The holiday season is just getting started. If you’re wondering what to serve your guests throughout the festive period, we have a few ideas: oat milk liqueur, vegan cheese, and plenty of dairy-free cheesy snacks. If that sounds good to you, you’re going to love this week’s food news. Plus, we’ve got updates on Herbivorous Butcher (it’s going primetime), Stockeld Dreamery, and Ripple Foods.
Oatrageous’ dairy-free oat milk liqueurs are officially launching in Walmart stores. | Oatrageous
Oat milk liqueur comes to Walmart
Just in time for the holidays, Oatrageous Oat Milk Liqueur has landed on Walmart shelves. The creamy alcoholic beverage from Misunderstood Brands (which also makes dairy-free oat nog) was presented to Walmart through its annual open call, which invites entrepreneurs to meet with buyers and show off their products. The Oat Milk Liqueur will hit Florida stores first, with potential for future expansion next year.
“We couldn’t be more excited to bring Oatrageous to Walmart shoppers and advance the cream liqueur category,” said JD Recobs, CEO and co-founder of Misunderstood Brands. “Nearly 70 [percent] of the world is lactose intolerant, and for too long, those consumers have been left out of one of the most indulgent categories in spirits. Outrageous exists to fix that—it’s delicious, versatile, and designed for everyone at the table.”
Treeline’s cashew cottage cheese is packed with probiotics. | Rebecca/Treeline
Vegan cottage cheese is now available
Cottage cheese has been trending on social media for a while now, but unless you want to make it from scratch, dairy-free versions haven’t been easy to find. That’s no longer the case. Now, we know exactly where to get great vegan cottage cheese: Treeline Cheesemakers.
Made from cashews and infused with gut-healthy probiotics, Treeline’s dairy-free cottage cheese is already garnering rave reviews. “It’s the closest thing I’ve had to cottage cheese in over 30 years. Mouthfeel is right, flavor is really spot on, [and] even had me questioning if it was really vegan/dairy-free,” one customer wrote. Another raved, “The curd is the perfect texture. It’s perfectly creamy with just the slightest amount of tang.” Currently, the brand’s vegan cottage cheese is exclusively available through its website.
Chris Paul’s Good Eat’n brand has launched two new cheesy vegan snacks.
Chris Paul’s snack brand just launched white cheddar popcorn and spicy nacho cheese tortilla chips
Good Eat’n, the plant-based snack brand founded by NBA athlete Chris Paul, has launched two new cheesy products: White Cheddar Popcorn and Spicy Nacho Cheeze Tortilla Chips. The cheesy popcorn is made using organic corn and is air-popped in small batches to ensure “perfect fluffy consistency.” Similarly, the spicy nacho chips combine stone-ground organic corn, chia seeds, and a dusting of spicy vegan cheese. Both snacks are free of artificial colors and flavors.
Find them at Gopuff, H-E-B in Texas, and directly from the Good Eat’n website.
Siblings Aubry and Kale Walch, founders of The Herbivorous Butcher. | The Herbivorous Butcher
Herbivorous Butcher gets a prime-time opportunity following its reopening after a major fire
Back in May, Minnesota’s Herbivorous Butcher, the first vegan butcher shop in the US, was forced to close its doors after a devastating fire. But in November, following major repairs and a flood of community support, the vegan business finally re-opened. And it seems the butcher shop is going from strength to strength, because it’s set to appear on today’s episode of the Food Network’s Triple D Nation. The business first appeared on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives back in 2016, and the new episode will see Guy Fieri visit the shop for a second time.
“We’re so grateful to our community for lifting us back up this year,” Herbivorous Butcher said. “Let’s celebrate this huge moment together, and get ready… because after the episode airs, things are gonna get busy.”
Stockeld Dreamery’s original line included various dairy-free cheeses. | Stockeld Dreamery
East Coast-favorite vegan brand is revived from the dead
New York vegan brand Stockeld Dreamery, which specializes in making dairy-free cream cheese with cultured legumes, thought it was a goner. In October, it ceased operations, citing a lack of profitability. “We’re kind of selling on par with the top sellers, but we’re not out-selling them, and I think that’s kind of ultimately what made us decide [to throw in the towel] rather than dragging things out,” co-founder Sorosh Tavakoli told AgFunderNews.
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But it turns out, there is still hope. Just in the nick of time, vegan startup Bettani Farms (formerly Climax Foods) acquired the brand, alongside Numu and Hungry Planet, in December. “We found a new home for Stockeld Dreamery in the 25th hour,” Tavakoli posted on LinkedIn. “This means our Cultured Cream Cheese will remain available to bagel shops and restaurants in the US as part of Bettani Farms’ wider portfolio.”
Dairy-free milk brand Ripple Foods offers pea-based milks and protein shakes. | Ripple Foods
Ripple Foods just raised $17 million to expand
Ripple Foods also has some good news. The dairy-free milk company just completed a $17 million funding round to support growth and expand its portfolio. The investment comes alongside the appointment of a new CEO, Becky O’Grady, who brings 20 years of food-industry experience from her career at General Mills.
“This is a pivotal moment for Ripple,” said O’Grady. “Harnessing the power of our brand and the strength of our team, we are poised to unlock our full potential. We are launching innovative new products, driving consumer penetration and customer expansion, and opening new growth horizons through transformative partnerships and capabilities.”
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England's southern coast.
