A recent study conducted by the Plant-Based Foods Association showed that vegan cheese sales grew by 43 percent last year! One of these companies feeling the growth is Kingston, New York-based Treeline Cheese. A plant-based cheese that’s worthy of any artisanal cheese platter and pairs well with good wine, Treeline can also hold its own as a substitute to dairy-based cheeses in any recipe. Treeline Tree nut Cheeses draw on traditional dairy-cheese making methods by fermenting creamy cashew nuts with a healthy probiotic, known as L. Acidophilus. They are kosher, soy-free, gluten-free Paleo-friendly, and provide dietary fiber, which is completely missing from dairy cheese. The company has just added three new flavors: Plain, Chive & Onion, and Strawberry.
Founder Michael Schwarz says, “This is part of our move to try and get more flexitarian customers moved into the mainstream. It is similar to what Beyond Meat is doing to get the meat-eating consumer. Similarly, we want the person that eats traditional dairy cheeses.”
We are also working on vegan cheeses and spread. We make the cheese by culturing the cashew nuts, we are also very careful about where we get them, from Brazil, where the labor practices are fair.
Releasing in April, we see this as a really important way to get more people to eat vegan products as cream cheese is a huge staple of the American diet. That would save a lot of cows and people’s health. We think our customers are really going to like it and will be amazed.
We have a no coconut oil policy here and we want to stay away from coconut oil because of sustainability purposes, as we have found that some farmers use chained up monkeys to get the coconuts down from the trees.”
In addition to the new flavors, Treeline Tree nut Cheeses offer 6 flavors of Aged cheeses and soft-French style cheeses: Classic Aged Nut Cheese, Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper Aged Nut Cheese, Herb-Garlic Soft French Style, Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper soft French Style, Chipolte-Serrano Soft French Style, and Scallion Soft French Style.
The products can be found in more than 3000 grocery stores nationwide by April 2020. See more at www.treelinecheese.com
