Cathedral City, which claims to be the UK’s most popular cheese brand, has expanded its plant-based range with a new soft cheese option.
The spreadable cheese is flavored with spring onion and cracked black pepper. It is now available in 332 Tesco stores across the UK.
“We think all cheese and cheese-flavored products should taste great”
Cathedral City launched its first plant-based cheese — a cheddar alternative available in block, grated and sliced formats — last September. The cheese proved extremely popular, with the block version winning a Great Taste Award.
After initial success in Tesco, the range was launched in Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons, Ocado and Amazon Fresh earlier this year. The products are said to be seeing strong repeat sales, giving the cathedral city the third-highest volume market share.
“Great quality and value”
Cathedral City is owned by Saputo Dairy, which owns dairy-free brands Shees and Vitalite. Originally a margarine brand, Vitalite introduced its first vegan cheeses in 2019, before launching them in the US last year.
The global vegan cheese market reached a value of $2.1 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach $4.4 billion by 2027. In the UK, research indicates that plant-based cheese alternatives are now worth £58.6 million and 8.3% of these are bought by households.
“At Saputo Dairy UK, we think all cheese and cheese-flavored products should taste great,” says Neil Stewart, head of marketing for Cathedral City at Saputo Dairy UK. “Our cheese experts have developed a new format and flavor profile that is enjoyable for those with dairy allergies or those looking to reduce their dairy intake. The Cathedral City’s reputation for great quality and value for money has revitalized the plant-based market, allowing more shoppers to try plant-based alternatives to cheese.”