The innovator

FÆRM

This Copenhagen-based startup has cracked the code for plant-based cheese, drawing inspiration from old-school dairy methods to achieve the taste and texture of the real thing. Now, they are on the cusp of bringing it to the market on a large scale

Like most startups, FÆRM started from absolute scratch: Back in 2020, they had a good idea. They also had no money, no real production facilities or workplace, and no technical equipment except what they could salvage from bulky waste dumps.

Even the idea was deemed pretty far-fetched by most experts: developing a process that mimics dairy fermentation - but using plants instead of milk.

The idea started with Andrea Donau, co-founder CEO of FÆRM.

“I was frustrated by the poor selection of plant-based cheese products for people with dietary restrictions or preferences. Both in terms of taste, quality, and nutritional value, it just didn’t cut it,” she says about her initial inspiration.

I was frustrated by the poor selection of plant-based cheese products.

“

While studying Food Technology at DTU, she began experimenting with alternatives using fermented nuts and seeds. She met Mikkel Lau Dupont, co-founder and COO, while they were both student assistants at a Danish newspaper.

“I used to really love cheese before I developed lactose intolerance. I had tried most vegan options and was let down every time,” says Mikkel, who has a background in business administration.

Mikkel was impressed by Andrea’s early prototypes (even if in hindsight they were “pretty awful” according to herself). And so FÆRM became a reality on New Year’s Eve going into 2020.

Andrea Donau and Mikkel Lau Dupont are FÆRM’s two co-founders.

Five years later, FÆRM has a patented production method which they license to food manufacturers. The nuts have been replaced by legumes like soy beans, and there are no additives, colors, starches or coconut oil used.

Contrary to traditional vegan cheese substitutes, where most of the nutritional value comes from fats, FÆRM’s products are also rich in protein, making them nutritionally comparable.

That’s hardly a coincidence:

FÆRM draws inspiration from the cheesemaking process, where rennet enzymes act on proteins in soured milk, triggering curdling and making it possible to separate solids from liquids. This is the centuries-old way milk has been transformed into cheese.

The question: Can you make plants do the same?

“To make plants behave like cheese, you need to nail two things: texture and flavor,” says Astrid Bonke. She is a dairy engineer, head of development at FÆRM, with experiences from dairies such as Arla. A true cheese devotee, she has a tattoo of 19th-century Danish cheese pioneer Hanne Nielsen on her shin and is well-versed in the origins of the Danish cooperative movement.

“We follow the same principles as in dairy production, but with different enzymes and bacteria, to create a product that looks, tastes, and feels remarkably like cheese,” Astrid explains. 

“But to get here, we had to try out a lot of different things first,” Andrea adds. “With a lot of trial and error, and without necessarily understanding all of the theory behind it.”

About FÆRM

FÆRM was officially started in 2020. The name is a play on the word “fermentation”, with the letter Æ replacing the E to emphasize the company’s Danish origin.

Today, they are a small team of microbiologists, food engineers, biotechnologists and other specialists operating out of a combined office and production facility in Islands Brygge.

Their method of bringing a cheese-like quality and flavor to plants  is so unique that it has been patented.

They have two main products, and also work with other food manufacturers to create bespoke white label products.

FÆRM Melt starts out as a firm block which can be grated into pizza-friendly strips. It has much of the elasticity and “stringyness” of a classic Mozzarella and none of the glue-like texture that makes many melted vegan cheeses less desirable.

The current product lineup includes FÆRM Original, a cream cheese-style spread which can also be used as a cooking cream, and FÆRM Melt, which could become the best new friend of plant-based pizzas everywhere.

Aside from the end consumers, FÆRM are also very interested in one particular audience: The professional chefs.

“Our products have to hold their own in all kinds of uses and cooking techniques. A great way to put it to the test is in the hands of a chef,” says Andrea and recounts a “very scary” experience presenting FÆRM Original to a canteen chef last summer.

“How does it react to being blended at high speeds? What happens when you mix it with oil? What about high heat? Boiling? Freezing? Fortunately, it passed all of his tests. We want it to be indistinguishable from cheese when cooking with it,” she says.

FÆRM Original has the same silk-like smoothness as its dairy cousin, and a subtle tanginess which doesn’t feel overpowering. It’s essentially a blank canvas that could go straight into dipping bowls, pasta dishes, stews, and more.

Where they differ radically from cheese is in their climate-friendliness: An independent lifecycle analysis by the Danish Technology Institute shows that FÆRM’s two products have a 75% lower climate impact when compared to similar dairy products. 

“The climate aspect matters, as cheese is surpassed only by beef and lamb in terms of CO2 footprint,” says Andrea. “However, we are more driven by making a product that’s good enough to compete on its own, not because it happens to be more climate-friendly.”

If we want consumers to switch to our product, it has to meet the same price and quality standards as everyone else.

“

She points to the wave of oat drinks, now a fixture in most supermarkets and coffee bars, as an example of non-dairy alternatives having carved out a considerable share of the market.

“Plant-based alternatives used to get somewhat of a boost among early adopters due to the novelty effect,” Mikkel adds.

“But we’re in the so-called third wave of plant products, and the novelty has worn off now. If we want consumers to switch to our product, it has to meet the same price and quality standards as everyone else.”

Right now, FÆRM is sitting on many prototypes which could become new products. However, the next big step is bringing their product to the market by scaling up production.

Their own production facility is tiny, so they rely on temporarily taking over other manufacturers’ production lines to produce in larger amounts.

But now they are close to landing a deal which will provide them with a full-time production facility. Along with streamlining their supply chain, this will be the game changer FÆRM has been working towards.

With the food service industry as their main target audience, they aim to produce as much as 20,000 kg a month once production is up and running - and at a competitive price point.

“We want to match the prices of traditional cheese - and even go lower in the long-term, since our ingredients are very cheap,” Andrea says of what the future holds for FÆRM.

Editor’s note: Why we like FÆRM

… and what others can learn from them.

  • FÆRM have worked tirelessly to avoid the pitfalls and tradeoffs in quality usually associated with plant-based cheese alternatives. Instead, they want their product to match the real deal in terms of taste and quality, seeing it as the only viable way to gain a relevant share of the market.

  • Although FÆRM’s product feels revolutionary, they hesitate to call it so themselves. Instead, they have built on existing knowledge and tradition to create a product which feels familiar in taste, usage, and looks.

  • FÆRM believes that both end consumers and professionals will ultimately be won over by quality and price.