So the time has finally come where I need financial help 😅🙈 I need around £8k to build the dairy-like cheese cave which will be used to develop bigger, better Vegan cheeses in bigger batches and in a consistently reliable way. It will help with the expansion of being more available around the UK too! I'll be using a large chunk of my savings to pay for it (my husband is sighing indefinitely) with the rest going to be asking over on Kickstarter from you guys (one hopes). However, I need help thinking of "rewards" when you guys making a pledge. I've been told to add dog cuddles which I have 😂 I want to make the rewards feel worth it and not be stingy. I also need to be careful to value the rewards so I have money left over to pay for the cave. So, as I'm stressing & overthinking this, I need help to think of worthwhile rewards that won't bankrupt me 😂😂😂😂 Please & thank you!

Quick shout out about this weekend events. My biggest weekend yet and it may actually kill me 😬 ... On Saturday we have Bath's Vegan Festival in the Pavilion. A big event with loads of stalls and so it's a must visit. Check @veganeventsuk.co.uk for more details. My favourite brands like @nutcessity, @eatdarkmatters & more will be here 😁 ... On Sunday I'll be returning to Stroud's @veganfairs hosted by @cotswoldveganevents. The last one earlier this year was such a blast. Check @cotswoldveganevents for more details. ... Both of these mega vegan events will host my entire vegan cheese range including the Proper Vegan Blue, and the Washed Rind Cheese. Because there is only so much I can do, be sure to get to me early before I sell out 😉 ... . . . P.S The quote in the picture is from someone wanting me to develop a vegan clotted cream. Perfect for someone like me to take a stab at. What do you think?

@pizzaislovely is showing us all how to do a vegan pizza right using my vegan feta. I've not had pizza for over two years since Italy (no pizza compared to the Italian originals 😅 I'm such a snob) but I definitely definitely definitely * 100 want to try any of @pizzaislovely lovely creations. Send me a slice please! ... Reposted from @pizzaislovely (@get_regrann) - 3/5 "Black Potatoes" (VG) Oooh, I loved this one. I have something approaching an addiction to this awesome @balsajoblackgarlicuk Black Garlic and this was a brilliant way to eat it. Turmeric dough, Black Garlic, gorgeous Baby Potatoes, Caramelised Red Onions, Greek Basil and finished off with the amazing plant-based Feta by @foodbysumear . Yum!!! 😋😋😋 #blackgarlic #turmericpizza #ooni #oonified #pizza #vegan #vegano #potato #veganpizza

You know the drill. Vegan cheese at the @tfsundaymarket. Here till 2.30pm ☺️ . Don't forget I need a little bit of help with light soft spreadable cheese. Grab a cracker, lather on that spread, feast, and give me all the feedbacks! There's also Vegan Blue & Washed Rind Cheese to buy as well!

The new stockists are now ready for you in Ipswich, London & Brighton! All the are selling the classic range of Original Sharp, Feta, & Maple Wood Smoked Cheese. All fresh off the wheel at their deli section or prepared in their kitchen ☺️ Though having cheese packed by me is easier, having cheese recently cut from a wheel is so much better in taste and texture. It also means less waste, and even less packaging. All the wins! Be sure to check the guys below to find me vegan cheese range. ... IPSWICH - @hanksdeli Hank's Deli & Shop / Peninsula Vegan Foods 38 Lloyds Avenue Ipswich IP1 3HD ... BRIGHTON - @barneys_deli Barney’s delicatessen 39 Kensington Gardens Brighton BN1 4AL ... PECKHAM LONDON -@theodds.peckham The Odds 28 Choumert road Peckham London SE15 4SE

I'm just going to leave this here to weird everyone out 😝 . . . . . . . . . . It's a cheese in drag if you didn't guess. Has a sexy six pack too. Remember, I spend too much time on my phone and my cheese, so this is the result of this mash up.😚😗😚 . . . . . . . It's @bristolpride today so I am taking the day from making vegan cheese to watch the Pride in Bristol with my partner and the doggies. My partner wants Pride brunch too. Don't know how you make food gay and I keep asking what the f is Pride brunch and I still don't know what it is 😐 Rainbow coloured avocado on toast? 🌈🦄🏳️‍🌈

I need some food testers for this Sunday at @tfsundaymarket! While I'm waiting for plans for the cheese cave to be finalised & built (and find time to get back to the nut free cheese), I decided to create a spreadable light cheese. I'll have free tasters this Sunday at the Tobacco Factory Market for anyone wanting to help me out and give me all the feedbacks! Why is the Vegan hard cheese specialist doing a spreadable soft cheese? Sometimes I want something to spread that was Sharp, salty but wasn't so high in calories & fat like my standard range (it's on par macro wise with soft cream cheese, though better fats and a touch more protein). So I have this. I have gone through a few versions, and Sundays version may be the one. I want a bit of feedback just to make sure. As usual, proper cheese flavours here. No nutritional yeast, no miso, no spices, no lemon juice, and of course, no artificial flavours. Just those magical cultures that I always rave on about! Profile is light, buttery, sharp and an acidic finish. It's similar to the Feta but much more lighter. ... This Sunday's event will also include stock of Blue Cheese, Washed Rind Cheese, and of course the classic range.

Give me all the reviews! I've included a pretentious photo so give me all the attention please 😚

A lot of vegan cheese is leaving me today ❤️ Along with online orders (there's still Blue available to buy online), three new stockists are coming on board. The new guys will be announced later this week once the goods have arrived safely. They reside in London, Ipswich & Brighton. They will be selling the classic range in my favourite way, deli style. Fresh off the wheel with less waste ☺️ . . . . . P.S. Do you see it? 😉

Morning peeps - Limited quantity of Vegan Blue & Washed Rind Cheese is now available on foodbysumear.co.uk. Theses versions have a parmesan crumble like texture while paired with those strong flavours that only the hardcore cheese lovers can handle. All prices on the website have been reduced to meet a similar price point I sell at events, however it means there is now a fixed minimum spend of £25. Be sure to check out foodbysumear.co.uk/l for my next events, stockists & the online shop. P.S. What do you think of the photo? 😅 I get quite bored and a bit sad at times 😂😂

Too early to talk about wine? No? Well... Wine & Cheese pairings! Apparently, cheese and wine together is a thing. Who knew? I don't drink so I have zero expertise in this area in what kind of wine goes with what cheese, however, it is quite essential to choose correctly to help enhance both. Just like how eating grapes with cheese can be bad 😉 . Because I am dry as a bone, I have asked the wonderful guys at @wolf_wine for some advice. Like most things, food pairings are based on specific flavour profiles, whether it is pairing similarities or polar opposites (salty with sweet). Having tried some of my vegan cheese range, Wolf Wine made some of these comments. . Original Sharp Cheese needs a good Grenache wine (like pinot noir but stronger) as it has big, bold rich flavours that go amazingly with the sharp, acidic cheese notes. . Feta-Style cheese is perfect for a Pinot noir wine. The Feta has a twang, and buttery finish with acidity notes that pairs nicely with a light and fruity wine. . Maple Wood Smoked Cheese NEEDS a South African Syrah wine. With big smokey, peppery and slightly chocolatey flavours, its an absolutely most apparently with the smoked cheese. . Proper Vegan Blue Cheese has all those complexly salty, spicy, sour notes that balance well with a good acidity/sweet dessert wine. Nothing else will do! . Washed Rind Cheese - Sadly I didn't have this available for Wolf Wine to try but given the flavour profile is a mixture of the Original Sharp and Blue Cheese, you could do well with a Grenache or a sweet dessert wine. Don't shout at me if that is wrong, haha. . . @wolf_wine is based in Bath, and all the wines they sell are Vegan! They have a shop, have stockists, and soon you can buy online. They know their shit so definitely worth checking them out. . . . UPDATES - Today you can find me at @yeovilveganmarket with my entire range, including the Washed Rind Cheese and the Proper Vegan Blue. Be quick! Online orders for both these kinds of cheese are now live. Prices for my entire range have been dropped too; however, there is a min spend of £25.00.

Monday blues? Will Vegan blue cure that? 😝 . Photoed are the Proper Vegan Blues for the Bath Vegan Festival (@veganeventsuk.co.uk) on 20th July, and the Stroud @veganfairs (@cotswoldveganevents) on 21st July. Blue mold is crazy strong, so part of the usual maintenance is flipping as well as brushing the mold to ensure a good coverage and promote good growth. It also helps to ensure it doesn't turn into a fuzzy monster hence the patchy rind affect. . Wanting to try this cheese but can't make my events? Still in the blue print phase of building a cheese cave so production can increase. To put it into prospective, each of these are pretty hefty, and I can only make 3-4 of these at a time (along with 4 Washed Rind Cheeses). A bigger & improved cave will allow me to have 40+ wheels (I hope) at once, to allow for online orders and more stockists. A better cave also means better flavours too. Sooooooooooooo, hang on 😬

Are you in Wellington, Somerset? @oliveandrosy are the newest independents to take on my Vegan Cheese range within their deli section. . Currently trialing my classic range (Original Sharp, Feta-Style, and Maple Wood Smoked Cheese), @oliveandrosy are all things Italian. . Loud, passionate, and lovable 😅☺️ . Show some vegan love and stop by. Samples are available though be sure to call ahead as it's sure to go fast 😉 . Find them at 1a North Street, Wellington, Somerset Shop Open: Monday to Saturday 9:30-4:30 (on weekdays they advise messaging first if travelling far).

Here at the @tfsundaymarket in Bristol and there's lots of choices for us vegans ☺️ Vegan cheese from my range & @bathculturehouse (along with Kombucha), vegan wines from @wolf_wine, brownies from @eatdarkmatters, and much more. Most importantly though, nut butters from @nutcessity. I've spent my pocket money on three jars of glorious nut butters 😁😁😁😁

I'M BACK! Having just returned from my short break in Torquay, I'm ready to get back to all the cheesy stuff to keep everyone happy 😛 My partner kept trying to move us to Torquay but I used your demand of my cheese to stay put 😉 . The holiday did not recharge any of my batteries as i spent all my time, eating loads, waking loads, and then sun bathing when my partner or the dogs couldn't walk no further 😅 I would say that my mental capacity has been recharged but I spent a few moments of the trip worrying about the cheese wheels back at home or dealing with busines problems via email. Still, it was a much needed holiday ☺️ All the cheese wheels in my current cave as doing well by the way. Have given them a scrub, flip and washing. . Looking to the future - I'm made a plan on how to expand the cheese cave so that I can do not events outside of the Southwest England, as well as get a few more stockists dotted around the UK. No ETA as I need to find a builder, but I'm on my way (if you know of a reliable builder in Bristol then let me know)! . For those you can't make it to my current events; I'll endeavour to keep you in the loop when stock of the Blue Cheese and the Washed Rind Cheese has been added to the website. A limited amount of the Washed Rind Cheese will be available online to buy by the end of next week hopefully. @lafauxmagerie Will also be selling my classic range on their website very soon. It's worth checking them out as you can get a big selection of cheese from other makers online, and not just me ☺️ . My next event is this Sunday at the @tfsundaymarket in Bristol. I'll have the Original Sharp, Feta, and the Maple Wood Smoked Cheese available.

Did you know that grapes, that many people of on the cheese board, is not often the best choice with cheese? We pair certain foods/flavour profiles so that they enhance one another. Grapes in a few ways can make cheese taste bitter, especially for Blue & Washed Rind Cheeses. For other types of cheese, it may not always worsen the cheese, but it may not enhance the cheese board experience. Better options can be apples, figs, pears. You have either try dried fruit such as dried figs, dates & cherries. By no means am I a flavour-wizz. I'm parroting a few do's & don'ts with cheeses 😅 So on that basis, what I know is, it's sweet & salty pairings thing. Pair sweet foods with cheese and you are good to go! Though dark chocolate pairs well with certain cheeses too, and I believe this due to having similar flavour profiles whether it's, acidic, nutty, savoury, sweet, creamy, etc. In this instance, it's recommended to experiment and experience a small bite of each, separately, and then together. Chocolate can be made in so many ways with different beans. The flavours can vary even if two bars are both 95% dark. What do you enjoy with cheese? . . P.S. Excuse the last minute crappy photo. I'm still in Torquay 😅

I'm closing up the workshop to take a short break to Torquay. Going to be sad to leave my oversized cheese babies in the cheese cave but thankfully I have a secret someone to just check up on them, flip them, brush them, and maybe give them a little spank every now and again. . Expect a few posts about food from Torquay. Don't worry, I don't spam to much. . UPCOMING EVENTS . Sunday 30th June @tfsundaymarket in Bristol. Saturday 6th July @yeovilveganmarket (will have Blue & Washed Cheese). Sunday 14th July @tfsundaymarket in Bristol (will have Washed Cheese). Saturday 20th July @veganeventsuk.co.uk Bath Festival (will have Blue & Washed Cheese). Sunday 21st July @veganfairs Stroud - UNCONFIRMED (with have Blue & Washed Cheese). Sunday 28th July @tfsundaymarket in Bristol. . CHEESE CAVES . I mentioned a cheese cave a lot recently and I noticed many are, understandably, not sure what it entails. What used to be actual caves, a cheese cave is a cold-type room with a very specific climate that is required to help cheese age & develop naturally. Climate falls on two main components. Temperature & humidity. Each cheese has its own requirements on the climate, however at its base, a vegan cheese needs a minimum humidity of 80% with a temperature range of 10-14 degrees Celsius. A mold cheese requires a 90% humidity as a must. This climate helps the microbes, I mentioned in another post, develop naturally. They produce the rinds, flavours & textures synonymous to cheese, as well as stop the cheese from having problems such as promoting bad growth, drying out, etc. On the topic of drying out - to my fellow vegan cheese makers, please don't just use a wine fridges with no other alterations. It's making me cry. I can see your cheese has dried to dust 😅 Please get your humidity up at the very least or vacuum pack your wheels instead. Please! Within the cave, the build up of microbes over the years increases where every cave has their own unique community. This community gives each cheesemaker the ability to develop a unique rinds, flavour & texture to them, so there's potential of 1000s of vegan cheeses out there if done right. Just like dairy. Just better 😉

Right, hopefully this is the last update on the packaging I use regarding the environment 😅 To catch everyone up; cheese needs a special type of the packaging and the stuff I use in my prepackaged range fits the bill as it creates a safe barrier and climate. It's plastic free and is home compostable (better than industrial compostables and biodegradables). . A fan found out that the council removes the packaging from collected compost waste (either a machine limitation or it looks like plastic) which in turn costs the council money (probably?). . So, please only compost the packaging in your green waste that you use in the garden, and not the stuff that is collected. If you can't do that then please place in general waste. It was quite important to know however, what would happen if the packaging ended up in the oceans. I received a response from the manufacturers and they mentioned to conform to a certain protocol that the packaging requires 90% degradation in marine conditions. Trying to make sense of the fancy lingo, they also say it does not break down into tiny particles, so nothing like mico-plastics. Another statement: "...films conform to EN 13432 and as such are certified as biodegradable and compostable due to the fact that they break down into water, carbon dioxide and biomass by the action of micro-organisms. As part of EN 13432 our films have been tested for biodegradation, disintegration, absence of heavy metals and ecotoxicity. They have been shown to have no toxic effects on plants (following tests on summer barley and cress) or in the aquatic environment (following tests on Daphnia).". . There's no mention of what happens in landfills, however I think it's safe. They also mention that clean energy is created when it's incinerated. I'm pretty happy with this (as long as I understood everything correctly 😬😅)

Converted quite a few veggies so far. Maybe I should be keeping count on all these wins 😅 The cheese in the background is the Washed Rind Cheese. Aged in a high humidity environment and washed three times a week with my cultures & brine solution for that depth in flavour and a bit of a stinky wiff. It's aged in a Blue Cheese cave which helps give it a bit more "oooof" to is profile. It's currently out of stock online, but I have some in the works for several July events, and to sell online. Check out my site for all events & online store details. I'm on track to having this part of my regular range so that I always have it on hand ☺️

Very grateful that @thebowlshed have returned. A firm favourite of mine as the acai smoothie bowls are on point with glorious nutrients & noms. My only problem is Charlie (my Labrador) was getting hot & bored so I had to eat my bowl quickly, hence the badly rushed photo 😬 @thebowlshed, don't leave me again (you can find them tomorrow @theharboursidemarket in Bristol).

Excuse the face 😝 The not-so-humble cashew. It's the base of nearly all artisan cheeses because of its creamy and neutral flavour. As it doesn't offer the same structure to that of dairy, it makes it pointless in trying to make curds, however it's become synonymous in vegan cheeses anyway. Though it's a great ingredient, it does have a major drawback of being pretty damn expensive. And though I'm not clued up on all details, we can safely say it has a sizeable carbon footprint (how is grown, cared, imported, etc). . There's also this thing called "blood cashews" which I won't go into the details. I done what I can to source it ethically as possible through a local supplier in Bristol. They in turn, import them from Vietnam. But, given its drawbacks of cost and allergies, I've always been working in the background for a British-grown plant-based nut-free alternative for over 6 months. I got my eyes on something, but lack of timing is delaying experiments. Working out the science background of it is challenging, though it's the same-old story where I want to be as traditional as possible when it comes to cheese making. With cashews being a blended/creamed to create cheese, I'm going for the milk, curd & rennet approach with the nut-free alternative. No matter which way you spin it, there's a reason why dairy cheese is so loved that people will fight over it (and no, it's not because of the addictive nature of fatty based foods). . Anyway - watch this space. No cheese making today. Taking a jaunt with Charlie the Labrador around Bristol harborside to feed the mind, soul and belly ☺️ . . . . . #bristol #bristolfood #bristolfoodie #bristolvegan #bristolvegans #veganaf #eatplants #cashewcheese #cleaneating #cleanfood #ukvegan #entrepreneur #foodblogger #ukvegans #foodinstagram #foodlover #foodphotography #healthyeating #healthyfood #plantbased #instavegan #smallbusiness #veganbristol #vegancheese #veganfood #veganfoodporn #veganfoodshare #vegansofig #veganuk #whatveganseat

"Hey, I miss cheese. Does your cheese contain mold & yeast?". . The above is a question I receive quite regularly. Though I am not sure on the details of the aversion to molds and yeast (not to be confused with nutritional yeast), they both play a fundamental role as a building block in nearly all dairy cheeses (and of course, my vegan cheeses). . Microbes (bacteria, mold, yeast, etc.) take the stage throughout cheesemaking, whether it's in the ingredients already, added during cheesemaking, or naturally occurring during the ageing process. Molds and yeast are part of all cheeses during the affinage (ripening/ageing) stage, which cannot be avoided, for a good reason. Most are not directly added to cheese but are naturally occurring to affect the cheese within the environment. To not over complicate things; certain microbes help develop flavours during affinage. Some microbes develop textures. While, other microbes contribute towards rind development for flavour, protection, and additional microbe development. . Many microbes are unique to their environment which, if you remember from my previous posts about being a Natural Cheesemaker, means the end cheese will be unique to that maker. This comes about from the uniqueness of bacteria in the cheesemakers settings as well as the geographical location in the world. Without molds & yeast, many kinds of cheese will fall flat with monotone flavours or none at all. There are mold and yeast-free vegan "cheeses" available. However, these then rely on artificial flavours or a series of spices and nutritional yeast to create a fake cheese/quavers flavour, which are somewhat offputting for a cheese snob such as me 😉 As an advocate for vegan cheese, such as my range, being REAL CHEESE, you gotta embrace microbes. So yes, all my cheeses contain bacteria, molds, yeasts, etc, etc. That is why they taste exactly like dairy cheese, and so damn good too. . . . Disclaimer: I'm not a dairy cheese expert (just an experienced artisan one), nor a microbiologist. Please let me know if I made any mistakes in the above write up.

Looking for Vegan Blue or the Aged Washed Rind Cheese? Next month I'll be at @yeovilveganmarket on the 6th July at @quedamcentre where these specials will be returning once again. The classic range will be there too, including the Original Sharp, Maple Wood Smoked & the Feta vegan cheese. I'm setting a plan in motion to build a bigger & better cheese cave in the near future. This means you can see more of the Special cheeses more frequently. Quite exciting for the cheese obsessed 😝 Next week I'll be talking a trip away from my cheese workshop for a short holiday but I'll be back for the Tobacco Factory Market on the 30th June 🙂

Latest reviews are in! Unsurprisingly I'm the best 😝😝😝 Help me out and nominate me in the @vivacharity awards for Vegan Cheese innovation. I'm not big in the grand scheme of things but we need to show the other vegan cheese creators how cheese is done right, the dairy way 😉 Innovative right 😛 . You can vote for "Food by Sumear" using the link in my bio. . . . . P.S. I need some help leaving the house. My head won't fit through the door now.

Packaging Update - A fan has brought to my attention that local councils (well, the Bristol one at least) remove the cheese film (that's home compostable) from collected green waste and place it into general waste. Though this is quite annoying to find out, it potentially costs the council in extra costs to sort through recycling. I need to find out the outcome to the packaging in how it degrades outside of compostable environments. For now, please can you try and add the packaging to your home compostable waste that you use for gardening, if you have one. Not the green waste that is collected by the council. There are commercial composters around the UK but I'm unsure on the details at the moment. The creators of the packaging claim that if it's added to general waste and incinerated, it will produce clean energy. However, I think some councils don't incinerate. Please correct me if I'm wrong! As you know, all my retail packs are plastic free, but compostable packaging isn't entirely the solution if it can't degrade outside of limited parameters. Will keep everyone posted on what I find out!