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Vegans in the UK are not exactly left wanting for dairy cheese alternatives these days.
From supermarkets like Asda and Sainsbury’s to specialist companies like Bute Island and Daiya, it seems that vegan cheese is everywhere. You can even get a Domino’s pizzas topped with vegan cheese.
But still many vegans complain that they just can’t find one that truly satisfies.
A Polish treat
Poland’s Serotonina could well change that. After building up its business in Europe for the last two years, shipping its artisan cheeze out to customers and supplying shops in Poland, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Norway, the company made its UK debut at VegFest in London at the end of October.
“Our participation in the VegFest event was really successful and the feedback we got from customers at our stand was extremely positive,” the firm told Plant Based News.
“It was our first time in the UK, and most visitors didn’t even know about our brand (although we’ve been active for over two years now).
“So the whole trip to London was also kind of an investment – there’s a huge market for vegan products in the UK, and we hope our artisan vegan cheeze will soon become available there too.”
The taste test
Vegan Spanish guitarist Mark Barnwell played a couple of slots at VegFest, but managed to find time to stop by Serotonina’s stand to try a few samples between shows.
“The buzz that seemed to be constantly hovering around the Serotonina stall intrigued me, so a few samples were required,” Barnwell told PBN.
“As is often quoted as being the case for many that make the journey from vegetarian to vegan, ‘cheese is the hardest thing to give up.’
“After much deliberation, because there were just so many to choose from, and all great in different ways, we finally went for something a bit different – Fangoria: ‘an aged vampiria in a shiny black garlic dress that seduces with umami.’ And seduce it most certainly did.”
“These cheezes are works of art both in terms of flavor and aesthetics, deserving to sit proudly on your cheeseboard to be savored with vegan wine, fruit, biscuits or even just on their own,” added Barnwell’s wife Ailia.
Cheezy vegan choice
Serotonina has a pretty wide selection of vegan cheezes available from its storeroom, including some that are mold ripened like the soy-based Escobar, others which are aged like that cashew seducer named Fangoria and the black sesame seed-coated Karbon, and a vegan cheddar-style coconut oil temptation dubbed Odertor.
In addition to breaking into the UK market, the company plans to find new distribution channels and enter large retail chains. And Serotonina has just announced that it is one of 11 companies invited to join ProVeg – a 16-week program aimed at helping vegan startups to grow their businesses.
You can also expect to see a real blue cheeze in the near future, too.
Vegan cheeze that is ‘so delicious that it will make you euphoric’ doesn’t come cheap though. Prices start at €6.99 per 150 g (5.2 oz), and go all the way up to €10.99. The Odertor cheddar style does come in a little less expensive, at €5.99 for 160 g (5.6 oz).
Oh, and no. None of the cheezes contain serotonin.
