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A dairy giant is taking its vegan cheese offering global after major success in the U.K.
Norseland, a leading U.K specialty cheese company, is the maker of award-winning Applewood Vegan.
The vegan option launched in Asda stores last October. It went on to sell out in 40 percent of stockists on the day of its release.
The brand was ‘staggered’ by the huge demand for the product, a collaboration between the cheese giant and VBites, the plant-based food company run by Heather Mills. It is now available in slices and a block, and has since rolled out to further retailers.
Canada
As a result of this success – which left the factory working overtime to meet demand – Norseland has secured its first international order.
Applewood Vegan will be launching in four major food retailers in Canada. These include major supermarket Loblaws which has 2,400 stores across the country. The others are Denningers Foods of the World with six Ontario stores, Pusateri’s Fine Foods with five Toronto shops, and Longos, a 36-store food retailer in Toronto.
The cheese will also be appearing on a European menu: vegan restaurant, Eden Jaxx, based in the Danish capital of Copenhagen, has put in its first order for the dairy-free option.
Vegan cheese
Lisa Harrison is the senior brand manager for Applewood Vegan. She said: “We are thrilled to get our first orders for [the cheese] outside the U.K just shortly after we celebrated the first year since the launch of the award-winning cheese.
“We are also in talks with other food retailers in Canada about stocking it. The word is spreading across the world that Applewood Vegan really is the tastiest of plant-based cheeses. It melts and tastes like traditional cheese and is a truly healthier option. We are confident that these will be the first of many international orders.”
The cheese has won a number of awards, including: the Gold Award at the FreeFrom Food Awards 2020. Other honors include Best Vegan Cheeze in the 2019 PETA Awards, and Best Vegan Cheeze in the 2019 Vegan Food UK Awards. It also scooped Best Vegan Cheeze For Melting in the Vegan Cheeze Co. 2019 Awards.
