Aldi celebrates Veganuary with launch of top vegan brand in 994 stores

Multi-award-winning plant-based cheese to go into 994 Aldi stores with new branding

Aldi is set to celebrate Veganuary 2023 with the launch of one of the UK’s leading plant-based cheezes into its stores across the UK.

The supermarket giant will be adding Applewood Vegan Block (200g) to 994 Aldi from 1 January for the first-ever time as part of their January SpecialBuys promotions. The Applewood Vegan in Aldi will be the first time that Applewood’s new branding has been in store. The new positioning has given the brand a more contemporary feel, moving away from the “traditional British cheddar with a twist” to “A Brit Different” which combines British Cheddar Cheese with the added quirky twist of the unique smoky taste.

Applewood Vegan, which is now the second biggest vegan cheeze brand* in the UK, is also available in Asda, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose, Ocado and Morrisons.

Applewood was the UK’s first major cheese brand to launch a vegan cheese alternative when it hit the market back in October 2019. It proved to be so popular with vegans – and flexitarians – when it launched, that 40% of the stores of the first major supermarket that stocked it sold out on the first day.

Its popularity was due to its meltability factor; it melts just as well as its dairy cheese counterparts. It is fortified with B12 and calcium, is coconut based, has Applewood’s unique smoked flavouring and is free from dairy, lactose, soya, gluten and palm oil.

Following the success of the Applewood Vegan launch, the Grated and Slices format quickly followed, and so did the awards. Applewood has won 11 awards since October 2019.

Ffion Davies, Brand Manager, for Applewood and Applewood Vegan, says: “What a great way to celebrate Veganuary for our amazing Applewood Vegan with a listing in Aldi, one of the fastest-growing supermarket groups in the UK.

“It’s a great way to kickstart 2023 and is a real boost for the brand to be featured in eight supermarket groups now.”

Veganuary head of communications Toni Vernelli says: “Applewood Vegan making it into Aldi’s Special buys promotions is a huge step forward for plant-based cheese and will be a great help to people taking part in Veganuary. In our 2022 Participant Survey, which polled people who took part in Veganuary that year, the number one food they missed when swapping to a plant-based diet was cheese.

“But with brands such as Applewood Vegan now being stocked in all of the major supermarkets, there is no reason why cheese should be at the top of the ‘most missed list’ next year.”

Applewood Vegan Block (200g) is available to buy in 994 Aldi stores from 1 January 2023