Cathedral City, which claims to be the UK’s most popular cheese brand, has expanded its plant-based range with a new alternative to soft cheese.
The spreadable cheese debuts in Spring Onion and Cracked Black Pepper flavour which is now available at up to 332 Tesco stores UK-wide.
“We think all cheese and cheese-flavoured products should taste great”
Cathedral City launched its first plant-based cheese — a cheddar alternative available in block, grated, and sliced formats — last September. The cheese proved hugely popular, with the block version winning a Great Taste Award.
After its initial success at Tesco, the range rolled out at Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons, Ocado, and Amazon Fresh earlier this year. The products are reportedly seeing strong repeat sales, giving Cathedral City the third-highest volume market share.
“Great quality and value”
Cathedral City is owned by Saputo Dairy, which also owns dairy-free brands Sheese and Vitalite. Originally a margarine brand, Vitalite introduced its first vegan cheeses in 2019, before launching them in the US last year.
The global vegan cheese market reached a value of $2.1 billion in 2021, and is expected to be worth $4.4 billion by 2027. In the UK, research indicates that plant-based cheese alternatives are now worth £58.6 million and are bought by 8.3% of households.
“At Saputo Dairy UK, we think all cheese and cheese-flavoured products should taste great,” said Neil Stewart, Head of Marketing for Cathedral City at Saputo Dairy UK. “Our cheese experts have created a new format and flavour profile which is enjoyable for those with dairy allergies or who want to reduce their dairy consumption. Cathedral City’s reputation for great quality and value for money has refreshed the plant-based market, allowing more shoppers to try plant-based alternatives to cheese.”
