Note: Coconut oil, from which most vegan cheeses are now made, is very high in saturated fat so should not be consumed regularly or in large quantities. It raises blood cholesterol and is probably the most unhealthy vegetable fat available

Tesco free from original soya spread (soft cheese)

In fairness, I must mention that I bought this product just once a few years ago. The ingredients have changed since then. The consistency of this product was quite good but it tasted like ice cream. Now I do like a nice (vegan) ice cream but not as a savoury item on bread or crackers. That is taking the Americanism 'ice cream sandwich' just a little too far

Tesco free from strong soya spread (soft cheese)

The smell of this vegan product is rather too strong while the taste is similar to the dry outer of traditional mature animal cheese when the cheesecloth is being peeled off and the blue mould has been scraped away. While that cheese did not taste like that all the way through, this soft cheese does. It works well in a crusty roll with some cress and lettuce. The tub contains 255g of spread and must be eaten within seven days of opening. That is a lot of fat. For a home with several vegans, it may be fine but I am the only vegan in my family and having eaten about half the tub, the rest can go in the food waste

Violife original (block cheese)

This vegan product smells faintly of cheese and the taste is even less strong. I am not sure what happens if this is heated up, under a grill for example, but I am certain I have no current plan to find out. It makes for pleasant eating and has a plasticky texture. It is not at all crumbly or rubbery. Works well in a crusty roll or with pickles. The product appears to be made as a liquid at which point it is poured into the pack where it sets. This does not make it any easier to remove from the pack, especially the first slice. It contains a large amount of saturated fat (as does animal cheese) but it contains no protein so has limited value as a foodstuff

Note: Coconut oil, from which most vegan cheeses are now made, is very high in saturated fat so should not be consumed regularly or in large quantities. It raises blood cholesterol and is probably the most unhealthy vegetable fat available