The reaction to our new free from dairy-free cheese alternative has been overwhelming – the level of interest on our Facebook post about it was just incredible. I saw the post when I got home from work and loved reading so many comments from our customers.
One of the best things was seeing how many people had picked up on the specific things we’d really focused on – making it without soya, getting the texture and flavour right, and ensuring it melts well.
With such huge interest after the Facebook post, it sold out really quickly. We worked to restock the cheese as soon as possible. The factory where the cheese is produced has to be completely segregated from soya and other allergens. The line's got to be cleaned from top to bottom before our dairy and soya-free cheese can go into production, to ensure no cross-contamination.
Now we’ve seen just how popular the cheese is proving, we’re looking at ways to increase production further.
The cheese is coconut oil-based, which is how we've avoided the dairy element. We've worked hard on the recipe to get the texture right and ensure it melts well – I actually think it tastes even better when it’s melted.
It's great how happy the product is making people – Free From is an area we are continuing to develop and this is the first Free From cheese that we've launched but we're looking to add to the range throughout the course of the year.
I keep a close eye on all the posts and comments on social media from people who've tried the cheese – or talking more broadly about our Free From and vegan products – as it’s invaluable for inspiring future development.
You can see more of what people are saying about our vegan products, including the Cheddar alternative, here.
Cheddar alternative: Pick up a pack of our Cheddar alternative for £2 in these stores, or here online. It's proving really popular, so please call ahead to check availability if you're planning a special journey.
