Looking forward to try that. Let’s hope they can bring it to market.
Vegetarians buy those burgers, other people don't. People simply don't care about other reasons, they care if the product tastes good and is cheaper, they'll also consider health (i.e. lower fat/chemicals/processing/etc). That's it.
And this cheese has an even harder sell: There are even fewer vegans than there are vegetarians.
Their only hope is for this cheese to be cheaper than cow cheese, and based on their website and lack of retail sales I doubt that it is.
Over the past few years there has been a big increase in plant-based products I can buy from the supermarkets. A decade back they had two types of soy-milk, now there is 30-40 types/brands/flavours of plant-based 'milks'. Even the big dairy companies are now actively marketing plant-based dairy.
For example, bean or quinoa or whatever plant based burger patties are great (and cheaper), beyond or impossible imitation meat patties are awful (and expensive). Same with eggs and cheese.
Ok, but this is "vegan cheese" we're talking about, not meat. Cheese is already 100% meat
Most people don't object to dairy products from cows, that's something that really only vegans care enough about to change their diets
Are they? From FTA (emphasis added):
> The difference between that entrant and its competitors wasn’t a silky mouthfeel or buttery flavor, but rather the fact that the Climax Blue — which is served in restaurants including Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park in New York
Very clearly a boutique product
And the maker of the vegan cheese disputes this based on the criteria of the competition, but the awards didn’t give them a chance to respond.
Some people get violent diarrhea from ice cream, and some people can drink half a glass of milk before noticing any difference.
And some people might even choose a little bit of loose stool as the cost of eating dairy based. And some might not.