Vancouver vegans rejoice as Panago Pizza makes a cheesy change
Back in February of this year, a member of the popular Vancouver Vegans Facebook group shared that Panago Pizza would be making a change to its controversial plant-based cheese.
While Panago has locations across Canada, the Vancouver vegan scene was particularly vocal about the plant-based pizza recipe.
Panago had been using plant-based cheese from a company called PureMelt, which many were not a fan of.
In an Instagram exchange shared to the Facebook group, a member asked if Panago would be moving away from the unpopular cheese. In response, a Panago customer service rep said, “Yes, we will be transitioning to a new plant-based cheeze.”
In response, many echoed the sentiments about the old cheese.
“Their current plant based cheese is so yucky,” one member of the group said.
“Literally no one likes the current cheese,” another member said.
“I stopped ordering when they switched to the current cheese 🤢,” said one disgruntled customer.
Well, that time has come, and it’s official as of today. Panago is switching back to a new Daiya Cheese, which has a new oat-based formula.
Panago shared the dairy-less scoop with Dished Vancouver about the newly reformulated dairy-free shred that apparently “blew away” the Panago team.
“Daiya Dairy-Free shredded cheese delivers a creamier texture and richer taste, thanks to proprietary ingredient Daiya Oat Cream™ Blend, which is naturally cultured for a more authentic, cheese-like flavour. The update comes in direct response to customer feedback, with Panago making the switch after hearing from guests who wanted an even better vegan cheese option,” Panago said.
Panago CEO Sean DeGregorio said that listening to customers is “at the core of everything we do.”
“We’ve heard the demand for a better dairy-free cheese, and we’re proud to offer this upgraded option that ensures everyone can enjoy a delicious pizza experience, without compromise,” DeGregorio added.
The change comes into effect today, Earth Day, and customers can substitute the cheese onto any pizza at no additional cost. It will also come standard on all plant-based pizzas.
Panago also hasn’t been shy about sharing the negative feedback about the old cheese.
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Many folks in the Vancouver plant-based community have taken to social media to share their excitement about the change.
The Vancouver vegan pizza scene is no stranger to controversy around plant-based cheese. A now-closed pizza spot, known as Pizzeria Grano, closed shortly after saying it was adding dairy cheeses to its initially fully plant-based menu. The restaurant received major blowback after announcing the change.