THE TWO AUSSIES WHO ACCIDENTALLY BECAME HEMP CHEESE MOGULS

GROUNDED all started back in Melbourne, Australia, when Veronica Fil was sitting in her husband Shaun’s restaurant, eating cheese.

This was a regular occurrence.

“What do you think of it?” he asked, pointing to the oozy wheel of Camembert that was now partially smeared over Veronica’s face.

“Delicious”, she replied. “Which farm are you ordering it from?” (Veronica assumed that it was some kind of divine artisanal creation that only chefs have access to).

“I didn’t order it, I made it. From cauliflower and hemp. There’s no dairy in that”, he said. “You’ve been eating it for the last year. So have all the customers. Nobody’s noticed yet.”

At that moment their lives changed forever.

That night, Veronica started putting together a business plan for this extraordinary “dairy-free, nut-free, soy-free, gluten-free” cheese concept. She encouraged Shaun to develop more cheese styles and people were blown away by the flavors and textures he was achieving, using little more than fermented cauliflower and hemp. Then, after a bit of heated discussion, she finally convinced Shaun to give up the culinary career he’d spent 20 years building--walk away from his very successful restaurant--and take a gamble on becoming a plant-based cheese mogul.

“Just...trust me on this sweetie. I really think it’s going to take off”, said Veronica.

Shaun was dubious.

Within weeks the pair had secured VC investment, left their families and friends and home behind, and moved to the U.S. to commercialize these incredibly unique products. When they landed, they overheard a news broadcast about an unusual new virus emerging out of China.
Remarkably, Veronica and Shaun managed to move to a new country, close a fundraising round, launch their business and live locked inside a one-bedroom apartment, as a husband and wife team, during one of the most bizarre moments in global economic history.

They are still alive...and now, Grounded is here too.

THINGS TO KNOW

It’s all about the taste for us. We’re not vegan, and we’re not willing to compromise on flavor. But we know that we can make better choices, and that’s where Grounded comes in.
Grounded cheeses are made from cauliflower + hemp. They’re fully plant-based and contain locally sourced and sustainable ingredients from the USA.
Grounded is free from nuts, soy, gluten, and GMOs. It’s keto, paleo + heart-healthy with no saturated fat.
We use imperfect veggies (cauliflower stems and leaves and bruised heads) that aren’t pretty enough to be sold in supermarkets.
Hemp is amazing. Not only is it incredibly environmentally resilient, it’s dense in calcium, protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals, and healthy Omega 3 fats. You might even say it’s better than dairy.
We don’t artificially fortify our products with nutrients like calcium or protein...because we don’t need to. We just use natural ingredients from the start, because they already contain the goodness.

TASTING NOTES

HEMP SEED CREAM CHEESE
It’s 2021, so we’re not doing dairy. As much. But that doesn’t mean we should accept suboptimal-tasting cheese substitutes.
Think of this as cream cheese in every way—that same creamy, smooth texture that spreads like silk over a bagel, and could easily stand up against Philly. It’s not gritty like nut-based cream cheeses, nor is it a big glob of coconut oil like some companies make it.

Slather it on sandwiches or bagels, use it as a base for your favorite dips, stir into warm pasta or spread it over your pizza base instead of tomato sauce. You’re tasting our Onion & Chive flavor, but we’ve got more varieties on the way (including Original, Everything Bagel, and Black Garlic & Truffle).

HEMP SEED GOAT CHEESE
Marinated goat cheese is a big thing back in Australia, where we originally started out. It's used in a similar way to feta cheese, only its texture is semi-firm and very silky (not hard and crumbly like Greek feta). It’s beautiful in salads, pasta dishes, dotted on top of pizzas, whipped into dips, or spread onto sandwiches.

Our GOAT cheese tastes just like the OG, due to the impossible magic of hemp (seriously, is there anything it can’t do?). As per tradition, it comes bathed in a divine blend of olive oil, garlic, thyme, and lemon.

Tip: don’t toss out the flavorful oil once you’ve finished the container! This can be used in
cooking, salad dressings or even as a base to make mayonnaise.

CHEESE FREE CHEESE SAUCE
Americans seem to love their processed cheese—though few people will publicly admit to it. Fact. We made CHEESE FREE CHEESE sauce to recreate that same addictive flavor of your childhood Kraft favorites...but without any of the preservatives and stuff.

How to use: this is brilliant on burgers, on top of nachos and pizzas, or stirred through cooked pasta for a super simple mac + cheese. Or squeezed directly into your mouth, like Veronica does at midnight after a few beers.