Omage

A vegetable homage to cheese

Omage started as an experiment. Soon, Neri De Meester's company grew into a success story with cheese that is also enjoyed by cheese lovers. The secret of Omage? It is a plant-based alternative to cheese made from nuts and seeds ripened and fermented under special conditions.

From an early age, Neri De Meester wanted to do her bit to make our earth a better place and reduce our negative impact on it. She discovered that this can also be done with food. "Food is a big passion of mine alongside art and fashion. In 2014, I took the Raw Food Chef course in the US. That's how I started looking at food in different ways and working with food. Back in Belgium, I soon felt there was a great demand for alternatives to dairy for ethical, ecological and health reasons. Also among vegetarians."

"With Omage, I create a real cheese experience, but with plant-based ingredients. This is catching on, as I notice that cheese lovers are choosing more mixed cheese boards and that cheese shops are also putting my vegan camemberts on there. I make them with respect for the age-old tradition and knowledge of cheese-making. I mix organic cashews with water and cultures that provide the typical protein conversion, flavour and white mouldy crust. The texture, nutritional value and quality are also not inferior to real cheese."

Packaging sustainability is also important to Neri. She works only with recyclable materials: cardboard, glass and paper that contains calcium. That paper naturally protects her cheeses.