Applewood Vegan Cheese Crowned Best Milk Product Alternative

Applewood Vegan Cheese has scooped the Gold award for best Milk Product Alternative at this year's FreeFrom Food Awards where it competed with other 25 contenders. 

The verdict of a team of professional independent judges says: 'Awesome! Natural smoky flavour – it melts well and tastes amazing. Equally delicious raw and melted. Great intensity of flavour, so lacking in many vegan cheeses.'

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, FreeFrom Food Awards 2020 was hosted online. 

Sharing the news on Instagram, Applewood wrote: "We are thrilled to announce that Applewood Vegan® was awarded GOLD at the thirteenth annual @FFFoodAwards. It competed with 25 other fantastic contenders in the 'Milk Product Alternatives' category, and was crowned as the winner. A huge thank you to our hard-working colleagues and loyal customers for your continued support."

Applewood Vegan Cheese is the first vegan substitute produced by the dairy giant. The dairy-free cheese is made with coconut, soya, and gluten. It is fortified with added B12 and calcium and has a smoky flavour similar to Applewood's signature cheeses.

The vegan alternative was created in partnership with Heather Mills' plant-based company VBites. 

Describing the vegan cheese, Mills said: "It's dairy-free, but it's packed with the taste that vegans, vegetarians, and flexitarians want in their sandwiches and lunch boxes.

"And because it melts wonderfully but still keeps its flavour, it's perfect for all sorts of dishes from toasties, pizzas, and pasta to baked potatoes and cheesy nachos and even fondue.

"At last, for those thinking of changing their diet because of environmental, health, and ethical concerns, there's no need to worry any longer that you'll miss the taste of cheese."

Applewood Vegan Cheese has been a massive success for Applewood and VBites. The companies reported that they struggled with demand and had their employees working overtime to manage bigger batches.

"The success of Applewood Vegan has defied all expectations since it was launched," an Applewood spokesman told the Grocer last year.