UK vegan cheese brand Honestly Tasty has begun a crowdfunding campaign on Seedrs. Just a few days in, the company has already raised over 80% of its £450,000 target.
To make its cheeses, Honestly Tasty uses a novel technique that combines starch and hydrocolloid technology with traditional cheese-making techniques. Some of the company’s cheeses are aged for several weeks, giving them similar flavours, textures, and melting properties to dairy cheese.
Currently, Honestly Tasty offers five different cheeses — Veganzola, Shamembert, Bree, Ched Spread, and Herbi (a Boursin alternative). The cheeses have won multiple awards, including Best Cheese Alternative for Veganzola at the World Plant-Based Taste Awards.
Honestly Tasty already has over 11,000 DTC customers and supplies more than 75 businesses, as well as various Michelin-star chefs. The company says it is now working on cheddar, feta, and stilton alternatives, which will help to further boost sales.
The plant-based cheese market
A recent report estimated the size of the global plant-based cheese market at $9,160.17 million. A CAGR of 10.22% is predicted through to 2027, which would result in a market value of $14,938.57 million.
Another report found that growing awareness of the animal welfare and environmental issues surrounding dairy production is largely responsible for the increasing popularity of plant-based cheese. With growth expected to be particularly high in the B2B end-use segment, there is huge potential for companies such as Honestly Tasty to expand.
“[Our mission is] to create delicious plant-based cheese, giving people an alternative to dairy without compromise, for the benefit of our planet and all animals on it,” the company said on its website.
