"I make vegan cheese in Amsterdam, and no one here calls it faux"

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FarmAnimals

"I make vegan cheese in Amsterdam, and no one here calls it faux"

6 March 2019
News
I know that in polarised, tribal Britain, my plant-based product would be dismissed. The Netherlands is more open-minded

For environmental reasons I started following a plant-based diet in 2017. I found the transition surprisingly simple, the only stumbling block was cheese. So last year, I began making plant-based cheese at my home in Amsterdam. After several months of experimenting, I was sufficiently encouraged with the results to launch my vegan cheese business.

My British grandparents were dairy farmers for more than 60 years, which is why I find the current them-against-us attitude among both vegans and non-vegans so unhelpful. My sister and I spent every school holiday on the dairy farm, and we treasure those memories dearly, although not the memories of my grandmother’s cooking. Anyone who has eaten cow’s tongue or tried her assortment of watery soups would understand why. Our mornings started at 6am sharp. If you didn’t make it out of bed in time, you missed breakfast. My grandparents taught us to love and care for all living beings. Their animals would live out long and comfortable lives in spacious Devon fields. Not every livestock farmer is evil, and not all farm animals are locked behind bars.