The world of veggie cheese is getting bigger all the time, with more and more cheesemakers embracing and experimenting with vegetarian coagulants. There’s no category of cheese that is exclusively veggie – if in doubt, speak to your local cheesemonger for more information, or simply check the back of the pack before you buy. And if you’re struggling to find enough choice, speak to your local supermarket to encourage them to stock some veggie alternatives.
You’ll see that I’ve used a whole range of cheeses in this book and haven’t specified using veggie. There are lots of fantastic vegetarian alternatives out there now, so if you don’t want to use cheese made with animal rennet, please do swap in a suitable alternative. To source amazing British cheeses, check out Neal’s Yard Dairy, which distributes all over the world.
For all the vegans out there, it’s very hard to mimic the flavor and texture of cheese, but there are brands doing a great job right now, and the market is moving very quickly, so watch this space. And for the non-veggies, you’ve probably got more choice than ever.
A NOTE ON PARMESAN
Parmesan cheese, and anything containing it, such as store-bought pestos, will include animal rennet. Whenever I’ve used these ingredients, or any other non-vegetarian ingredients, I have clearly flagged them in green type on the relevant pages, just above the nutrition bar at the bottom of the page. To make these recipes fully vegetarian, look out for these notes and swap to the suggested alternatives. Also, if you want to follow a strict vegetarian diet, remember to check all packaging to ensure you’re buying veggie-friendly ingredients across the board.
| Appleby ’s Cheshire | Cotherstone |
| Applewood | Riseley |
| Beenleigh Blue | Sinodun Hill |
| Black Bomber | Spa Blue |
| Blacksticks Blue | Spenwood |
| Brunswick Blue | Stinking Bishop |
| Cardo | Ticklemore |
| Cashel Blue | Waterloo |
| Cornish Yarg | Wigmore |