Rhode Island company creates convincingly good alternative cheeses
Barrett’s Garden was born out of a cheese-lover’s need for a vegan alternative.
Updated: 8:30 PM EDT Jul 26, 2024
VEGETARIAN LIZ BARRETT WAS A SELF-PROCLAIMED CHEESE FOR NATICK. I WOULD EAT CHEESE AND CRACKERS FOR DINNER, BUT THAT CHEESE OBSESSION SHIFTED TEN YEARS AGO AFTER BARRETT BECAME A VEGAN. NO ANIMAL PRODUCTS ALLOWED THE CHOICE LEFT HER WITH ONE QUESTION RINGING IN HER HEAD. HOW WOULD SHE GET HER CHEESY FIX? BARRETT’S GARDEN WAS BORN OUT OF NECESSITY. SHE TO FIND A REALLY GOOD NATURAL PRODUCT VEGAN CHEESE TO MAKE LASAGNA LAUNCHED IN 2018, BARRETT’S GARDEN STARTED WITH TWO PRODUCTS FARM JOHN A PARMESAN ALTERNATIVE MADE WITH CASHEWS AND FAUX COTTA, A RICOTTA ALTERNATIVE MADE WITH TOFU AND SPICES. CASHEWS AND TOFU ARE BOTH. THEY’RE HIGH IN PROTEIN. CASHEWS ARE LIKE JUST A MAGICAL INGREDIENT TO MAKE PLANT BASED CHEESES. THE BUSINESS STARTED TO TAKE OFF, SO I WAS DOING SALES AS I WAS RUNNING THE COMPANY, I WAS DOING PRODUCTION, I WAS DOING DELIVERIES. I HEARD ABOUT PLANTS TO FOOD, OPENING THE VERY FIRST PLANT BASED FOOD CO-PACKING FACILITY IN THE COUNTRY. AS A VEGAN COMPANY, I WAS LIKE, OH MY GOSH, THAT WOULD BE LIKE BEAUTIFUL. WE FEATURED PLANTS TO FOOD HERE ON CHRONICLE BEFORE YOUR SO THIS IS WHERE WE’RE GOING TO EXPAND THE CHEESE ROOMS. NOW THAT CHEESE ROOM IS FULLY OPERATIONAL. OREGANO, BASIL, THE PLANTS, THE FOOD TEAM CAREFULLY MEASURING EVERY INGREDIENT AND THEN TESTING FOR SAFETY. WE’RE GOING TO TAKE THE PH OF THE KOLKATA. SINCE JOINING PLANTS TO FOOD, BARRETT HAS BEEN ABLE TO FOCUS MORE ON THE SALES SIDE OF BARRETT’S GARDEN. THIS IS MY LABELS. HER SALES ARE CONTINUING TO GROW. BARRETT’S GARDEN PARMESAN IS NOW ON OVER 140 HANNAFORD GROCERY STORE SHELVES. SO HANNAFORD’S WAS LOOKING FOR THIS. I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THEM AND I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ON BOARD WITH THAT RELATIONSHIP IF IT WEREN’T FOR PLANTS TO FOOD. I NEEDED THIS TYPE OF FACILITY TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. WE’VE COVERED THE PARMESAN AND FAUX COTTA, BUT THAT’S NOT ALL BARRETT’S GARDEN IS KNOWN FOR, FROM CREAMY CLASSICS LIKE PUB STYLE, CHEDDAR SPREAD AND VEGAN CREAM CHEESE FOR INGREDIENTS, CASHEWS, SALT, SALT, LEMON JUICE AND WHITE VINEGAR TO BOLD CREATIONS LIKE AN IPA CHEDDAR, WHICH IS A COLLABORATION WITH THE BEER FROM REVIVAL BREWING IN PROVIDENCE. BARRETT SAYS HER BRAND ISN’T JUST FOR VEGANS, THOUGH THERE IS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE. SOMEBODY TRIED IT THIS MORNING RIGHT NOW AND THEIR FACE WENT, WHOA! SO IT’S THAT THING. IT’S THE LOOK ON THE FACE WHEN THEY TRY IT AND THEY’RE SO SURPRISED THAT IT TASTES LI
Rhode Island company creates convincingly good alternative cheeses
Barrett’s Garden was born out of a cheese-lover’s need for a vegan alternative.
Updated: 8:30 PM EDT Jul 26, 2024
When Liz Barrett decided to become a vegan, she was missing one thing … cheese. This is when she worked on creating cheesy alternatives, and Barrett’s Garden was born. Her first two products were Farmesan, a cashew-based parmesan alternative and Fauxcotta, a ricotta alternative made with tofu and spices. Now she’s based at Plants to Food in Lincoln, Rhode Island and pumping out several varieties of cheese alternatives from a dairy-free cream cheese to an IPA cheddar.
LINCOLN, R.I. —
When Liz Barrett decided to become a vegan, she was missing one thing … cheese. This is when she worked on creating cheesy alternatives, and Barrett’s Garden was born. Her first two products were Farmesan, a cashew-based parmesan alternative and Fauxcotta, a ricotta alternative made with tofu and spices. Now she’s based at Plants to Food in Lincoln, Rhode Island and pumping out several varieties of cheese alternatives from a dairy-free cream cheese to an IPA cheddar.