About us
Our products are crafted in the respect of animal rights and the environment
Alice Fauconnet, co-founder
Our story
Who are we? Big question. I guess not to get too philosophical, we're Alice and Freddy, and in 2015 we were irresponsible enough to think we should drop everything we were doing and start making vegan cheese. So naturally, as one does, we started fermenting homemade plant-based milk in the kitchen of our chalet. We can't lie, it didn't always turn out great. But luckily, you're here years later, and in the meantime we perfected our craft and surrounded ourselves with an outstanding team - only the best for you.
But whyyy? Glad you asked, we couldn't wait to tell you! Honestly, mainly because we believe other species have a right to live a life free of exploitation, and also that maybe we should take it easy on the planet. But we don't like all the fake stuff, so we learned our craft from cheese makers - it's made the same way, it's not full of cr*p, it's good for you, and it doesn't harm anyone else either. Sounds too good to be true? Get used to it.
Animal rights
Marketing wise, we were told many times to drop the animal rights message. People don't like feeling bad about themselves, they say. Us personally, we think that as a society, it's important to have hard conversations in order to change for the better.
A lot of people still don't know that, but in order to make milk, cows have to be forcefully impregnated, year after year. Once they give birth, their baby is taken away from them so we (humans) can have their milk. Doesn't sound too great, does it?
A lot of people still don't know that, but in order to make milk, cows have to be forcefully impregnated, year after year. Once they give birth, their baby is taken away from them so we (humans) can have their milk. Doesn't sound too great, does it?
"Ethics" sounds cool, but what does it mean? At New Roots, we believe in taking responsibility. That's why we donate 1% of our total sales to animal sanctuaries and transition programs for farmers. So thank you for helping us make the world kinder and fairer, one New Roots product at a time. It sounds a little corny, but it's true.
Environment
Do you drink coffee or eat chocolate? Congrats, you already understand that consuming 100% local is not realistic! And local doesn't always mean sustainable - all in all, one kilo of our products amounts for 60% less co2 and 40% less water than one kilo of animal-based cheese. To put things into perspective, Switzerland imports tons of food to feed cows - some of it coming from the Amazon forest. Also, cashews are a very efficient raw material, and it comes to us once per year by ship.
This being said, Swiss farmers deserve love too. In 2022, we started experimenting with local ingredients (like lupin or chickpeas). And we're getting good results! The long-term goal is closing the value chain in Switzerland, partly because it sounds fancy, but also because it's the right thing to do.
