An award-winning vegan cheese producer has only recently started selling in the Canadian market despite being based in Vancouver.
Daiya Foods, which produces two styles of shredded vegan cheese, is quickly growing its market share despite being on the market in Canada for less than two months.
Kristen Bourke, Daiya’s brand manager, said the company’s products have been available on retail shelves in the U.S. since April. But their product only recently came on the market in Canada after they overcame labelling issues.
“We couldn’t refer to it as a cheese in any way. We couldn’t even say it’s a cheese alternative on the package, because it’s not an exact alternative. The nutritional profile is different. So, it’s [called] a cheddar-style or mozzarella-style shred.”
Their products are currently available in most specialty food retailers such as Whole Foods, Choices and other independent food stores, although Bourke said the product is expected to be on shelves in major supermarkets by the end of the year. It recently was added as a key ingredient in a rice macaroni and cheese product produced by California-based Amy’s Kitchen.
Word of mouth, online and social media have contributed to the company’s strong growth projections, both in Canada and the U.S. “We’ve changed our forecast three times this year, I think, so it’s been really positive,” Bourke said. “We expect to double this year’s sales next year, at least.”
The company has won a string of awards this year, including the BC Innovation Council commercialization of agricultural technology competition in January, the PETA Libby Award for best vegan cheese in February and the VegNews award for best vegan cheese earlier this month.
Daiya initially targeted the vegan market for its products, but Bourke noted it has seen growing success in the market for people who have strict diet plans because of allergies or specific diseases. Nevertheless, she said, even though the product is primarily made of tapioca and snow pea extract and other plant-based ingredients, it is looking to compete with regular cheese.
“We’re comparing ourselves to the newer types of dairy cheeses, those that are lactose-free, low-fat, and market ourselves to the health-conscious consumer.”