Plant-based cheese start-up Quevana has opened what is said to be one of Europe’s largest cashew cheese production facilities in Segovia, Spain.
The new factory is located in Vallelado, a rural village in Segovia. It marks a key milestone in Quevana’s growth, aiming to support the company’s mission to ‘revolutionise the dairy industry with delicious, healthy and sustainable plant-based alternatives.’
Quevana’s new 2,400-square-metre facility has been transformed into a specialist production site for crafting its fermented and aged cashew cheeses. The site was once a meat processing plant before its closure in 2013, and has now been fully renovated with capacity to produce over 400,000 cheese products per month.
By using cashew milk instead of cow’s milk, Quevana replicates traditional cheesemaking processes resulting in a range of semi-aged, dairy-free cheeses made with only three base ingredients: cashews, salt and probiotics. They contain 16% protein and no cholesterol or lactose.
According to Quevana, its cheeses produce up to 60% less carbon emissions and eutrophication, and 90% less land use compared to traditional dairy cheese production.
In September 2023, the company cut the prices of its products by 50%, reaching price parity with dairy cheeses thanks to scaled production. It reported a ‘surge’ in demand following the reduction, requiring further scaling of its production capabilities.
Alejandro Álvarez Rubio, CEO and co-founder of Quevana, said: “This is a historic step in the development of our company and will allow us to keep growing with our existing clients as well as to start working with many new ones which we couldn’t supply before due to production capacity”.
Quevana’s portfolio currently includes six cashew cheese varieties: Original, Truffle, Olive Oil & Garlic, Smoked, Paprika, and Provence Herbs.
Each aged between one and two months, the products are available in supermarkets and organic stores across Europe, including Jumbo in the Netherlands, Continente in Portugal, and retailers in Spain and Germany.
