Food tech company Climax Foods announces the launch of Climax Blue – a cultured and aged blue cheese alternative that is the first of offering from Climax’s  “zero compromise” plant-based cheese line. Climax Blue will roll out to food service operators in April, including Michelin-starred restaurants, before debuting in US retailers later this year.

Described as being indistinguishable and at price parity with its dairy counterpart, Climax Blue is made to offer the same indulgence as dairy cheese without the climate impact. The signature cheese comes streaked with a flavorful blue-green veining and has a creamy, fudgy texture. The blue cheese can be crumbled in salads, mixed into dressings, or featured on cheese boards.

According to Climax, all of its specialty plant-based cheeses offer the same protein content as animal-based cheese but with healthier fats and no gums, fillers, artificial additives or GMOs.

More affordable than competitors

Using data science, the company says it works to understand the flavor characteristics of animal products on a microscopic level. By applying a proprietary, deep intelligence platform that increases the speed and scale of production, Climax cheeses are more affordable and economic than their premium-priced competitors, the company states.

Climax Blue has generated a lot of excitement among top chefs, and beginning in April, the product will debut at several premier US dining establishments, including 3-Star Michelin-rated Atelier Crenn in San Francisco, Plant Food + Wine in Venice Beach, LIORA in Baltimore, and VEG’D in Costa Mesa, California, with more restaurants being added this year.

“Beyond imagination”

“I am very impressed by Climax Food Inc.’s masterfully crafted specialty cheeses, which are made from plants but indiscernible when compared to the finest dairy-based cheeses,” says Chef Dominique Crenn of Atelier Crenn.

She continued, “We are committed to providing unparalleled quality and flavor in every dish we create and are equally as conscious about our ingredients’ impact on the environment. I appreciate that Climax aligns with our values on many levels, and I believe our guests will be delighted by their products. Climax Blue is one of my favorites, it is soft, buttery and surprisingly rich—beyond imagination for a vegan cheese.”

“Climax Foods Inc. represents what I have been waiting for after 20 years as a plant-based chef,” says Chef Matthew Kenney. “The impact of incredible tasting with addictive textural characteristics, which are uncompromising and satiating foods, made solely from plants, cannot be over-emphasized in the future of consumerism. Not only are these alternatives to traditional dairy products critical to the wellbeing of the environment, health, and food security. Ultimately, these products are superior to dairy in terms of taste, texture flavor and Integrity.”

Passion and excitement

Climax will be sampling blue cheese, along with its upcoming line of plant-based brie, chevre and feta, at this week’s Expo West. “We’re committed to satisfying taste cravings wherever people are dining, whether at a 3 Star Michelin restaurant or in the comfort of your own kitchen,” says Climax Founder and CEO Oliver Zahn.

He adds, “We are tapping into the rich diversity of the plant kingdom in a way that no other company has done before to create foods that are better in every way, and at scale. Moreover, the passion and excitement for Climax cheeses’ great taste by some of the world’s most celebrated chefs is especially meaningful as we look to grow our brand, and surprise and delight fans with every bite.”

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