UK cheese brand Applewood has secured a deal with supermarket chain Sainsbury’s to stock their award-winning vegan cheese slices. This will be the company’s first-ever retail listing with the chain and it will be for their new 200g slices.
Applewood was the first significant cheese brand in the UK to launch a plant-based cheese alternative and did so in late 2019. They have since released smoked vegan cheese and a slices version and will be launching vegan Mexicana cheese. The range is coconut-based and is not only animal-free (free from dairy or eggs), but they are also soy, gluten-free and even nut-free, with the cheeses being a great source of B12 and calcium.
Sainsbury’s has slowly been introducing vegan goods to their shelves with the likes of Leon and Bell’s launching their foods this year. At the same time, other companies already in Sainsbury’s are Violife, Cauldron and Eat Natural; they also hold vegan alternatives to classic foods such as Magnum and Elmlea.
Applewood will be a particularly welcome addition to the alt-cheese offerings already available, as it has a distinctively different taste. Far from trying to capture an authentic cheddar vibe, it focuses on being a smokey and unusual flavour. Early testers have said it is hard to distinguish from the non-vegan version.
Other shops to hold Applewood’s vegan cheeses are Asda, Boots, Waitrose & Partners and Booths. Their vegan slices will be stocked in 304 Sainsbury’s stores in the UK and will retail for £2.50 for ten slices.
