Are the creators of Tofuture onto something? Is tofu the key to the future?
Have you ever wondered if there was an easy way to remove the water from tofu? Tofuture make a Tofu Press to do just that! They haven't stopped there. Susanna and Adam make marinades, tofu kits and tofu based food items such as tofu pasties, onion quiches and sausage rolls. There's just one catch...you'll need to go to a festival or fayre to buy all the items that re outside of the Tofu Press.
Find out more about Tofuture below.
What does Tofuture specialise in selling?
We sell a Tofu Press to press the water out of shop brought tofu. It can also be used to make your own tofu. We sell the presses at various vegetarian and vegan festivals around the country along with marinades, make our own tofu kits and tofu based food items such as tofu pasties, onion quiches and sausage rolls
Where is Tofuture based?
We are based in Amersham, in Buckinghamshire.
Do you exclusively serve those who are local to you or can others who are further away access your products too? If so, how?
As well as at the fairs, you can buy the press on our website, or via Amazon in the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain.
What inspired you to create a business that solely focuses on a vegan product?
We love tofu and always thought it had an unjustly bad reputation. Tofu is best when pressed prior to cooking and has to be pressed gradually over a period of time. It breaks up if you squash it quickly. Like a lot of people, we used to press tofu on our draining rack under a chopping board or under plates piled high with tins or cookery books. However, the uneven nature of the pressing would often result in this tower cascading down to the ground or into the sink, soggy books and even broken plates. Not to mention the reams of wasted kitchen roll. So we decided to invent a press that presses tofu cleanly and evenly, which can be left for an hour or 2 or overnight in the fridge.
How easy is it for you to source cruelty free ingredients for your products?
Tofu is really easy to find and an inexpensive source of protein. A 400g block of tofu is available in all the main supermarkets and health food shops for around £1.50. This is enough, along with other ingredients, vegetables, rice etc.., to feed 4 people as a main meal.
Do you think you have an impact on non-vegans?
If we can persuade non-vegans to try tofu in place of meat or fish, even for some of the time, then we have succeeded. It is a lot easier to be cruelty-free nowadays, and there is a growing sense of compassion and awareness in general.
What impact does being a 100% vegan company have on your business?
An enormous one. Firstly, it’s incredible to finally be doing something we believe in. We feel part of the vegan community; a group of people who cares about the lives and welfare of animals and the fate of the planet. The internet has enabled this community to find each other and provide an amazing, global network of support. It’s fantastic to be part of.
We intend to increase the choice of products available on our website as we grow to include marinades and possibly a recipe book. At the moment, it's just the press!
Is Tofuture owned by, or in partnership with, another company that tests on animals or sells non-vegan products?
No, Tofuture is owned and run by us! Susanna is vegan and Adam and everyone else in the house, kids and cats included, are veggie.
Tell me a bit about yourself before you launched Tofuture.
We met at Keele University in the early 90s and have been friends ever since. We started Tofuture 4 years ago and have been trading since Feburary 2016. We run the business from our home. Susanna also works part time in insurance in London and Adam has recently given up working in IT to work on Tofuture full time.
What is your vision for the future of Tofuture?
We want to transform tofu! Our mission is to change people’s perception of tofu and show that it can be a viable alternative to meat. We believe that by showing people how versatile tofu is and how much better it is when pressed, we can make it more accessible to everyone. Tofu is tasty, healthy and good for the planet - what’s not to love? In terms of the business, we want to expand into Europe – we’re both currently studying German so we can do fairs over there – and into the States and Canada.
Related content
If you'd like to save 15% on your next order, enter "plantshift2016" when you checkout. This offer will be valid until May 1st 2017.