Cruelty Free Beauty
- 4 signs you have low iron levels
- Zero Waste Beauty: Adopt a green routine with these sustainable products
- This eco-friendly beauty box is packed with refillable multi-taskers
- “I find myself using it even when I don’t need to!”
- Arctic-inspired natural skincare brand launches in the UK
- Green People launches beauty balm packaged in 100% biodegradable pot
- Lush launches same-day delivery service for its iconic handmade cosmetics
- “This cruelty-free tanning water gave me the confidence boost I needed”
- rho launches sustainable loungewear that gives back
- Rose & Caramel Raises Awareness For Women’s Self-Esteem & Mental Health With ‘I TAN FOR ME’ Campaign
- Couple launches entirely plant-based and refillable deodorant on Kickstarter
- View all
Eco Living
- Simple Hacks to Cut Your Food Waste with Gino D’Acampo
- Five Easy Ways to Reduce Food Waste
- Eat these foods to boost your mood
- Upgrade Your Cheese Toastie
- Have a healthy Christmas with these festive food swaps
- Omega-3 Health Benefits
- 5 minutes with Max La Manna
- A nutritionist’s guide to eating for healthy joints
- Easy ways to achieve your health goals
- Discover the benefits of raisins on a vegetarian diet
- Improve your gut health with California Raisins
- View all
Vegan Recipes
- Quorn Vegan Hot & Spicy Burger with Pink Slaw
- Tomato and Pumpkin Soup
- Pea and elderflower cocktail
- Matcha Coconut Ice Cream
- Vegan Lemon Bars
- Mango Salad with Thai Dressing
- Garden Gimlet
- Tofu & Green Beans Teriyaki
- Cornflakes Bombay
- Rainbow Pickle
- Soba noodles with kale and collards
- View all
Popular recipes
- Spinach and ricotta quiche vegetarian recipe
- Cheats mushroom and spinach lasagne vegetarian recipe
- Lentil bolognese vegetarian recipe
- Creamy mushroom stroganoff vegetarian recipe
- Malaysian Rendang curry vegetarian recipe
- Feta, Butternut Squash, Caramelised Onion and Cashew Nut Wellingtons
News
- PETA releases vegan guides to top holiday destinations
- THE INTERNATIONAL VEGAN FILM FESTIVAL GOES VIRTUAL
- The Lush Halloween range is now available… and it’s all vegan
- Lush launches same-day delivery service for its iconic handmade cosmetics
- Pukka is using your tea purchases to plant trees
- The UK’s Largest Plant-Based Kitchen Launches Chicken Katsu Fakeaway
- Big Butterfly Count calls on public to help with conservation efforts
- Nudie Snacks Launches Wonky Veg Crisps
- Jimmy’s Oat Flat White: it’s vegan, it’s iced and it’s a total winner
- Linda McCartney’s brings back its popular Vegemince
- Plastic-free coffee capsules added to Milk & More delivery service
- View all
Tried & Tested Vegan Cheese
Keen to add some vegan cheese to your diet but not sure where to start? Deputy Editor, Sophie Rae, puts the market’s leading brands to the test...
![Tried & Tested Vegan Cheese Tried & Tested Vegan Cheese](/images/made/images/uploads/blog-uploads/Cheese-2_825_433_int.jpg)
1. Good Carma
Unlike many vegan cheeses on the market, Good Carma’s nut-based blends are pretty unique amongst the dairy-free market. With very few ingredients to get bogged down with – just blended almonds, yeast flakes and Himalayan pink salt form the base of each pot – the Flavour Fusions (available in Original, Garlic or Chilli) add a quick and easy depth of flavour and hit of that elusive vitamin B12. Back at the beginning of 2017, when I was knee-deep in Veganuary and suffering the occasional cheeseless meltdown, a sprinkling of this Flavour Fusion would have been a saving grace. This time round, I’ve been experimenting with the garlic blend as a veggie Parmesan substitute for homemade pesto (just add a heaped tablespoon to the blender along with the usual ingredient list) and folded tagliatelle through a simple sauce using extra virgin olive oil, chilli Flavour Fusion, fresh garlic, lemon zest and walnuts. The shaker-style condiments each have an approved 12-month shelf life too, proving their worth as a store-cupboard staple. From £4.95 in selected Waitrose stores or goodcarmafoods.com
2. Bute Island Sheese
The entire range of cheese alternatives from Bute Island are vegan-approved, free-from gluten and lactose, and made in a dedicated Free-From Factory on the Isle of Bute. It’s a promise the close-knit team has dedicated their lives to upholding. That, and the invention of an ever-expanding range of animal-free products, which has seen them dominate the vegan cheese market for nearly three decades. From the hefty selection of hard cheese, my favourite remains the Smoked Cheddar; naturally smoked for 24 hours with a blend of hickory and oak smoke, it makes an epic sarnie or loaded potato skins. If you’re a plant-based household, family packed lunches are a breeze with the new Sheese Slices and seem to melt in exactly the same way as their dairy-loaded alternative on stacked veggie burgers. Spreadable cheese available in Holland & Barrett stores. Packets of grated cheese available in Independent Health Retailers from £2.30; buteisland.com
3. VBites
Bought by Heather Mills back in 2009, VBites remain a champion of plant-based living the world over and distributes to 24 countries worldwide (there’s even a new vegan pop-up cafe just launched in Vienna this month – another reason, if ever I needed one, to book another city break!) For those in the UK, check out cafes in Brighton and Chester, or if you’re in the mood to get cooking, the range of meat alternatives will win over omnivores. The brand’s cheese offerings, aptly named Cheezly, offers dairy-free alternatives to white and red Cheddar, Pepperjack, Hard Italian-style, Edam and Mozzarella. There’s also a soya-free blend for those allergic or intolerant to soya, which pops up in so many vegan replacement dishes. Try the Blue-Style grated into soup for a hard-to-recognise substitute to a classic broccoli and Stilton soup or for a quick snack, slice the Mozzarella block into thin slices and grill on top of thick slices of sourdough, with sundried tomatoes and a layer of vegan pesto. Available to buy from Ocado, from £2.19; vbitesfoods.com
4. Sainsbury’s Deliciously Free-From
If you weren’t hibernating under a rock, you’ll remember the viral sensation that Sainsbury’s launch of a vegan cheese range had back last year. If in doubt, allow me to recap…
– Angry omnivore blasts all vegans who call vegan cheese as ‘cheese’ when clearly it’s made of coconuts.
– Angry omnivore says call it ‘Gary’, anything but cheese. *inserts expletives*
– Vegans laugh and question why angry omnivore is so angry. Maybe they ate too much dairy.
– Sainsbury’s renames its vegan range Gary, just for the lols.
– Vegans laugh more while enjoying some Gary on a cracker.
– Sales of Gary rocket by 300%.
Get the jist? Regardless of what you call it, the seven new blends continue to prove a big hit with the nation. Made up of Cheddar-style (grated and in a block), Greek-style, Garlic & Herb and Original (both soft spreadable), Cheddar style with Caramelised Onion and Wensleydale-Style with Cranberry. After a weekend of testing out the range, my vegan housemates had polished off much of the selection in an epic sampling cheese board, that could rival any Christmas spread, complete with chutneys, bread and dried fruit. Cooking with the cheese is even better though; the Garlic & Herb soft spread made the best vegan pasta dish I’ve had to date, with bonus points for the way it didn’t split when added to hot food, unlike its fresh alternative. If in doubt, try it on a cracker. Vegans love crackers.
Available from Sainsbury’s store nationwide, from £2.30; sainsburys.co.uk
More from Vegetarian blog
![Zero-waste beauty brand Ethique launches UK website Zero-waste beauty brand Ethique launches UK website](/images/made/images/uploads/banner-uploads/zero_waste_beauty_brand_ethique_launches_uk_website_825_825_int.jpeg)
The carbon neutral brand is helping beauty lovers reduce plastic waste
![Online sustainable marketplace launches with vegan, organic and vegetarian products Online sustainable marketplace launches with vegan, organic and vegetarian products](/images/made/images/uploads/banner-uploads/online_sustainable_marketplace_vegetarian_vegan_and_organic_products_uk_1_640_480_int.jpg)
The new site is a one-stop-shop for conscious consumers
![Easy Vegan Recipes: How to make vegan chocolate cake Easy Vegan Recipes: How to make vegan chocolate cake](/images/made/images/uploads/banner-uploads/easy_vegan_chocolate_cake_recipe_niki_webster_rebel_recipes_825_1160_int.jpg)
Niki Webster of Rebel Recipes shares her ultimate crowd pleaser
![What is vegan leather and is it truly sustainable? What is vegan leather and is it truly sustainable?](/images/made/images/uploads/banner-uploads/What_is_vegan_leather_and_is_it_truly_sustainable_825_550_int.jpg)
Everything you need to know about faux leather and choosing the most ethical alternative
![6 essential oils for the festive period 6 essential oils for the festive period](/images/made/images/uploads/banner-uploads/essential_oil_blends_for_christmas_825_550_int.jpg)
These seasonal scents will help lift your spirits this Christmas