Vegan cheese gets a bit of a bad rap, often with good reason. But it doesn't have to be that way. There are now delicious artisanal cheeses out there, made by people with an obsession to re-create the delicious cheezy flavours that they missed when removing dairy from their lives. And as it's Christmas, I thought I'd share my favourite cheeses and where to find them, so you too can make the Best Vegan Cheese Board!
Like any cheese board, it's a good idea to focus on a few great cheeses, rather then lots of small amounts. I like to add a strong flavour, a creamy one, and a sharp or herbed one, then add chutney, maybe some vegan pate & some great crackers. Some grapes or other fruits, some olives and some other savoury bits such as semi dried tomatoes or those mild stuffed chillies you can get are all great for adding interest and colour.
So, where can you find these amazing vegan cheezes in the UK?
Forget the supermarket. Yes, you can get some mass produced products that taste kinda cheesy, but let's face it, you wouldn't create a cheese board with Kraft Slices or mini Babybells, so let's go a bit posher & try some great cheezes made with love instead!
If you're lucky enough to live in London, you can get a fabulous selection at La Fauxmagerie. They stock loads of our favourite brands & also sell online!
Otherwise Wholefoods, Planet Organic, The Greenbay online supermarket all have an amazing selection. Or we've linked to the brands themselves so you can buy directly from them! (N.B. None of the Cheeze brands have sponsered or gifted to us for this post, we just absolutely LOVE them & want to spread the vegan cheezy love around)
Our Top Favourite Vegan Cheese brands are ...
We adore everything I Am Nut Ok make! Their Foigeddaboutit truffle mushroom pate is utterly delicious, and Louise is completely obsessed with MinerThreat, which has a tangy depth that is similar to cheddar cheese and has a lush coating of ash that creates a delicious extra smoky savouriness to the flavour profile. (Shown on the cracker below)
Ellie from Kinda Co is one of our favourite people! Her cheeses are made with love & we adore their lush veganised Feta ' Greek Style' (pictured below) as well as the Farmhouse which has plenty of depth and tang. Yum!
A Swiss brand making delicious vegan cheeses. Let's face it, the Swiss know a thing or three about great cheese and New Roots make truly scrummy cheezes. Our favourite is the creamy horseradish flavoured spreadable cheese, it's so so good.
Everyone knows that mice love cheese! And we love Mouse's Favourite. Their creamy and authentic tasting Camembert style is made with Camembert cultures & well worth trying if you can get your hands on it!
Nutcrafter Creamery are more established cheesemakers who make some of the first actually delicious vegan cheezes we have tried! Their Aged Chive 'Chevre' is a lovely alternative to a herbed goats cheese and a perfect addition to a vegan cheese platter.
Artisan Vegan
Makers of arguably the most delicious vegan mozzarella. We have it here on the cheeseboard, but it truly shines when grilled or used to top a pizza!
The newest vegan cheesemakers on the block! Palace Culture make truly delicious spreadable vegan cheese, and now also make a gorgeous Brie style cheese that has a hint of Roquefort. We haven't featured it on this board because we only discovered their lush cheese after we made it, however if you are near Borough Market & see them there, be sure to snap it up!.
Easy Bean Crackers:
We hunted all over to find the best crackers to pair with our vegan cheeses, and with out a doubt, our all time faves are Easy Bean. Gluten Free & made without palm oil (harder than you might expect to find as a combination), the flavours are delicious & perfect for smearing with vegan cheeze or pate!
Patifu Pates
We adore this vegan pates! With surprisingly authentic flavours that remind us of flavours such as smoked salmon (The Deli flavour) and classic Brussels pate (The Gourmet flavour)
Olive Branch Tapenade
Tapenade might not be completely traditional on a cheeseboard. But we think it deserves a place on all of them! This chunky tapenade is full of olives but with a chilli kick that is perfect to offset the creamier cheezes.
Gingerbeard and Lucy's Dressings Chutneys.
We love both of these lovely brands so much we couldn't choose between them, so included Lucy's Dressing Spiced Plum Chutney in our Pate Box & Gingerbeard's Christmas Special Edition Cranberry Apple & Walnut Chutney in our Deluxe Christmas Box.
If you put all these elements together, I guarantee you will also have the Best Vegan Cheese Board to wow your friends & family this Christmas.
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