Summary
Wandering Deli- Dairy Free is a unique vegan cheese company in Toronto, ON, helmed by Kira Lancaster. We specialize in nut cheeses that embrace the idea that if you wander from dairy, there is a path of truly rewarding delights awaiting you. After years of vegan cheese experimenting, and working in Toronto restaurants, Kira was being asked to make delicious nut cheeses for every occasion by friends and family, and as word spread she extended her cheese endeavours to a 'secret' vegan cheese club that was quickly featured in The Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, Toronto Life, and various blogs! Needless to say, the secret was out, and she started renting kitchen space generously offered by Easy Restaurant in Parkdale. Running a special order vegan cheese company allowed for vegan cheese creativity to flourish, and we have offered over 40 different vegan cheeses, including the favourites that Wandering Deli offers at farmers markets today.
This year, 2019, Wandering Deli has transitioned it's reach to farmers markets and the response has been overwhelmingly positive! Kira's husband, Cailean Lewis, has joined the company full time and we are overjoyed to be meeting new folks who love what we do on a constant basis. Something we are often asked at farmers markets is 'where else can I buy this? do you have a storefront?" and that is where this campaign comes in!
We have been offered the downright incredible opportunity to renovate our current production space at Easy Restaurant into Toronto's first bonafide vegan cheese shop! As a small family company, this is huge! A shop would mean we would be able to continue to offer a wide variety of cheeses that truly 'wanders' from the expectation of what 'cheese' or 'dairy' or even 'vegan food' should be. Most large city's have vegan cheese shops popping up, and it would be a true honour to continue this path in our beloved community.
What We Need & What You Get
We are so ready to bring this cheese shop to Toronto! We have the space, the team, the oodles of recipes, the awesome clientele, but we need some renovations and equipment:
Your support will help us:
-put a new entrance door on at Easy, just for us ($3000+)
-buy some new kitchen equipment to scale up ($6000+)
-put in a new sink ($700)
-purchase larger quantities of supplies (variable)
-and generally get our space customer ready ($2500+)
In return for your support, we are offering some no-thing-else quite like it perks, like our cheese itself, of course, as well as unique platters- go special occasion with something for two or get lavish and have us craft a whole table for a party! Take a vegan cheese making class with friends, book a private cheese maker consult for yourself (via skype or in person), check out a zine that will have you well on your way to being a vegan cheese platter afficianado, there's something that suits any vegan cheese lover. We are passionate about what we do, and every chance we have to show our gratitude through food is one we will truly celebrate.
If we don't quite reach our goal, we still intend to undertake this project, it will simply be a little slower. If fully funded, we could potentially open our doors in a matter of months, if not, a little longer as we tackle things piece by piece, or wedge by wedge, if you will.
The Impact
Funding this project not only blossoms a small family business, it rewards the loving community that has supported us along the way. Kira has been wildly lucky on her wandering path to meet so many people who truly love and support not only vegan cheese, but small local business. She's seen Wandering deli (in all it's forms) grow from a facebook group to a family business. This opportunity comes out of years of hard work, but also years of generous folks believing in us. Toronto is a city where it is becoming increasingly cost-prohibitive for companies like ours to find space to get started, and it cannot be understated that the owner of Easy Restaurant is truly putting his faith in community and small-scale entrepreneurial gumption when he offers us this chance. Supporting our dream sends the message that he is doing a great thing!
It's time for Toronto not only to have an artisan vegan cheese shop, but a small business that truly is something the whole community can celebrate.
Risks & Challenges
There will certainly be challenges, especially if scaling up quickly takes place, but years of honing recipes and working in the food and hospitality industry have Kira and Cailean honed and familiar with tackling the work of a busy food establishment.
The main risks presented are timeline, as it is dependent on funds raised. We intend to do everything as quickly as we can, but currently this is campaign dependent!
Other Ways You Can Help
If you aren't able to contribute financially, please spread the word! Tell folks about this campaign on whatever platforms you use, this is incredibly valuble! Indiegogo has some built in share tools, so they can help you out there;)