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Norseland has announced the launch of a new mature vegan cheddar cheese and vegan blue cheese alternative under its Ilchester brand. Ilchester Vegan Blue and Vegan Melting Mature featured in the Ilchester Vegan Festive Selection last Christmas, but will now be available to purchase as standalone 200g blocks across the UK. Ilchester Vegan Blue features blue spirulina veins to mimic the appearance of blue cheese. The UK brand also claims that the product will have the same creamy texture and sharp and salty taste as its dairy counterpart. Meanwhile, Ilchester says its vegan mature cheddar cheese alternative shares the same meltability as the dairy version – making it ideal for vegan burgers, cheese on toast, and macaroni and cheese.

Both plant-based cheeses are free from lactose, soya, gluten, cholesterol and palm oil; while reportedly fortified with vitamin B12 and calcium.  Ilchester Vegan Blue and Vegan Melting Mature join Noresland’s portfolio of dairy-free cheeses including Applewood Vegan and Mexicana Vegan. Lisa Harrison, Ilchester brand manager, said: "We know that the demand is there and that vegans, vegetarians and flexitarians alike are looking for healthier and tasty alternatives to dairy cheeses. "Total Sales of Applewood Vegan are worth £4.2 million, and in the latest 52-week period, sales have grown by 301% on the last year, so we are confident that applying our winning formula to our two new cheezes will create more award-winning cheezes from the Norseland portfolio." The Ilchester Vegan Blue and the Ilchester Melting Mature Cheddar will be available in Tesco stores from 5 July for an RRP of £3 and £2.30, respectively.