Man, from Alpheton near Sudbury, behind new tofu alternative ‘Cufu’ has high hopes for breaking into national vegan market

For the growing number of vegans in the UK, soy-based tofu is often considered the go-to source of protein.

But, as awareness increases of soy allergies, Alpheton-based producer Mark Turnbull has hit upon an alternative he calls ‘cufu’ – a similar product, made of pumpkin seeds.

And, although his business, Turnbull’s Cufu, is in its infancy, he has high hopes for the product, suggesting it could one day serve a large chunk of the national vegan market.

Mr Turnbull, a former vegetarian, explained that he had been frustrated at the lack of soy-free or minimally-processed protein sources, before he discovered the method for cufu online.

“I was a vegetarian for 10 years, and I was always trying to find healthier ways to increase my protein intake, but I didn’t want anything soya based,” he told the Suffolk Free Press.

“I happened across a video on YouTube of someone making tofu out of pumpkin seeds. I started making that for myself for about six months.

“Then, I realised there was nothing like that in the UK, so I decided to start building it up and experimenting.

“I started Turnbull’s Cufu just over a year ago, when I realised this could be a big product. The business came about from my own search for healthier foods.

“Long-term, I’m hoping to expand it, and eventually, I can see it supplying 10 per cent of the entire vegan market in the UK. This is growing every year.”

Cufu is made by extracting the milk from pumpkin seeds, heating it until it curdles, and the cutting the curd into blocks, similarly to tofu.

With the business still in its early stages, Mr Turnbull stated that the production capacity is still relatively small, as he builds up the business, with around 60 300-gram blocks made each week.

However, the start-up is now regularly supplying a number of businesses – including Cradle vegan café in Sudbury and The Commons in Colchester.

In addition to the production, Mr Turnbull also carries out the deliveries of cufu himself, on his bicycle.

A keen cyclist, he said making the product had reduced the time to get out on the bike, so he decided to incorporate his fitness routine into the business.

Recently, he cycled 30 miles from his base in Alpheton, near Sudbury, to deliver 10 blocks of cufu to Allison’s Eatery in Bury St Edmunds.

To find out more about Turnbull’s Cufu, go online to www.turnbullscufu.co.uk.

“Everyone is really excited about cufu,” added Mr Turnbull. “They can’t believe something like this exists.

“One customer called it a revelation, and there has been the same sentiment from other people. There has been a lot of interest even in the Sudbury and Long Melford area.

“The main thing is a lot of people are discovering they have soy allergies, so they can’t eat tofu. Many products now have ‘soy free’ labels.

“The main benefit of cufu is a lot of people can’t eat tofu products. There’s also the texture – it’s a lot firmer. Plus, it’s one ingredient, so it doesn’t contain lots of other things.

“I also do deliveries on my bike. Because the business gives me less time to cycle, I wanted to incorporate that, to keep fit and healthy.”