Our Story

Dare to be Different

Darë Vegan Cheese started as a play on words from founder Gwendolyn Dare Hageman's middle name, written on a napkin in a dark Asheville dive bar after yet another long kitchen shift. She knew two things, she wanted to make vegan cheese that was actually good- to recreate the standard and quality of cheesemaking with a new medium- and, well, she wanted her life’s work to be a pun.

Pronounced like dairy, tastes like dairy, but there is, in fact, no dairy. Plus, when pronounced incorrectly, like it often is, the name is still a cheeky nod to the bold approach in which the entire company has been built- dare to try something different.

Pleased to Cheese

Beyond better cheese, she wanted a better life for herself, not dictated by the volatility of the service industry and burnt-out bosses, and wanted to extend that love for your job to others.

Starting in the basement kitchen of the restaurant where she worked, Gwendolyn began producing and sharing products at farmer’s markets in 2019. Today, Darë cheeses can be found in 40+ states, plus at our trusted partners Whole Foods Market, Earth Fare, and Harris Teeter.

This journey to making the best cheese has also bettered all of our lives, and it's definitely not lost on us that we make others lives better too.

Meet the Team

It's Nuts

We aim to be the best dairy-free cheese out there, and if we’re being honest, we just want you to say, “Hey, that’s really good cheese.”

We work with clean ingredients, healthy microbes, and a little culinary wizardry to create dairy free cheese that cannot be distinguished from dairy. With our commitment to culinary craft and high quality ingredients, we are changing the way people enjoy their favorite food. We've made cheese better, it's nuts.

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