Amsterdam-based Mr. & Mrs. Watson launches first sliced cheese made from plant milk; raises Seed funding

Amsterdam-based Mr. & Mrs. Watson, a vegan foodtech company is looking to put the Netherlands back on the map as a cheese country. The company announced on Tuesday that it has raised an undisclosed amount of funding in its second Seed round.

In 2021, the foodtech company raised €700K in the first Seed funding round.

According to a statement, Mr. & Mrs. Watson will use the funds to launch the first product – sliced cheese made from protein-rich plant milk – in stores and supermarkets at the end of this year. The goal is to roll out internationally within two years.

Mr. & Mrs. Watson: Plant-based food tech innovation brand

Established in 2017 by Aleid Koopal and Kirsi Rautiainen, Mr. & Mrs. Watson is a plant-based restaurant, specialising in homemade cheese alternatives. After being in demand, for its products, the company opened a new production facility and food lab in early 2019. 

The entrepreneurs behind the brand used the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown as an opportunity to bring the products to the consumer market and open a webshop.

According to the founders, they named the company and restaurant after Donald Watson, founder of the UK’s Vegan Society, and his wife Dorothy. The couple were the first to coin the word “vegan” in 1944.

Recent growth and development

Mr. & Mrs. Watson made its name in recent years after its cashew-based cheese alternatives, such as Camemberti. For the last three years, the company has been working on a new breakthrough in its lab in Amsterdam: sliced cheese based on proteins extracted from fava beans; so there is no cow involved. 

By combining a traditional fermentation process with advanced techniques, the company’s product offers an alternative to traditional Gouda cheese.

Nick Piña, co-founder of Mr. & Mrs. Watson, says, “The demand for plant-based protein alternatives is increasing dramatically. There is already a very good response to this with plant-based meat substitutes. But while the innovations in the plant-based meat segment follow each other in rapid succession, the plant-based cheese segment has lagged behind until now.” 

“For example, many products have little nutritional value. It is time that traditional and high-protein cheese substitutes are introduced to the market that is accessible to the general public. With our plant-based sliced cheese, we are setting a new standard in terms of nutritional value, craftsmanship and taste,” adds Piña.