We’ve got all the answers

Tofu is a super healthy plant-based protein. It’s made from soya bean curd, which sounds a bit weird but is actually amazing. It’s one of the most complete and versatile protein foods in the world. Tofu has a subtle flavour, allowing it to be a taste chameleon – taking on the flavour of any dish it goes in.

In 2015, husband and wife David Knibbs and Lydia Smith bought a small artisan tofu business in Malton, North Yorkshire which had been run by Ron, a Vegan and absolute student of making the best tofu from a traditional Japanese recipe. Their vision was to launch an exciting new, tofu brand using this fantastic product to show that the world should love tofu. They wanted to create a fun and exciting brand that could be stocked within UK supermarkets and that made high quality handmade tofu accessible to all.  In September 2016, The Tofoo Co.  was born.  So, we’re starting a tofu revolution – one delicious meal at a time. Are you with us?

Take everything you know about tofu and file it under ‘things I used to think that turned out to be wrong’.  Tofoo’s not the soggy, tasteless stuff you might be thinking of, and we’re on a mission to show the world that tofu is really rather brilliant. Actually, not all tofu, though. Just ours. Because we’re not like the others and here’s why… 

Our Tofoo is made to a traditional Japanese recipe using only 3 ingredients: water, soya beans and nigari. 

We use nigari (an all-natural extract made from seawater) to bind our tofu.

Every block of delicious Tofoo is handmade int’ Yorkshire – and you can tell by their wonky edges. 

Our Tofoo is so organic we caught the attention of The Soil Association who gave us a certificate and everything. 

Who’s got time to press their own tofu? Not you. So our Tofoo always comes extra firm and ready for action. 

We solemnly swear on the Brownie code that our beans will always be GM free, organic and sustainable. 

Please visit our What Makes Tofoo Special page. 

No, our tofu is not fermented – but our Tempeh is! Scroll further down to read more about Tempeh.

Our Tofoo products are pasteurised to increase shelf life and reduce food waste.

You can buy Tofoo online, please visit our Stockists page for more information.

Unfortunately Tofoo is only available within the UK.

Super bean more like. Imagine a cross between a pea, a bean and a lentil – but better. In China they’re called ‘ta-tou’ which means ‘great beans’. Told you, super beans.

Here at The Tofoo Co HQ we have a super sourcing policy so only the finest beans will make it through our front door.

Our soya beans have to be from a sustainable source (tick), must always be organic (tick, tick) and of course GM free too (tick, tick, tick). This is our bean guarantee.

Our beans are grown in Canada, China and Europe and shipped to us in the UK. We are always on the lookout for sources closer to home, but we will only ever buy great tasting, salute worthy, sustainable beans.

Yes the soya beans that we use for our tofu are GM free.

Nigari is your friend! To give our Tofoo a better taste and texture, we use a little thing called Nigari. It’s a natural ingredient created from seawater. We could have used calcium sulphate instead, like almost everyone else. But then what’s the point in only being as good as everyone else? Exactly.

Our Tofoo only contains trace amounts of Calcium in it as it’s made using a traditional Japanese recipe that uses Nigari instead of Calcium Sulphate to set it. This is what gives Tofoo it’s better taste and texture.

As we use Nigari instead of Calcium Sulphate as our coagulant, there is only a trace amount of Calcium in our tofu  (81.9mg per 100g) which comes from the soy beans- they naturally contain Calcium!

The soya beans we use are 100% organic and we only use organic, natural ingredients. We’ve got a Soil Association stamp and everything. So there. 

Our Blocks are gluten free.  However, our Tofoo Crispy is not gluten free.

Our Tofoo is smoked in our beechwood smoker in the Tofoo factory, this is what gives the Tofoo its tastiness and colour.

Per 100g, our Tofoo blocks contain:

Naked/Naked XL: 2.15mg

Smoked: 2.19mg

Sriracha: 2.08mg

Scrambled: 2.16mg

Here at The Tofoo Co HQ we have a super sourcing policy so only the finest beans will make it through our front door.

Our soya beans have to be from a sustainable source (tick), must always be organic (tick, tick) and of course GM free too (tick, tick, tick). This is our bean guarantee.

Our soybeans are grown in Canada, China and Europe. Our reputable growers have to go through vigorous testing to make sure they are up to Tofoo’s standards.

We are always on the lookout for sources closer to home, but we will only ever buy great tasting, salute worthy, sustainable beans.

Our soya beans come mostly from Canada and occasionally from China and Europe depending on the year and the yield. Canada currently grows the most organic and GM free soy which is why this is our current preference.

Absolutely not! We have never have and will never source our soybeans from anywhere contributing to deforestation.

We have organic and GM free certification. In addition, the farms we source from have been vetted to ensure they follow our sustainability requirements – no deforestation, sustainable farming, and good workers’ rights.

To us sustainable soy means ALWAYS being Organic, ALWAYS GM free and ALWAYS sourced form verified farmers who treat their workers well and who do not contribute to deforestation. In addition, growing the humble soya bean in an efficient way that allows the land to regenerate – reducing the need for more land in the future.

All our soya beans get to us by ship. Air might be faster, but the emissions from that send us a but dizzy. Our beans are boat beans.

We would love to source our soya beans from Europe but the climate and soil conditions here in Europe are not as favourable as in other areas around the world.  Soy is an amazing crop but has very specific requirements when growing (especially if you want to be GM free and organic). Europe’s soy crops are not in abundance, and organic crops are even harder to come by. But fear not, they are on the rise and we’re kickstarting a programme to encourage more UK farmers to grow soy. When we can reasonably start getting our soy closer to home, we 100% will.

Here at Tofoo we are using a traditional Japanese recipe. It is not just tofu, it is Tofoo which means our taste and texture is different from other kinds of tofu you might find. Every kind of bean would yield a different result. So, for us using soy beans in our tofu is very important as it is what allows us to make the amazing (#notbias) tofu that we do.

The soya beans we use are 100% organic and we only use organic, natural ingredients. This means we are approved by the Soil Association. When we think of a delicious Tofoo dinner we don’t think of it with a side of pesticides. Organic means that no pesticides are used in the farming of the beans. Our beans are regularly checked for chemical residue to ensure this.

Yes, the soya beans that we use for our tofu are GM free.

Tofoo Blocks

The cardboard can be recycled, however the film cannot currently be recycled.

All of our cardboard is from approved, managed and SUSTAINABLE sources.

Tofoo Crispy 

The cardboard tray & sleeve can be recycled, however the film cannot be currently recycled.

All of our cardboard is from approved, managed and SUSTAINABLE sources and we use recycled card to print our Crispy sleeves.

Falafel

The cardboard and the tray are recyclable.

All of our cardboard is from approved, managed and SUSTAINABLE sources.

Scrambled

The cardboard sleeve can be recycled, however the film cannot be currently recycled.

All of our cardboard is from approved, managed and SUSTAINABLE sources.

Plastic usage is a big issue in food that The Tofoo Co are keen to try and minimise. On our block products, we use thermoform packaging. This is necessary to ensure we can deliver a food safe product that air cannot get to until a consumer is ready to eat it (if it does it will spoil quickly and become inedible). We don’t pack ours in a ready meal tray in water (the only other way we know tofu can be packed) as we think thermoforming gives a MUCH BETTER, less soggy product, that is ready to eat. Thermoforming also uses a lot less plastic!

We are talking to our suppliers about the possibility of using recycled or renewable materials to replace our thermoform. These don’t appear to exist at the moment to work on thermoform machines, but we do keep looking for sustainable solutions. It’s a hard balancing act – and one we take very SERIOUSLY. Currently, GREAT TASTING, chilled, food safe products like ours unfortunately need plastic to stay fresh. But we will keep looking for more sustainable solutions we can use.

Plastic usage is a big issue in food that The Tofoo Co are keen to try and minimise. On our block products, we use thermoform packaging. This is necessary to ensure we can deliver a food safe product that air cannot get to until a consumer is ready to eat it (if it does it will spoil quickly and become inedible). We don’t pack ours in a ready meal tray in water (the only other way we know tofu can be packed) as we think thermoforming gives a MUCH BETTER, less soggy product, that is ready to eat. Thermoforming also uses a lot less plastic!

We are talking to our suppliers about the possibility of using recycled or renewable materials to replace our thermoform. These don’t appear to exist at the moment to work on thermoform machines, but we do keep looking for sustainable solutions. It’s a hard balancing act – and one we take very SERIOUSLY. Currently, GREAT TASTING, chilled, food safe products like ours unfortunately need plastic to stay fresh. But we will keep looking for more sustainable solutions we can use.

Freezing can change the texture of our extra firm Tofoo,  but if you do choose to freeze your Tofoo it will still be perfectly safe to eat. Just make sure you freeze your Tofoo as soon as possible after purchase and use within one month. When you’re ready to cook with it defrost it fully and use on the same day. Once it’s defrosted do not refreeze!

You can freeze Tofoo in a meal after cooking, but freezing can change the taste and texture of the Tofoo.

Open you’ve opened your Tofoo, place in water in an airtight container and use it within 48 hours.

Please visit our How to Cook Tofu page.

Yes, be a rebel and eat it cold and straight out of the packet – yes – rebels eat their Tofoo cold.

Nopety nope. Long gone are the days of pressing your soggy tofu between two cans of soup. Just drain the pack, chop and enjoy cooked or cold. 

Cut your Tofoo into cubes. Put the cornflour in a bowl. Roll your tofu cubes in the cornflour – give it a good coating. Shallow fry it in a wok with an inch oil at the bottom. Crispy Tofoo coming right up. Watch this handy video on our How to do Tofoo page!

Put your Tofoo block in a bowl. Get a fork and smash the tofu to bits (aka scramble it). Surprisingly effective. Season with turmeric and salt and pepper. Chuck it in the pan and fry, add a little milk if you want to make it creamy and season with chives. A true game changer. Watch this handy video on our How to do Tofoo page!

Now you’re asking. We prefer to fry nice and hot in a stir fry or the like. But baking is equally as tasty and can make your tofu even firmer. We’ll let you be the ultimate Tofoo judge.

Tofoo loves sunflower or vegetable oil. Or go completely wild and use sesame oil or coconut oil. Now we’re talking. 

Our Crispy products must be cooked according to the instructions prior to eating. After cooking you’re fine to let it cool and eat it later!

Tempeh is like tofu after it’s been at the gym – hard. It’s ripped with whole pieces of soya beans for a firmer, chewier bite. Fermented with a live culture, it’s then pressed into a dense, high protein base. Our Tempeh is organic, non-GM, dairy and gluten free.

Yes, unlike our tofu, our Tempeh is fermented with a live culture.

Our Tempeh products are pasteurised to increase shelf life and reduce food waste.

The live culture used is rhizopus oryzae culture.

As our Tempeh is fermented, there can be some visible black patches that occur, which is simply a sign that the fermentation process is complete.

Here at The Tofoo Co HQ we have a super sourcing policy so only the finest beans will make it through our front door.

Our soya beans have to be from a sustainable source (tick), must always be organic (tick, tick) and of course GM free too (tick, tick, tick). This is our bean guarantee.

We source all our beans from Canada and Italy and are always on the lookout for sources closer to home, but we will only ever buy great tasting, salute worthy, sustainable beans.

No, Tempeh is not suitable for home freezing.

You can freeze Tempeh in a meal after cooking but we do not advise you freeze it prior to cooking. This is because the taste and texture of the Tempeh can change.

No, our Tempeh cannot be eaten cold straight from the pack, it must be cooked thoroughly first. After cooking you’re fine to let it cool and eat it later!

Like our Tempeh block, our Tempeh Cubed products cannot be eaten cold straight from the pack, it must be cooked thoroughly first. After cooking you’re fine to let it cool and eat it later!

Everything you can do with Tofoo! Check out our recipes for some tasty dishes.

All our Tofoo is made with 100% organic, sustainable soya beans. However, the ingredients withing Flying Goose Sriracha sauce are not organically sourced. So, for this product we cannot gain organic certification.

Nope! No MSG here. Not even a little.

Short answer: however you like! A maverick like you makes their own rules. But you could try slicing it in a sandwich as a veggie ‘ham’, tearing it into strips for a taco or covering it in breadcrumbs and frying it ‘chicken style’.

No, it’s not ‘Satan’! But you can call it that if you want. However if you want to be a know-it-all, the proper way to pronounce it is either ‘say-tan’ or ‘say-tawn’.

You bet it is! Seitan is a great source of plant-based protein, with a higher protein content than both tofu and tempeh! By mixing in tofu, our Tofoo Seitan provides an even higher protein content than average at XXXg protein per 100g.

It’s not rocket science. Seitan is made by mixing flour and water and kneading it into a sticky dough. It can get pretty messy! The dough is then washed to remove the starch, leaving only the gluten protein. And to make our Tofoo Seitan, we simply mix in our famous tofu to boost the protein content and give it a softer texture.

Seitan is brilliant for vegetarians and vegans – but unfortunately not for anyone following a gluten-free or celiac diet. And our Tofoo Seitan contains soya, so if you’re on a soy-free diet, this isn’t the product for you either. Sorry.

Seitan (also called Vital Wheat Gluten) is a great plant-based protein alternative made from wheat gluten – that has a chickeny taste and texture. And you’ve probably had it already and not even realised. Seitan is in loads of different vegetarian and vegan products that you already know and love.