Taste Test – Lauds Plant-based Foods
Oh Laud! It’s plant-based cheese! Recently we did a taste test to find out what plant-based cheese is really like. Read on to find out what we thought.
Lauds Plant-based Foods is a Tassie venture, established in 2018 by Dani Wheatley and her partner Simon Paul. The business grew from a shared passion to create a range of plant-based foods to make a lasting difference to our world and to help others to live a healthier, more compassionate and sustainable life.
Dani and Simon set out to satisfy even the most discerning cheese and dairy eaters’ cravings by producing dairy-free, 100% plant-based and lactose-free products, without sacrificing taste. And the name? It comes from Lauderdale, Dani and Simon’s coastal hometown on the Eastern Shore near Hobart.
Lauds is a great option if you have made an ethical choice to go plant-based, or if you have a lactose intolerance which means dairy cheese is a no-go zone.
Lauds cheeses are made with plant-based milks and traditional cheesemaking techniques: cultures, fermentation and maturation. The range now includes an Aged Cashew Cheese, Ashed Walnut Cheese, Original Oat Melt, Tasty Oat Melt, Almond and Cashew Persian Fetta, Cultured Oat Butter, Smoked Oat Cheese and a whole range of cream cheeses infused with flavours like Truffle and Beetroot.
Lauds Plant-based Foods are stocked in most Hill Street stores. Check your local store for availability.
We chose to taste test the Aged Cashew Cheese, and the Original Oat Melt.
The Aged Cashew Cheese is a vegan cashew cheese. It’s a lactose free, gluten-free and dairy-free vegan cheese.
It’s a semi-hard, matured cheese with sharp cheddar overtones and a creamy texture. It would be great as a table cheese on a platter or added to a bechamel to make a creamy cheese sauce. Overall, we thought it was really tasty with quite a bit of sharpness and it definitely satisfied our cheesy cravings.
Next was the Lauds Tasty Oat Melt, which is made from Tasmanian organic oats and flavoured with matured cashew cheese. We put a few slices between two pieces of bread and put it in the toasty machine – and within a few minutes had a melty, delicious and satisfying cheese toastie. It was surprisingly good!
This cheese would also be great on top of pizzas, lasagne or nachos, or added to savoury pastries for a melty cheese indulgence. It’s dairy-free, low fat, and 100% plant-based.
On the strength of our tastings, we’ve decided to slowly work our way through the entire range – give them a try next time you’re at your local Hill Street store.
Lauds Plant-based Foods are stocked in most Hill Street stores statewide. Check with your local store for availability.
