As the UK food market continues to change, expect to see lab-grown cheese making a bigger splash on the scene. Companies such as Those Vegan Cowboys and Better Dairy are on the forefront. Their mission is to reimagine traditional cheeses as innovative plant-based alternatives. Armed with creative strategies and alliances, these companies are looking to alter consumer mindset and create a shift in demand toward lab-grown products.
For Hille van der Kaa, co-founder of Those Vegan Cowboys, that change in the cheese segment is a “silent revolution.” Sometimes he even records cheese recommendations direct to his customers’ phones! He wants to get consumers excited about cheeses they don’t usually indulge in. By focusing on these lesser-known varieties, he hopes to broaden the appeal of vegan cheese beyond the typical supermarket staples.
In order to make this transition, Those Vegan Cowboys has collaborated with well-known cheesemakers. This innovative partnership is aimed at increasing production while reducing costs. “We do have an important task to show people how cheese is made nowadays,” said van der Kaa. This effort fits perfectly into their larger mission of producing vegan cheese that everyone can enjoy.
Jevan Nagarajah of Better Dairy agrees that quality-wise, vegan hard cheeses are behind dairy cheeses. This is, to him, the biggest quality gap in the market. He certainly shares the desire to make plant-based foods as delicious and appealing as possible in order to appeal to mainstream consumers. Better Dairy has similarly teamed up with cheese manufacturers to enhance their production methods and make their products more affordable.
In perhaps the coolest news so far, Standing Ovation has won a new partnership with Bel, the company that produces BabyBel. Through this partnership, they’re hoping to use Bel’s cheese-making know-how to bring lab-grown cheese to market. Yvan Chardonnens from Standing Ovation is enthusiastic about introducing these innovative cheeses to the UK by 2027. He has his sights set on a US launch for the year!
Despite all those advancements, the current market demand for vegan cheese seems underwhelming at best. A recent survey by AHDB revealed that 40% of consumers who bought vegan cheese in the past year did not repurchase it. On the commercial side of things, plant-based cheese tends to be more expensive than cow’s cheese — likely another factor in its plummeting sales. In the first quarter of 2025, plant-based cheese sales in the UK crashed by 25.6%. In contrast, cow’s cheese experienced a double-digit decline of 3%.
Hille van der Kaa, a strategic advisor with the Dutch Environment Ministry admits the difficulties that lie ahead. “The appetite for vegan cheese is low right now,” he admits, highlighting the need for education and quality improvement in the market. Industry experts agree with this assessment, noting that plant-based cheeses fail on flavor. Often this results from the inclusion of nut-based or coconut fats.
Kate Royle remarked, “If you’ve experienced plant-based cheeses, a lot of them have off flavours.” This highlights the need to further formulate products to better align with evolving consumer preferences.
Damian Watson adds another layer to the conversation, stating, “Some vegans want the taste and texture of their food to be like meat, fish or dairy, and others want something completely different.” This contrasting combination of consumer expectations creates both challenges and opportunities for companies looking to enter the market for lab-grown cheese.
Judith Bryans, chief executive of AHDB, emphasises the unknown variable of lab-grown products disrupting current markets. “There’s no evidence to suggest that the addition of lab-grown products would take away from the existing market,” she noted. Companies such as Those Vegan Cowboys and Better Dairy can hardly wait to get their products to market. The bottom line now is we only need to see how consumers respond to the pricing, and what they make of it all.
Those Vegan Cowboys plans to expand into the US later this year and aims for a European launch within three to four years, contingent upon navigating regulatory hurdles. In the meantime, Better Dairy is still working on its lab-grown cheese but hasn’t released to market yet as production costs are still too high.
The reality on the ground is that there is unprecedented demand for plant-based choices. The vegans in Britain are few and far between, with estimates putting their numbers at a scant 1% to about 3% of the population, according to the Vegan Society. This demographic fact paints a fresh portrait of the challenges businesses face. They are paving the way to enter a market that may still not be prepared for mass adoption of lab-grown cheeses.