In our world of expanding food options, you don't have to be vegan to dabble in dairy-free cheese. When looking for vegan cheese, it can be hard to find quality products with real ingredients. A new Toronto vegan cheese store, The Wandering Deli, has got you covered with their delightful array of up to 30 mainly nut-based artisanal cheeses, and they are set to open up shop by as early as the end of 2019!Founder Kira Lancaster tells Narcity that she has been making vegan cheese for over eight years and has been selling her products since 2015. She started off as the Secret Vegan Cheese Club, which has been noticed by several Toronto news outlets in the past. The cheeses are mainly made out of cashews and almond mylks, with coconut kefir as a culturing agent. They have sunflower seed and pumpkin seed-based cheeses too, for those looking for nut-free options. View this post on Instagram Dear market regulars: tomorrow, September 2nd, will be our LAST Market until September 16th!! We are gearing up to spend next weekend vending our goods @vegfoodfest , and it’s quite an undertaking for our tiny operation! We will need a much needed rest afterward- thank you for understanding, and come stock up on your faves! DM if you’d like anything held😍 A post shared by Wandering Deli (@wanderingdeli) on Sep 1, 2019 at 12:04pm PDT View this post on Instagram Phew! Only one more sleep until our first @vegfoodfest - we are so honoured to be vending amongst companies we admire, and are so looking forward to bringing our goods to so many of you for the first time. 🥥 Please come say hi! We have so much to talk about- like launching a campaign to open up Toronto’s first little vegan cheese shop, offering collaborations, workshops and retreats with creative foodies and magic makers, and of course, cheese! Can’t wait to see you out there, and can’t thank those that have helped make this happen enough🙏🧀❤️ A post shared by Wandering Deli (@wanderingdeli) on Sep 5, 2019 at 2:33pm PDT "The most popular is the Smokey Paprika Ash," says Kira. "It is a cultured cashew cheese with coconut kefir culture. It has a flavour of smoke to it from smoked paprika with a touch of liquid smoke and then is given an activated charcoal rind." When it gets extra time to dry out, it creates a crackle pattern as seen below. View this post on Instagram When Smokey Paprika Ash gets to dry in overtime, it creates a stunning crackle pattern- truly a delight each time it happens, as each cheese is its own unique matrix of lava-like wrinkles. It’s heartmade for sure. #veganartisanalcheese #torontovegans A post shared by Wandering Deli (@wanderingdeli) on Aug 19, 2019 at 10:17am PDT "Instead of launching products in stores I’ve been more of like a special order company," Kira said to Narcity. "Most of the time I've done special order bundles, so I'll do a theme every month. Usually it's whatever is happening seasonally. I'll release a harvest bundle pretty soon, during Pride I do a unicorn bundle with lots of cool colours and flowers." View this post on Instagram You may have noticed WD didn’t offer a May bundle on this platform- truthfully there were enough ‘secret’ orders this month that there was less of a need to plug it! Yay! So- here’s a sneak peak of June’s special- rose chamomile cashew chevre, part of a bundle that’s inspired by all things unicorn 🦄! #vegancheese #unicorncheese #unicornvegancheese A post shared by Wandering Deli (@wanderingdeli) on May 19, 2019 at 1:16pm PDT View this post on Instagram Post vegfest! It’s time for some serious gratitude 🌸 Thank you so much to all of the folks who came out and supported us during our first big fest- it was exciting to share our vision of Toronto first vegan cheese shop with so many new faces, and deeply meaningful to see so many long time fans from the ‘secret’ days as well as the farmers market. ( link in bio- but keep reading for warm fuzzies) Thank you to fellow entrepreneurs who came by to say hello and offer much needed encouragement as we put ourselves out there in a new way. @eastend.vegan - Melissa came by and offered some pretty spot on ‘what to expect’ advice that truly put us at ease, @bartholomew_sisters, our booth mate, was so supportive and fun to be around ( and their mom was so cool!) Margaret of @nutsforcheese was so welcoming and truly spoke my language, as well as the lovely duo from @veganstokes -and many whose handles I don’t know came by for a chat. Starting a small business is a unique journey that does not happen in a vacuum, it happens in community. The support of customers who love the product, fellow entrepreneurs who have paved the way, and friends and family who lift you up is what makes the seeds of our passions blossom. 🥥 Thank you to @heart_roars for the unwavering support and co-creation of edible dreaming, To @lady__gaia for such open listening, true friendship,wheels, and many a tulsi tea. To @whatpriyasaid for seeing me as someone to collaborate with from the get-go, for sharing a true zest for veg food with me, and truly singing my praises at every turn To my bestie @juliafeltham for sending me a handmade postcard that I read every 14hour day as we approached this. To @amandasatov.nd @theplantlifecanada Pete and Michelle & Steve for getting us to an fro when we were so tired all we could really say was ‘cheese’. To James for all of your know how and much needed helper hands! We have taken a break (grocery shop fun!)and are ready to launch into full fall excitement, with a campaign for the shop, workshops a plenty, the return of bundles and more farmers markets. Our Indiegogo link is LIVE and in our bio! We are doing this and it’s thanks to all of you. A post shared by Wandering Deli (@wanderingdeli) on Sep 11, 2019 at 3:59pm PDT View this post on Instagram Cashew coconut brie is taking another swing at the market today- the ‘fourth place’ spot will likely rotate, but for the next couple of weeks this beloved mild cheese is in the neighborhood and waiting for your platters! #cashewcoconutcheese #cashewcoconutisthenewdoublecream #torontofoodartisan A post shared by Wandering Deli (@wanderingdeli) on Jul 8, 2019 at 10:05am PDT Now, the Toronto vegan cheese company is looking to take their business to the next step and open up an actual shop. "I really love the walk-in deli style cheese shop," says Kira. "It’s so community neighbourhoodly so I really want that experience for my vegan community." They currently operate out of a large kitchen space at King and Roncesvalles, which they are planning to make some renovations to in order to make their cheese shop a reality. Follow this crowdfunding link to donate. Wandering Deli also sells their cheeses at local farmers markets such as the Annette Village farmer's market. You can keep up with them on Instagram.
