Thu. Oct 3rd, 2024

Ilchester fires up Veganuary 2022 with partnership with Sainsbury’s to list ‘best melting vegan cheeze in the market’

Ilchester, the number one British flavoured cheese supplier, is kickstarting Veganuary 2022 with a new listing in Sainsbury’s for its newest plant-based cheeze, the Ilchester Vegan Melting Mature block, which is being described by consumers as “the best melting vegan cheeze in the market”.

The sixth cheeze from the Norseland portfolio of vegan cheezes, which includes Applewood Vegan Block, Applewood Vegan Slices, Applewood Vegan Grated, Mexicana Vegan and Ilchester Vegan Blue, will be available to buy in 459 Sainsbury’s stores and will retail at £2.35.

The Ilchester Vegan Melting Mature Block joins Applewood Vegan Block and Applewood Vegan Slices in the chilled aisles of Sainsbury’s stores up and down the country.

Lisa Harrison, Senior Brand Manager for Ilchester, said: “This is a fantastic way to start 2022 and to celebrate Veganuary with a listing for one of our newest cheeses, our Ilchester Vegan Melting Mature which only launched in July 2021.

“To secure another listing for the Melting Mature is really the icing on the cake as we want as many people as possible who are keen to try a flexitarian, vegan or vegetarian diet to have access to our plant-based cheese alternatives.

“The demand for vegan food isn’t shown any signs of slowing down as the pandemic has really focused people’s thoughts on eating healthy and strengthening their immune systems.

“Figures for 2020 showed that there was a 40% increase in people following a vegan diet in Britain, up from 1.1 million to 1.5 million, equivalent to three percent of the population*.”

Rosie Sibthorp, Senior FreeFrom Buyer at Sainsbury’s, said: “We have seen demand for plant-based alternatives to dairy products rocket over the last few years and we are keen to offer our customers a wide choice of vegan cheezes. Applewood Vegan Block and Applewood Vegan Slices have proved to be really popular, and we are confident that the Ilchester Vegan Melting Mature Block will go down with our customers.”

The Ilchester Vegan Melting Mature is THE mature vegan cheddar cheeze known for sharing the same meltability factor as dairy cheddar cheeses, something that vegans have often said lacks in other plant-based cheezes.

It is the perfect cheezy addition to vegan burgers, melts well as cheese on toast or Welsh rarebit toasties and of course is the perfect cheese for mac ‘n’ cheeze. As a quick snack, Melting Mature is particularly tasty on crackers with a fruity chutney.

When it comes to wines, a full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Sauvignon, holds up well against the mature cheddar alternative, as the impactful tannins help to draw out the bold flavours.

Ilchester, which has been making cheese in Somerset since 1962, is part of the Norseland portfolio of dairy and vegan cheezes, which includes the award-winning Applewood Vegan and Mexicana Vegan cheezes.

Applewood Vegan is now the number two vegan cheeze brand in the UK and much of its success is down to the fact that it melts like a dairy cheese. This winning formula has been applied to the Ilchester Vegan Blue and the Ilchester Vegan Melting Mature to create cheezes with the perfect melting “M Factor”. The cheezes are coconut oil-based which is what makes it melt so well.

The Ilchester Melting Mature Block will be available from 9 January in 459 Sainsbury’s stores and its RRP is £2.35.

*Survey by shopping comparison site,

About Ilchester

  • The West Country town of Ilchester is home to the Ilchester range of cheeses which launched back in 1962 with its first-ever cheese, the Ilchester Beer Cheese.
  • Ilchester’s range of cheese includes: the Ilchester Cheese Selection, Beer Cheese, Mediterranean cheddar, Truffle cheese, Wensleydale and Cranberries and the Cheese Advent Calendar.
  • The Ilchester Vegan Blue and the Ilchester Vegan Melting Mature are the first plant-based alternatives to dairy from Ilchester.
  • Ilchester is part of the Norseland portfolio of cheeses. Norseland was the first dairy company to launch plant-based alternatives to its best-selling brands.
  • Other brands include:

o   Jarlsberg UK’s No.1 Deli Cheese with Holes

o   Mexicana UK’s No.1 Spicy Cheese

o   Applewood UK’s No 1. Smoky Cheese

o   Applewood Vegan – the first plant-based cheeze from an established dairy brand. Applewood

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By Penny McCarthy

Penny McCarthy is a seasoned entrepreneur and co-founder of Parents News UK, a pioneering publication launched in 1993 to serve the needs of busy parents in Southwest London. Alongside her husband, Fergus McCarthy, Penny played a crucial role in the rapid expansion of the printed edition, which grew from a local startup to a widely circulated monthly publication with a reach of 192,000 copies across Kent, South London, and beyond. Under Penny’s leadership, Parents News quickly became a trusted resource for families, providing valuable information on education, entertainment, sports, and family-friendly events. Her vision helped the publication extend its influence with franchises in Northern Ireland and Cornwall, catering to a growing demand for accessible, family-oriented content. In 1997, recognising the importance of digital media, Penny spearheaded the launch of Parents News UK Online. The website initially mirrored the content of the printed editions and has since evolved into a comprehensive online resource for parents, achieving significant popularity with up to 700 daily hits. In 2017, the publication transitioned fully to an online platform, continuing to inform and engage families across the UK. Today, Penny remains deeply involved in the ongoing success of Parents News UK, focusing on innovative advertising opportunities and future growth plans. Her dedication to supporting families through accessible and practical content has made Parents News a cherished name in households across the country.

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