Nuts For Cheese
Nuts For Cheese is a London, Ontario-based plant-based food company founded in 2015 by vegan chef Margaret Coons that produces organic, dairy-free, fermented cashew-based cheeses, cream cheeses, dips, and butters, selling across Canada and all 50 U.S. states through DTC e-commerce and premium natural food retailers including Whole Foods Market and Sprouts.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersLondon, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Nuts For Cheese does
Nuts For Cheese is a London, Ontario-based plant-based food company founded in 2015 by vegan chef Margaret Coons. The company produces certified organic, 100% dairy-free vegan cheeses, cream cheeses, dips, and cultured butters made from organic cashews using house-made quinoa rejuvelac fermentation cultures. All products are free from starches, gums, and fillers, and carry USDA Organic, Canadian Organic, Vegan, and Gluten-Free certifications. Manufacturing occurs at a 25,000 sq.ft facility in London, Ontario that has been expanded multiple times to keep pace with demand.
The company's product portfolio is organized under four sub-brands: Nuts For Cheese wedges (varieties including Un-Brie-Lievable, Sharp Cheddar, Smoky Gouda, Super Blue, Chipotle Cheddar, Black Garlic, and Artichoke & Herb) priced at $9.99 USD; Nuts For Cream Cheese spreads (Original and Garlic & Herb); Nuts For Dips (Dill Pickle, Artichoke & Jalapeño, Roasted Red Pepper, French Onion) at $7.99 USD; and Nuts For Butter cultured dairy-free butters. The core production technology is proprietary cashew-based fermentation using house-made cultures, producing probiotic content and flavor profiles that the company characterizes as difficult to replicate.
Nuts For Cheese operates a dual-channel go-to-market: direct-to-consumer e-commerce through its Shopify-powered website, and wholesale distribution through premium natural food retailers including Whole Foods Market, Sprouts Farmers Market, Erewhon, Wegmans, and Farm Boy, with additional availability via Instacart. Products reach all 50 U.S. states and Canada. The company raised $5.35 million in June 2022 led by Forage Capital Partners and was recognized with the 2020 Most Innovative Product award from the Canadian Health Food Association. Cream cheese category sales grew 5,305% YoY per Circana data for the 52-week period ending Feb. 22, signaling rapid category expansion.
Nuts For Cheese firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Nuts For Cheese
- Legal name
- 2525645 Ontario Inc.
- Website
- https://nutsforcheese.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Nuts For Cheese is a London, Ontario-based plant-based food company founded in 2015 by vegan chef Margaret Coons that produces organic, dairy-free, fermented cashew-based cheeses, cream cheeses, dips, and butters, selling across Canada and all 50 U.S. states through DTC e-commerce and premium natural food retailers including Whole Foods Market and Sprouts.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Nuts For Cheese industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Plant-Based Dairy Alternatives
- NAICS
- Cheese Manufacturing (311513)
- SIC
- Dairy Products (2020)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Plant-Based Cheese Analogues Processing (Slices, Shreds, Blocks, Meltables) (AFAHAJAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Plant-Based Milk & Creamer Processing (Oat, Soy, Almond, Coconut, Blends) (AFAHAJAA)
Keywords
Where Nuts For Cheese is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Nuts For Cheese business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Direct-to-Consumer E-commerce: Products sold directly through nutsforcheese.com website to individual consumers. Customers can browse product catalog, purchase online, and receive products shipped to their location with free Canadian shipping over $75.
- Retail/Wholesale Distribution: Products sold wholesale to natural food retailers including Whole Foods Market, Sprouts Farmers Market, Farm Boy, Erewhon, and Wegmans. Products available in all 50 US states and across Canada.
- Instacart Online Delivery: Products available for purchase through Instacart platform, enabling same-day delivery through partner retailers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cheese wedges (brie, cheddar, gouda, blue, specialty) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cream cheese style spreads and creamy cashew dips |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels5 records
Nuts For Cheese product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Nuts For Cheese produces artisanal, 100% dairy-free, certified organic vegan cheeses, cultured butters, cream cheese spreads, and creamy dips made primarily from organic cashews. Products are fermented using a house-made quinoa rejuvelac culture system and are sold across all 50 U.S. states and Canada via direct-to-consumer e-commerce and premium natural food retail partners.
Product overview
Nuts For Cheese is a producer of artisanal, dairy-free, plant-based cheeses and butters made from organic cashews. The product portfolio includes four main sub-brands: (1) Nuts For Cheese premium cheese wedges (fermented and aged cashew cheeses in varieties like Un-Brie-Lievable, Sharp Cheddar, Smoky Gouda, Super Blue, Chipotle Cheddar, Black Garlic, and Artichoke & Herb); (2) Nuts For Cream Cheese cream cheese style spreads (Original and Garlic & Herb); (3) Nuts For Dips creamy cashew dips (Dill Pickle, Artichoke & Jalapeño, Roasted Red Pepper, and French Onion); and (4) Nuts For Butter cultured dairy-free butters (Salted Original, Unsalted Original, Herb & Garlic). All products are certified organic, vegan, gluten-free, and free from dairy, soy, and artificial flavors, featuring fermentation-based production with no starches, gums, or fillers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Nuts For Cheese Dairy-Free Cheese Wedges 100% dairy-free, certified organic, vegan cheese wedges made from organic cashews fermented with house-made quinoa rejuvelac cultures and aged to perfection, available in Un-Brie-Lievable, Artichoke & Herb, Black Garlic, Chipotle Cheddar, Sharp Cheddar, Smoky Gouda, and Super Blue varieties, priced at $9.99 USD per wedge.
- Nuts For Cream Cheese Style Spreads Dairy-free cream cheese style spreads with smooth, creamy texture and fresh, tangy flavor, available in Original and Garlic & Herb varieties, priced at $7.99 USD.
- Nuts For Dips Creamy Cashew Dips
- Nuts For Butter Cultured Dairy-Free Butters House-cultured dairy-free butters formulated as 1:1 replacements for conventional butter, available in Salted Original, Unsalted Original, and Herb & Garlic varieties.
Quantifiable outcome
- 5,305% YoY sales increase in cream cheese category
Companies that use Nuts For Cheese
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Nuts For Cheese technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature3 records
Nuts For Cheese partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Whole Foods MarketcorePrimary U.S. retail partner. Nuts For Cheese products are sold in Whole Foods Market locations across all 50 U.S. states. This partnership enabled the company's expansion south of the Canadian border.
- Sprouts Farmers MarketcoreMajor natural food retailer partner in U.S. market. Products available in Sprouts locations, expanding Nuts For Cheese's physical retail presence in the United States alongside Whole Foods Market.
- Farm BoyminorFirst major retail milestone for the company. When buzz grew around Nuts For Cheese at farmer's markets, Farm Boy was the first retailer to ask Margaret to sell her cheese in their stores. Packaging up the first wedges and shipping them off to Farm Boy was a key early growth milestone.
- ErewhoncorePremium natural food grocery chain in the U.S. market. Partnership with Erewhon is part of Nuts For Cheese's strategy of focused physical retail partnerships with high-end retailers to build brand credibility.
- WegmanscoreRegional grocery chain partnership in U.S. expansion. Wegmans is a well-regarded supermarket chain known for quality products, aligning with Nuts For Cheese's premium positioning.
- InstacartminorOnline grocery delivery platform partnership enabling same-day delivery of Nuts For Cheese products through Instacart's marketplace and partner retail locations.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Nuts For Cheese competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Miyoko's Creamery: Direct competitor producing artisanal plant-based cheeses and butters using traditional cheesemaking techniques. Comparable premium positioning, similar ingredient philosophy (no gums/fillers), and overlapping retail channel strategy targeting Whole Foods and natural food retailers.
- Violife: Major plant-based cheese brand owned by Upfield, producing coconut oil-based vegan cheese slices, blocks, and shreds. Directly competes in plant-based cheese category with broader mass-market distribution but less artisanal positioning.
- Daiya Foods: Plant-based cheese and pizza products owned by Otsuka. Directly competes with Nuts For Cheese in retail plant-based cheese category, particularly in mass-market channels and foodservice applications.
- Treeline Cheese: Cashew-based artisanal vegan cheese producer with similar fermentation-based approach and clean-label positioning. Comparable in size, ingredient philosophy, and premium retail channel strategy to Nuts For Cheese.
- Kite Hill: Plant-based cheese, cream cheese, and yogurt producer using nut-based (almond) fermentation. Direct competitor in premium plant-based dairy alternatives with similar Whole Foods/Sprouts distribution and clean-label positioning.
- Follow Your Heart: Established plant-based cheese and dairy alternative brand with vegan cheese slices, shreds, and blocks. Comparable in plant-based cheese category with longer history and broader mass-market distribution.
- Dr. Cow Tree Nut Cheese: Artisanal tree nut cheese producer based in Brooklyn using fermentation techniques similar to Nuts For Cheese. Highly comparable in production methodology, artisanal positioning, and premium channel focus.
Broad incumbents
- Upfield: Global plant-based spreads and dairy alternatives company owning Violife, Becel, Flora, and other brands. Operates broadly across plant-based dairy category with significantly greater scale and capital than Nuts For Cheese.
Emerging players
- New Culture: Precision fermentation company producing casein-based dairy-identical cheese. Emerging player targeting the same dairy cheese market with technology-based approach that could eventually compete with artisanal plant-based brands like Nuts For Cheese.
Regional players
- Sheese: UK-based plant-based cheese brand owned by Bute Island Foods. Comparable product offering in plant-based cheese category but primarily serves UK and European markets rather than North American distribution focus.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Nuts For Cheese social profiles
Digital presenceNuts For Cheese compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Nuts For Cheese financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Nuts For Cheese leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Nuts For Cheese funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Nuts For Cheese M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Nuts For Cheese
What does Nuts For Cheese do?
Nuts For Cheese produces artisanal, 100% dairy-free, certified organic vegan cheeses, cultured butters, cream cheese spreads, and creamy dips made primarily from organic cashews. Products are fermented using a house-made quinoa rejuvelac culture system and are sold across all 50 U.S. states and Canada via direct-to-consumer e-commerce and premium natural food retail partners.
Is Nuts For Cheese a public or private company?
Nuts For Cheese is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Nuts For Cheese founded?
Nuts For Cheese was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Nuts For Cheese based?
Nuts For Cheese is headquartered in London, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Nuts For Cheese make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Direct-to-Consumer E-commerce is the primary driver. The others are retail/Wholesale Distribution and instacart Online Delivery.
Who are Nuts For Cheese's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Miyoko's Creamery, Violife, Daiya Foods, Treeline Cheese, Kite Hill, Follow Your Heart and Dr. Cow Tree Nut Cheese. Upfield is listed as a broad incumbent. New Culture is listed as an emerging player. Sheese is listed as a regional player.
Does Nuts For Cheese have an API?
No public API is recorded for Nuts For Cheese.
What industry is Nuts For Cheese in?
Nuts For Cheese's product category is Plant-Based Dairy Alternatives. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAHAJAC, Plant-Based Cheese Analogues Processing (Slices, Shreds, Blocks, Meltables), with a secondary code of AFAHAJAA, Plant-Based Milk & Creamer Processing (Oat, Soy, Almond, Coconut, Blends). Its NAICS code is 311513 and its SIC code is 2020.