Vegan from the ground up
It began in a small vegan restaurant in London, Ontario five years ago. Today, Margaret Coons’ Nuts for Cheese is supplying 1,600+ Canadian stores and new US buyers with vegan cheese and butter made from fermented organic cashews. Margaret is the Founder & CEO and she is both excited and humbled by the incredible growth of her company.
Margaret says a good part of her success comes from consumers looking for plant-based options and addressing dietary sensitivities. It helps that veganism has become more mainstream too. Once people try Nuts for Cheese products they are hooked.
The product line includes 6 flavours of cheese and the recent addition of butter – Salted Original and Herb & Garlic, that replaces traditional butter on a 1:1 ratio in cooking.
Putting people first results in business success
The company has tripled their production space and developed a team of individuals passionate about making ethically-sourced, delicious food. COVID-19 accelerated the creation of the ‘big family’ environment for production and administration employees. Personal protective equipment (PPE) – boots, hairnets, lab coats, masks – was already standard garb for frontline workers pre-COVID. But Nuts for Cheese implemented changes such as an increase in pay, uber transport to work to avoid public transportation, and an understanding that if staff felt uncomfortable they didn’t have to come to work.
“We have just launched a huge expansion plan into the US, we are developing new products, and we are growing our production team. It takes the perfect blend of people to make something special – I am so thankful for our Nuts for Cheese family.”
Margaret Coons, Founder & CEO, Nuts for Cheese.
