Norseland, which developed the Applewood Vegan cheese alternative, and which launched the Ilchester Cheese Advent Calendar, is launching the Ilchester Vegan Festive Selection, which the company said is in response to the increase in the number of people becoming vegans and flexitarians over the past 18 months.
The Ilchester Vegan Festive Selection features three new vegan cheese alternatives alongside its Applewood Vegan. The new products are the Ilchester Melting Mature Cheddar Vegan; the Ilchester Blue Vegan Cheese Alternative (with blue spirulina vein); and the Mexicana Vegan Spicy Cheese alternative that launches into ASDA stores in July.
Lisa Harrison, senior brand manager for the Ilchester Vegan Festive Selection, said, "We are very proud of our fantastic tasting vegan cheeses: they taste, and melt, like traditional cheese. So, as the number of vegans in the UK are soaring - the Vegan Society says the number of vegans in the UK has quadrupled between 2006 and 2018 - we know that there is a huge demand for vegan cheese.
"But it isn't just for vegans. Christmas is a time when people overindulge and huge amounts of saturated fat are eaten: in meat, cheese, cream - not to mention sugar! Swapping a traditional cheeseboard with a vegan cheese-board means that people can still have the taste of cheese in the festive period, but without raising their blood pressure, cholesterol, and salt levels still further.
"Our vegan cheeses are becoming increasingly popular with flexitarians as well as vegans - and we take this as the highest compliment."
The Ilchester Vegan Festive Selection is made in an allergen-free factory, negating the risk of cross contamination from dairy products, and all of the cheeses are coconut based and are fortified with vitamin B12 and calcium.