Grounded Foods, makers of the first-to-market vegan cheeses created with hemp and upcycled cauliflower, today announces its first products are now available at over 160 retail locations across the US. The innovative products with a cult following have been available through e-commerce since the end of March, and today marks the first time these long-awaited products have been available in stores, through a distribution agreement with Whole Foods.
Last summer saw the company, founded by former economic advisor to the Australian government and food industry expert Veronica Fil along with husband, the renowned fine-dining chef Shaun Quade, close an oversubscribed seed round led by Stray Dog Capital. Since then, the founders have developed an extensive variety of cheese styles, including soft, hard, aged and rind cheeses as well as sauces, created in a manner completely unique to Grounded.
Many plant-based cheeses, especially those in the lower price brackets, are produced with made from nuts or coconut oil, which involve implications to both health and sustainability. However, Grounded is leveraging hemp and imperfect produce (the leaves, stems and ‘ugly’ cauliflower that can’t be sold in grocery stores), to create a more sustainable and environmentally resilient alternative. The result is a range of 100% plant-based cheeses that are top allergen-free and dense in nutritional value—including calcium, protein, antioxidants, Omega 3 + 6 fats, vitamins and minerals.
“More and more consumers are incorporating alternative proteins into their diets for health and environmental reasons,” said CEO Veronica Fil. “Our goal is to introduce better tasting, more sustainable and more nutritious products to the plant-based cheese category—and appeal to those consumers who are not necessarily vegan, but are interested in cutting back on dairy.”
The products available this month are Grounded’s first three offerings as follows.
- Grounded CHEESE FREE CHEESE American Style—a versatile sauce/spread that replicates the addictive flavor and comfort factor of American cheeses, but without the dairy and artificial additives (MSRP $5.99);
- Grounded Hemp Seed GOAT cheese—a semi-firm, tangy goat cheese made from hemp and marinated in olive oil, peppercorns, garlic, lemon and thyme (MSRP $6.99); and,
- Grounded Hemp Seed Cream Cheese, Onion & Chive—a calcium and protein-rich spread with remarkably similar flavor, texture and functionality to dairy cream cheese ($5.99).
Grounded products are currently available online via their website and at Pop Up Grocer in Chicago. From this month, consumers can purchase these products in-store at select Whole Foods Market locations and retailers throughout California, Illinois, New York, Hawaii, Connecticut, Arizona and Oregon.
For a full list of stockists visit https://groundedfoods.com/pages/stockists.
