually works. And understanding why required diving into food science papers about protein matrices and lipid structures, which is how I justify spending $247 on fake cheese.

The methodology (or: how to lose friends by making them eat 12 grilled cheeses)

I tested each cheese using the same protocol because I have anxiety and creating systems makes me feel like I have control over an inherently chaotic universe:

• Same bread (Pullman white, because we're testing cheese, not artisanal sourdough)
• Same fat (Earth Balance butter, for consistency)
• Same heat (medium-low, covered for 2 minutes, uncovered for 1)
• Same evaluation criteria: meltability, stretch, taste, and what I called "mouth satisfaction"—that ineffable quality that makes you want another bite

I made my partner and two friends rate each sandwich blind. By sandwich seven, one friend asked if this was "some kind of psychological experiment." It wasn't, but it became one.

The complete disaster tier

Daiya Cheddar Style Slices: Tastes like orange plastic developed sentience and chose violence. Doesn't melt so much as surrender to heat by becoming slightly softer plastic. The aftertaste haunts you like a cursed TikTok audio.

Follow Your Heart American: Achieves the texture of melted cheese by literally turning into oil. I watched it separate into components like a science experiment about emulsion failure. My notes say "existentially disturbing."

Sweet Earth Benevolent Bacon Cheddar: The bacon bits are doing so much heavy lifting here, and they're still failing. It's like watching one player try to carry an entire losing team. Honourable mention for effort, disqualified for execution.

Private label grocery store brand (not naming names, but it rhymes with "Shmader Shmoes"): Twenty-seven ingredients and none of them are working together. This is what happens when food scientists optimize for price point over edibility.

The uncanny valley tier

Miyoko's Creamery Farmhouse Cheddar: So close to real cheese that your brain gets confused. It melts correctly. It tastes... fine. But there's something unsettling about it, like CGI that's 98% realistic. The last 2% is where madness lives.

Violife Mature Cheddar: Europeans are better at vegan cheese because they're not trying to recreate American cheese. This melts beautifully but tastes like what British people think American cheese should taste like—which is to say, unnecessarily complex.

Chao Creamy Original: Made from fermented tofu, which sounds like something wellness Instagram would try to sell you for $47. Actually melts like a dream but tastes like someone described cheese to an alien who took very detailed notes but missed the emotional subtext.

The acceptable tier

Parmela Creamery Sharp Cheddar: Uses cultured cashew milk, which is just expensive nut water but somehow works. Melts properly, tastes like cheese's distant cousin who went to art school. Would eat again if someone else was buying.

Field Roast Creamy Original: Coconut oil-based, which you can taste if you're looking for it, but in a grilled cheese drowning in butter, it disappears. The texture is spot-on. This is the people-pleaser of vegan cheeses.

Good Planet Smoked Gouda: Smoke flavor is doing a lot of work here, but that's not cheating—that's strategy. Melts like actual gouda. Made me briefly consider becoming the person who makes fancy grilled cheeses.

The shocking winner

Boursin Dairy-Free Garlic & Herbs

Plot twist: it's not even marketed as a grilling cheese.

Here's what happened. I was testing the spreadable cheeses as a wildcard category because my methodology had become increasingly unhinged. I spread a thick layer of dairy-free Boursin between two pieces of bread and grilled it like a regular sandwich, expecting disaster.

Instead, I achieved grilled cheese nirvana.

The Boursin doesn't melt—it transforms. The inside becomes this creamy, garlicky, herb-flecked situation that's essentially a sauce. The oils in it help the bread crisp perfectly. It's not trying to be a grilled cheese in the traditional sense. It's creating a new category: grilled cheese that happens to be vegan rather than vegan cheese that's trying to be grilled.

The garlic and herbs aren't covering up an inferior base—they're the point. This is the difference between a cover song and a completely new arrangement. It's not pretending to be something it's not. It's confidently being what it is.

The science bit where I justify reading 47 papers about protein matrices

Traditional cheese melts because casein proteins create a matrix that softens with heat while maintaining structure. Vegan cheeses use various proteins (soy, nuts, coconut) plus stabilizers, emulsifiers, and what the industry calls "functional ingredients" (aka chemicals that make things act like other things).

Most fail because they're trying to replicate mozzarella's stretch or cheddar's sharp bite while also melting at precisely 140°F. It's like asking someone to juggle while solving calculus—technically possible but probably not worth it.

Boursin works because it's not trying to replicate aged cheese structure. It's essentially a flavored fat emulsion, closer to cream cheese than cheddar. In grilled cheese application, you don't need stretch. You need fat, flavor, and creaminess. Boursin delivers all three without apology.

The coconut oil base (yes, I emailed them to ask) has a melting point of 76°F, which means it's basically pre-melted at room temperature. Add heat and it becomes liquid gold. The garlic and herbs aren't suspended in a protein matrix—they're in an oil emulsion, so they distribute evenly as it warms.

This is accidentally genius food science. Or maybe it's on purpose and Boursin's R&D team deserves a Nobel Prize.

The part where I admit something problematic

I don't need vegan cheese. I'm not vegan, lactose intolerant, or even particularly healthy. I started this project for my partner but continued it because I became obsessed with the puzzle: could plant-based cheese deliver the specific dopamine hit of perfect grilled cheese?

The internet has opinions about people like me—tourists in the dietary restriction space, treating veganism like a hobby instead of an ethical position. There's a valid criticism there. I spent more on vegan cheese last month than some people spend on groceries, turning necessity into entertainment.

But here's what that tourism revealed: most vegan cheese is bad because companies assume vegans have forgotten what cheese tastes like. They're creating products for people they imagine are desperate, who'll accept any approximation. It's insulting.

The best vegan products aren't apologizing for what they're not. Boursin Dairy-Free isn't pretending to be regular Boursin—it's its own thing that happens to be vegan. It assumes its audience has standards, has options, has taste memories that deserve respect.

The three-week epilogue

My partner has made Boursin grilled cheese four times a week since I discovered it. She adds tomato sometimes, caramelized onions when she's feeling fancy. She stopped mentioning her lactose intolerance as a loss and started talking about "her cheese."

Last week, I made regular grilled cheese with actual cheddar. It was fine. Good, even. But it felt boring, one-note, like a song that only has a melody. The Boursin version has become our default, not because we have to eat it, but because we want to.

This is the future of alternative foods: not sad substitutes but parallel innovations. Not "I Can't Believe It's Not Cheese" but "This Is Something Else Entirely and That's Why It's Good."

The dairy-free Boursin costs $7.99 for 5.3 ounces, which is objectively insane. That's $24 per pound for spreadable cheese. I've decided not to calculate the per-sandwich cost because some knowledge is too dangerous.

But every Tuesday, my partner makes lunch and doesn't stare longingly at anything. She makes two sandwiches, one for each of us, and we eat them standing at the kitchen counter like we're at a restaurant we invented.

That's worth $24 per pound. That's worth 47 test sandwiches. That's worth becoming "cheese person" at Whole Foods.

Sometimes the best solution isn't trying harder to replicate the original. Sometimes it's accepting that the original is gone and making something new that's worth wanting instead.

https://vegoutmag.com/food-and-drink/s-i-tried-12-vegan-and-lactose-free-cheeses-in-the-quest-to-make-the-best-grilled-cheese-sandwich-this-is-the-best-one/

Vegan Camembert, Steak Bites, and Lasagne Delivery? Yes, Please—This Week’s Top Food News Roundup

From vegnews.com

From Impossible Hot Dogs to Starbucks’ new fall drinks, here’s this week’s top vegan food news

August has been big. Taylor Swift went on a podcast. Taylor Swift announced a new album. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce got engaged. There’s been a lot of Taylor Swift news, it’s true. And while we’re here for the pop icon releasing new hits and finding true happiness, we also want to take a moment for some other news: vegan food news.

The last week of the month has brought some exciting developments in the plant-based world. Think vegan beef hot dogs, steak bites, and mini pizzas hitting shelves nationwide. Plus, Starbucks’ fall menu has plenty of dairy-free choices, and New Yorkers are about to be treated to a new vegan lasagne delivery service. Find out more below.

Blackbird Foods

Blackbird Foods’ mini vegan pizzas now in stores nationwide

Plant-based pizza brand Blackbird Foods has launched its new five-inch Pizza Minis in stores across the US. The vegan pizzas (which we recently declared one of the best new products for 2025!) will be available at Whole Foods Markets in two varieties: cheese and pepperoni. “We first debuted Minis at Expo West in March to an incredible response,” said co-founder Emanuel Storch in a statement. “With fall approaching, we know families are looking for quick and easy meal solutions, and we believe Pizza Minis are the perfect fit.”

Impossible Beef Hot Dogs and Steak Bites are available just in time for Labour Day

Two of Impossible Foods’ newest products, Impossible Beef Hot Dogs and Impossible Steak Bites, have rolled out at Sprouts Farmers Markets across the country ahead of Labor Day. The hot dogs debuted last year, but have been difficult to find in stores since, while the steak bites were announced at the Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, CA in March. 

“They’re packed with protein, no cholesterol, and less saturated fat versus the animal [counterpart],” said Peter McGuinness, President and CEO of Impossible Foods, speaking about the Impossible Steak Bites earlier this year. “You’re not going to find a better plant-based steak option than that.”

Vegan camembert and truffle butter land in US stores 

Canadian brand UmYum has launched its dairy-free, cashew-based soft cheeses in US stores, now available at Bristol Farms, Town & Country Foods, and Chuck’s Fresh Markets. The line-up features the Camembert-style Monroe aged cheese, along with distinctive flavours such as Coffee & Pepper and Mango Chutney & Saffron. UmYum has also introduced its gourmet butters in flavours like truffle, classic, and slow-roasted garlic.

Starbucks

Starbucks’ new fall line-up is here

It may still be August, but Starbucks’ new fall menu has dropped. There still isn’t a vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte available, sadly, but don’t worry, there are plenty of other autumnal drinks to choose from. You can find out all about the menu here, but we’ll give you a few spoilers: it features the new Pecan Crunch Oatmilk Latte, the Pecan Oatmilk Cortado, and plenty of fall-friendly year-round favourites.

New ready-to-eat vegan eggplant parmesan launches

Vegan Italian food brand Sunday Supper has unveiled a new range of single-serve entrées, fittingly called The Singles. The line-up includes a gluten-free Eggplant Parm made with creamy béchamel, marinara, and breaded eggplant. Other additions to the range are single-serve versions of the brand’s popular Italian Sausage Lasagne and Three Cheeses Lasagne, along with a new Fusi alla Vodka.

“The launch of The Singles marks a new chapter for the brand,” said Sunday Supper founder and Chief Product Officer Richard Klein in a statement. “By introducing new serving sizes, we’re creating even more ways to bring everyone to the table to enjoy restaurant-quality Italian classics. We’re especially excited to introduce our first gluten-free entrée with our new Eggplant Parm.”

Cucina Fantasma

New York is getting a new vegan lasagne delivery

Cucina Fantasma, the New York-based, chef-led vegan food brand specializing in fresh, ready-to-reheat lasagnes, is gearing up for a soft launch on DoorDash. The move, announced via the brand’s social media, is part of five distribution strategies it will be trialling in the months ahead.

“Cucina Fantasma exists for people stuck in take-out and computer screen loops who want something home-cooked,” chef and founder Lindsey Masterman writes on the brand’s website. “It’s for dinners with friends in tiny New York apartments, or special third dates. And, on our best days, it’s about moving towards a future that’s delicious, sustainable, kind, and a little more luxurious.”

Salt & Straw launches new vegan flavour for fall

Salt & Straw has revealed yet another new vegan flavour. Just a few weeks ago, we reported that the popular ice cream chain had added vegan choices like Peach Jam Miso Blondies, Hazelnut Cookies & Cream, and Pickled Cucumber Sorbet to its line-up. Now, it’s gearing up for fall with the launch of Hoppy Apple Cider Sorbet, which is made with dry-hopped apple cider. The new flavour is part of the chain’s limited-edition seasonal Apple Series.

New soft serve is made with real milk, but it’s totally dairy-free

Strive Freemilk, a food technology brand that creates dairy products using animal-free whey, has developed a new soft serve. The company shared the news on Instagram with a video of a child enjoying a swirl straight from the machine, writing: “We let the littlest ones test out our new vegan-friendly, lactose-free, protein soft serve!” 

Strive already offers a range of animal-free milk products, all made with whey created through precision fermentation. In simple terms, this process uses natural microflora and a “blueprint” from a cow’s DNA to ferment a true dairy protein. The end product is identical to cow’s milk protein and contains all nine essential amino acids.

https://vegnews.com/vegan-camembert-steak-bites-lasagna-delivery-food-news

How to build a vegan cheese board that makes everyone forget what they're missing

From vegoutmag.com/recipes

By Avery White

The secret to a great vegan cheese board isn't trying to replicate a traditional one 

There's a specific face people make when they realize the creamy wedge they just spread on a cracker isn't dairy. It's not disappointment—it's something closer to curiosity mixed with mild betrayal. "Wait, this is cashew?" they ask, already reaching for another piece, their brain recalibrating what they thought they knew about cheese.

The secret to a great vegan cheese board isn't trying to replicate a traditional one. It's understanding that abundance and variety do most of the heavy lifting—that the ritual of selecting, combining, and grazing matters more than any single component. When you fill a board with enough colours, textures, and flavours, people stop comparing and start enjoying.

The foundation: choosing your plant-based cheeses

Start with three to five varieties that hit different notes. The key is contrast—creamy against firm, mild against bold, familiar against unexpected.

Essential categories:

• Soft and spreadable: Cashew brie, almond ricotta, or cultured cream cheese provide that essential creamy element
• Firm and sliceable: Aged nut cheeses or pressed blocks offer structure and visual variety
• Bold and memorable: Truffle-infused, smoked, or sharp varieties become conversation starters
• The wildcard: Fermented macadamia, hemp seed cheese, or homemade cultured cashew add intrigue

Shopping reality: Quality plant-based cheese runs $8-15 per piece. Build your board around two or three good cheeses, then amplify with abundant accompaniments. Miyoko's and Kite Hill are widely available; Violife works for firm cheeses. Local vegan cheese makers, if you have them, make stunning centrepieces. For those without specialty stores, even mainstream grocers now carry decent options.

Nut allergy alternatives: Seek out coconut-based, tofu-based, or root vegetable cheeses. Brands like Daiya and some Violife products are nut-free.

Building your board: three approaches

The weeknight board

Serves 2-4 | Prep time: 15 minutes | Budget: $25-30

When someone drops by unexpectedly, this comes together with pantry staples and one good cheese:

• 1 spreadable cheese (whatever's best at your store)
• 1 firm block, cubed
• Water crackers and seeded crackers
• Apple or pear slices (brushed with lemon to prevent browning)
• Mixed roasted nuts
• Your best jam or preserve
• Fresh grapes or dried apricots

Arrange everything on your largest cutting board. The key is confidence—present it like you planned it.

The dinner party board

Serves 8-10 | Prep time: 30 minutes | Budget: $60-80

This is where you invest in variety and let abundance do the work:

Cheeses (choose 3-4):

• Aged cashew brie with herbs
• Smoked almond cheddar, sliced
• Truffle macadamia spread
• Fermented sharp cheese, cubed
• Coconut milk feta, crumbled

Carriers:

• Three cracker varieties (plain, seeded, and something interesting)
• Sliced baguette, lightly toasted
• Endive leaves for scooping

Sweet elements:

• Fresh grapes in small clusters
• Dried figs or apricots
• Quince paste or fig jam (small bowl)
• Fresh berries (seasonal)

Savoury additions:

• Marcona almonds or spiced pecans
• Mixed olives (Castelvetrano and Kalamata)
• Cornichons
• Sun-dried tomatoes
• Marinated artichoke hearts

Fresh touches:

• Cherry tomatoes on the vine
• Fresh rosemary sprigs (decorative and aromatic)

The holiday showstopper

Serves 12-15 | Prep time: 1 hour | Budget: $100+

Everything from the dinner party board, enhanced with:

Special additions:

• Homemade cultured cashew cheese (recipe follows)
• Mushroom "prosciutto" (marinated and dehydrated king oyster mushrooms—find at specialty stores or make ahead)
• Candied walnuts with rosemary
• Pomegranate seeds (when in season) or jewel-like red currants
• Dark chocolate (70% cacao or higher), broken into shards
• Fresh figs, quartered (summer/fall) or persimmons (winter)
• Multiple mustards and chutneys in small bowls
• Vegan honey alternative or agave-sweetened spreads

The game-changer: 48-hour cultured cashew cheese

Active time: 20 minutes | Culturing time: 24-48 hours | Makes about 2 cups

When people taste properly cultured cashew cheese, something shifts. It has that tangy complexity that stops them from asking what it's made from.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups raw cashews, soaked in water 8 hours or overnight
• 1/2 cup filtered water (may need slightly more)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• Contents of 2 probiotic capsules (at least 10 billion CFUs)
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• Optional additions: 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, fresh herbs, truffle oil

Instructions:

1. Drain cashews, discard soaking water
2. Blend cashews with filtered water in high-speed blender for 5-7 minutes until completely smooth and creamy (add water 1 tablespoon at a time if needed)
3. Add lemon juice, vinegar, and probiotic contents, pulse to combine
4. Transfer to clean glass bowl, cover with cheesecloth or clean kitchen towel
5. Leave at room temperature (68-75°F) for 24-48 hours—it should smell tangy and slightly sour when ready
6. Stir in salt and any optional additions
7. Transfer to container and refrigerate to firm up, or press into cheese mould lined with cheesecloth

Storage: Keeps refrigerated for up to 10 days. The flavour continues developing.

Troubleshooting: If cheese doesn't culture, your probiotics may be inactive or temperature too cool. If it over-cultures (very sour), reduce time next batch.

Nut-free version: Substitute sunflower seeds or hemp hearts, though texture differs slightly.

Assembly: the visual architecture

Creating an abundant-looking board follows a few principles that matter and many rules that don't.

What actually matters:

Odd numbers create visual harmony. Groups of three, five, or seven items look more natural than even numbers.

Colour distribution prevents dead zones. Scatter bright elements (berries, tomatoes) across the board rather than clustering them.

Height adds drama. Use small bowls for wet items (olives, spreads), stack some crackers vertically, let grapes cascade over edges.

Negative space lets elements breathe. Resist filling every inch—sparse areas make abundant areas pop.

The S-curve draws the eye. Arrange your main elements in a subtle S-shape across the board.

What doesn't matter:

You don't need special equipment—a large cutting board or even a clean baking sheet works. Not everything needs to be homemade. Perfect symmetry actually looks less appealing than organic arrangement. People can (and should) cut their own cheese portions.

The small details that elevate everything

Truffle oil: A 1/4 teaspoon drizzled on plain cashew cheese transforms it into something memorable.

Edible flowers: Violets, pansies, or nasturtiums in spring and summer add colour that makes the board photograph-worthy. In winter, try microgreens or herb blossoms.

Crystallized ginger: Unexpected alongside aged cheeses, it bridges sweet and savoury.

Pomegranate molasses: A small dish for drizzling adds sophisticated sweet-tart notes.

Activated charcoal crackers: Black crackers create dramatic visual contrast.

Good olive oil and flaky salt: Set these beside the board for those who like to embellish.

The timeline for success

Three days before: Shop for specialty cheeses and start culturing homemade cheese if making

One day before: Shop for fresh items, make candied nuts, prep any homemade elements

Morning of: Cube firm cheeses (store covered), wash and dry produce

One hour before: Remove cheeses from refrigerator to come to room temperature

30 minutes before: Arrange board, starting with cheeses, then bowls, then filling in gaps

Just before serving: Add final fresh herbs and delicate items

What happens at the table

Here's what I've noticed: around the third or fourth bite, people stop comparing. They stop looking for what's missing and start discovering what's there. The conversation shifts from "this is good for vegan cheese" to simply "this is good."

Someone always gravitates toward the cultured cashew cheese, spreading it thickly on crackers. Someone else discovers that dark chocolate with smoked almond cheese works brilliantly. The pomegranate seeds disappear first, then the candied nuts, then suddenly people are making their own combinations you hadn't thought of.

The best vegan cheese boards don't apologize or explain. They show up abundant and confident, offering so many flavours and textures that the absence of dairy becomes irrelevant. It's not about convincing anyone. It's about creating something delicious that happens to be made from plants, and letting that be enough.

Because it is.

https://tinyurl.com/4kft4srz

PETA Becomes a Shareholder of Domino’s Pizza, Will Urge Executives to Offer Vegan Cheese in the US

From vegconomist.com 

Animal rights organization PETA has purchased stock in the US’s largest pizza chain, Domino’s. The non-profit plans to use its shareholder status to attend Domino’s annual meetings, submit shareholder resolutions, and urge executives to offer vegan cheese.

The stock purchase is part of PETA’s “Vegan Cheese, Please” campaign, which aims to show Domino’s that there is significant customer demand for dairy-free cheese. Earlier this year, the organization served thousands of free slices of dairy-free pizza to Domino’s patrons across the US, reportedly with overwhelmingly positive results. PETA also placed billboards near the chain’s locations in Atlanta and Denver as part of the campaign.

                                                                                                                                        © Domino's

Domino’s already offers vegan cheese in Switzerland, Australia, Spain, Germany, and the UK. According to PETA, millions of Americans are lactose intolerant, including 95% of Asian-Americans and 80% of Native- and African-Americans. Cow’s milk is also a common cause of food allergies in children, and many customers avoid dairy products for animal welfare, environmental, or religious reasons.

© PETA

Successful campaigns

PETA has already conducted several successful campaigns this year, convincing Peet’s Coffee in the US and bakery chain GAIL’s in the UK to drop their surcharges on plant-based milk. Vehicle manufacturer Renault is also set t to eliminate animal leather from its range following talks with PETA France.

“Vegan cheese is tasty, melty, and spares cows from being used as milk machines until their bodies give out and they’re sent to slaughter,” said PETA President Tracy Reiman. “With this stock purchase, PETA is taking its plea for delicious vegan cheese straight to Domino’s boardroom.”

https://vegconomist.com/society/charity-campaigns/peta-shareholder-dominos-urge-executives-offer-vegan-cheese-us/

‘First Dates’ star proves Brits wrong about vegan cheese in ‘surprising’ blind taste test

From veganfoodandliving.com 

Many Brits claim they know the difference between vegan and dairy cheese, but this blind taste test proved otherwise

It turns out that for all their talk of adventurous eating, many Brits still aren’t quite ready to embrace certain foods with a fully open mind, especially when it comes to plant-based options.

A new survey commissioned by Boursin Plant-Based has revealed that six in ten adults admit to turning their nose up at foods they’ve never actually tasted, with vegan cheese high on the list of unfairly rejected ingredients.

As vegans, we’re used to hearing the same old assumptions, like ‘I could never give up cheese’, or ‘tofu tastes weird.’ However, this research reveals just how widespread and unfounded these prejudices may be.

It transpires that the average Brit has written off up to eight different foods, five of which they’ve never even tried. Alongside vegan staples like tofu, dairy-free cheese and plant-based milk alternatives, the list includes sushi, Brussels sprouts, kimchi, and kale.

To challenge these snap judgments, Boursin invited First Dates maître d’ Fred Sirieix to put sceptics to the test with a blind tasting. And the results speak for themselves, as most couldn’t tell the plant-based cheese from the original.

Do plant-based alternatives face unfair bias?

Despite years of plant-based products being normalised on supermarket shelves and restaurant menus, many people are still hesitant to give them a proper try. In the Boursin study, two-thirds of respondents believed they could confidently tell the difference between dairy cheese and plant-based versions. However, when put to the test, fewer than one in ten actually could.

The blind tasting, led by Fred Sirieix, revealed just how powerful food bias can be. ‘Many ingredients, especially plant-based alternatives to cheese, face huge negative preconceptions,’ Fred said, in a statement sent to Vegan Food & Living.

‘But even the most discerning foodies were fooled by Boursin Plant-Based when we let taste do the talking.’

Dairy-free cheese and milk, mushrooms and olives were named among the top 20 most rejected foods, despite being staples for many of us. Encouragingly, over half of the sceptics who eventually did try these foods said they changed their minds. There’s hope yet.

Brits admit to judging food before tasting it

If you’ve ever served up a lovingly made vegan recipe, only to have someone reject it on sight, you’re not alone. According to the study, 65 per cent of Brits admit to forming negative opinions about foods before trying them. And while just 17 per cent consider themselves to be fussy eaters, nearly a third said they would flat-out refuse unfamiliar dishes.

Still, it’s not all doom and gloom. The research also found that many people are open to being persuaded, especially if they can learn more about the health benefits of new ingredients or take part in blind tastings where flavour speaks for itself.

‘Food is meant to be an adventure,’ Fred said. ‘Often, the things you’re sure you won’t like end up surprising you the most.’

https://www.veganfoodandliving.com/news/fred-sirieix-boursin-vegan-cheese-blind-taste-test/