When you decide to go vegan, you instantly try to find all the vegan versions of all your old favourite non-vegan foods. Vegan sweet treats are in high demand now, especially among new vegans and existing vegan looking for new vegan surprises. One such treat is vegan fudge.
Andrea is the founder and maker of Oh My Vegan! She spoke to Fire & Tea about her journey into veganism and how her idea for vegan fudge came to fruition.
You became vegan in 2008. Why did you decide to make the move to a vegan lifestyle?
“I went vegetarian in January 2007 while watching something about dogs on Animal Planet. I just had a sudden realisation that there was no need for me to be eating animals so I stopped! I had our first baby that November and it was suggested to me to cut dairy when she was four months old to try and help her discomfort. So I immediately went online in search of ‘dairy free chocolate’ and came across The Cruelty Free Shop (now Vegan Grocery Store). In my first order were some info leaflets on the atrocities that occur in the dairy industry. I pieced it all together and went vegan in May 2008. A couple of weeks later my partner Matt embarked on a 30 day vegan ‘challenge’. Now here we are still vegan 13+ years later.”
Food is very important to us because we hold emotional connections to the dishes we create and the foods we cook. Did you find it difficult to make veganised food once you became vegan? How was this process for you, from an emotional standpoint?
“I’ve always enjoyed playing in the kitchen, so the transition was easy for me. I just got to work playing to create whatever it was I wanted. Initially, I would make childhood favourites like golden syrup dumplings, chocolate sponge pudding, jam coconut slice, choc chip cookies, and even a version of Avgolemono (Greek egg and lemon soup). I found it fun to create things for non-vegan family members and hear them say it tasted just like the ‘normal’ version.”
When did you start Oh My Vegan!? Why did you start making vegan fudge?
“A few years ago I started a business called Fudge This making vegan cakes and desserts for cafes and private orders. It was a lot of work and I didn’t charge anywhere near enough to make it viable long term, so it ceased in late 2016. I first made vegan fudge around 2009 I think, but didn’t dive right in. I used to love fudge as a kid and just always kept coming back to it, as there aren’t a great deal of vegan fudge options available. So this year, I decided to do it! We had a play launching with a Valentine’s Day gift box and ended up getting orders from all around Australia. So seeing the demand, we set to work to launch the range.”
You have already created an impressive list of vegan fudge flavours including ‘cookies and cream’, ‘dark choc chilli’ and ‘choc mint’. What inspired you to create such unique flavours alongside more traditional flavours?
“The lack of variety available. We want to emulate what is available to non-vegans. We have some exciting new flavours in the works, too. Hopefully by mid-October!”
In my view, your vegan fudge is hard to distinguish from what I remember of non-vegan varieties. Did you find it difficult to create vegan fudge? How long did it take you to perfect your recipes?
“I feel like it hasn’t been hard at all, but honestly, it has been over a decade of experimentation to land where we are now. I’m so glad you feel it’s hard to distinguish from non-vegan fudge! I agree and so do many others.”
Are there vegan fudge options for people with allergies?
“Our fudge is completely dairy and egg free. Gluten free (except the cookies n cream) and nut free by ingredients, but they’re made in a kitchen with these items so they’re not recommended for people with severe allergies to these products. All of our products contain soy except the dark choc chilli. People are always welcome to reach out and we’ll do our best to accommodate.”
Why do we need to give a ‘fudge’ about the world around us?
“Haha, cute. Well, we only have one earth, so I feel it is very important to do what we can to take care of it. There are many fully compostable packaging options available now, so I’d love to see all food businesses transitioning to these options. We also provide our fudge to cafes in reusable containers that the cafe just return to us for the next order, to eliminate packaging entirely.
Giving a fudge about the world around us also extends to caring for all other living creatures, humans included. I believe in kindness and unity. It can be super frustrating as a vegan to see people continuing to live in a way that perpetuates the suffering caused to animals (and humans with diseases resulting from these lifestyles), but I wasn’t always vegan. Most people are doing their best. Every non-vegan who has tried our fudge has said they would have no idea it’s vegan. The easier veganism gets, the more people will unite in a way of life that causes the least harm and suffering possible.”
You already have a growing list of suppliers around Australia. Has it been difficult to get your product stocked in these stores? What were some of the challenges you faced as a new food business?
“It’s been a fun year so far and people have been super nice. Most suppliers have been really supportive and helpful. I guess the main challenge has been our shelf life. We have an approved safe shelf life of six months minimum, but currently mark our products with a three month best before period from production date. Our main priority is making sure our customers love the fudge! We now package the fudge in fully compostable cellulose bags inside the outer packaging to prolong this period, so we are hoping to extend our shelf life to four to five months soon. This will help more retailers feel confident to stock our product; however, the current stockists seem to be selling well!”
Living in and operating your business from home in South Australia must be an advantage because Adelaide is so very vegan-friendly. Do you have a strong support network where you live?
“We have quite a lot of amazing customers here in SA; there are so many amazing vegans in Adelaide. However, our wholesale business is currently predominantly interstate!”
Where do you see Oh My Vegan! fudge in the future? What are your plans for your vegan fudge business?
“We really don’t know! We initially intended to expand from fudge into other products, but the fudge has been so popular so we are currently working on expanding the fudge range and growing our stockists around the country.”
Finally, if you could recommend one flavour what would it be?
“Haha, my hands down favourite flavour is dark choc chilli, by far our lowest seller! So, maybe I’m not the best person to make a recommendation. Funnily enough, I don’t actually really eat a lot of sugar, so I find this one is just right for me. Vanilla is also super yummy and some (non-vegan!) customers have said it tastes just like a really good white chocolate.”
To learn more about Oh My Vegan!, you can check out the website. You can purchase Oh My Vegan! fudge directly via the online shop or you can look for nearest stockist from Oh My Vegan!’s stockists list here.
