Vegan Cheese for 820 Washington, at St Johns. Projected opening date: October 2015

"Riverdel is a gourmet, vegan cheese shop opening up in Brooklyn, New York in late 2015.

We believe in a different kind of cheese...one that doesn't need dairy! We
will offer a large variety of vegan, artisanal cheeses, non-dairy
yogurts and nut milks. We'll also make fresh cheese, yogurts and nut
milks in house. Our goal is to be the foremost vegan cheese specialist
in the greater New York area.

Our shop will also offer a selection of fine sandwiches, showcasing the
various cheeses available. In addition we'll offer cheese flights,
cheese platters, crafts beers, wine and a large variety of complimenting
foods such as crackers, jams, chutneys, etc. Our cheeses will be sourced from all over the country, but we also support local companies by carrying artisanal "Made in Brooklyn" products."

https://www.riverdelcheese.com/

https://www.facebook.com/riverdelcheese?pnref=lhc

Rachel:
http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20150909/prospect-heights/vegan-cheese-shop-opening-this-fall-on-washington-avenue

BTW, I must say that I was excited about getting a new local cheese shop until I realized we were not getting one.

Is the market for vegan cheese that great? This just seems like a super niche market...

As a long time vegan (20 years this month) who remembers when there weren't any vegan options in the neighborhood, count me among the excited.  I'm just waiting for some of the vegan donut places to get priced out of Williamsburg and move down here.  That would make me very happy.....and pre-diabetic.

I don't know enough vegans to know whether they genuinely like vegan cheese.

My thought is that everyone knows a vegan, yet might not understand them or know what to buy them for a gift.

While @mcpoet is a good counter example, I imagine many vegans receive a gift of cheese from their non-vegan friends with the same awkwardness that black people feel upon receiving a tashiki from a white friend,

...or a jewish person feels upon receiving an menorah from someone who is decidely not jewish but well meaning.

I don't know enough vegans to know whether they genuinely like vegan cheese.

My thought is that everyone knows a vegan, yet might not understand them or know what to buy them for a gift.

While @mcpoet is a good counter example, I imagine many vegans receiving a gift of cheese from their non-vegan friends with the same awkwardness that black people feel upon receiving a tashiki from a white friend,

...or a jewish person feels upon receiving an menorah from someone who is decidely not jewish but well meaning.

I'm open to receiving unsolicited gifts of vegan cheese. ;-)

For the sake of the proprieters, I hope you are not alone.

BTW, let the record show that if anyone gives me vegan cheese, I will give it to mcpoet.

Honest question here: can Jews who keep kosher put vegan cheese on meat? That might be a way to add to their market. Otherwise, I can't see this one lasting long.

If vegan cheese is made from soy, then they should be able to do so. 
However, I'd bet that they won't, since it will still seem "wrong" (illogically, but nevertheless....)

As one might expect, humanity has asked this question before:
http://www.jewishvaluesonline.org/1070

@booklaw and the reform rabbi seem to agree:

"There is the concept of mar’eit ayin, concerning perception and how certain things appear to others. In that regard, I am sure there are many who would say this practice should be avoided, particularly in public, as a passerby is unlikely to know whether the “cheese” product on the meat is actually non-dairy vegan, and thereby think you are breaking kashrut. But in the strictest sense of the Torah laws and halacha, as long as the product is not dairy in any way, it can be mixed with meat and still be within the bounds of kashrut."

http://www.jewishvaluesonline.org/1070

Good point about observant Jews being potential customers. I hope the owners are reading this thread and use this in their marketing strategies. Otherwise, I agree with other commenters that it would be difficult to survive.

Those who are not vegan but lactose intolerant may rejoice in having a vegan cheese shop around as well. Perhaps local restaurants and cafes wanting to have vegan cheese options for some of their dishes can source from them also.

All small markets on their own, but combined, may be good enough for them to survive.

Has anyone who's not a vegan tried this type of "cheese" and is it any good? I love cheese, but wouldn't mind reducing my fat intake. Am I likely to be happy with this ersatz cheese?

I've tried vegan hard cheese and vegan cream cheese. Both didn't taste like cheese at all, almost had a fake butter sorta flavor.

This video shows people eating vegan cheese for the first time



 

I'm actually excited! My boyfriend and I have been experimenting with veganism (only for a few months now) and aren't the best at it yet and aren't sure it'll be a permanent thing, but we've both noticed that avoiding dairy definitely helps with heart burn and digestion. A few of the non-dairy cheeses we've had are definitely gross, but I'm looking forward to trying Riverdel, especially if they end up selling other foods like crackers and breads for their cheese, or other spreads/appetizers-- could be good for hosting friends, vegan or not.

That storefront never does well.

Vegan cheeses have made some strides over the years. Most have honestly been pretty awful. IMO it's easier to create mock meats with stuff like soy protein than it is to create a mock cheese. Daiya is my go to vegan cheese at the moment (made of cassava and arrowroot). It's better than past alternatives in terms of flavor and consistency, though probably more something you mix in with other food, as opposed to stand alone cheese (I'm imagining non-vegans just sitting around eating entire whole blocks of cheese). The proprietors of Riverdel told me that their cheeses are primarily nut based. I'm definitely curious to try it out. I'll try to hop on and provide a review once I've tried some.

Then, compare it to yummy cheese from someplace like Trader Joe's.

Riverdel opens tomorrow, per their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/riverdelcheese. 

I just walked by-- looks pretty nice!

Press:  http://brooklynbased.com/blog/2016/02/29/vegan-cheese-riverdel-brooklyn/

Gothamist finally caught up with Riverdel.

I'm not vegetarian or vegan, but over the weekend, I stopped in the store with a friend who is. Everyone who worked there was very friendly, and they offered us lots of samples of the different "cheeses" that they have available.  I would say that their own brand of chevre-like rolls tasted the most like actual cheese.  I wasn't a fan of the Dr. Cow products, but there were some others that I really did enjoy. No one is going to mistake these products for actual cheese, but that doesn't make them not delicious! They also have nice loaves of bread and lot of other gourmet pantry items, which aren't necessarily specific to vegans.  So, whether you are vegan or not, it still seems like a good resource for any foodies in the area.