Where can I find nutritional yeast or alternatives in the UK?

August 6, 2007 9:18 AM

Where can I get nutritional yeast in the UK? Failing that, what could I use instead?

Some recipes I'm interested in making (e.g.) call for "nutritional yeast", which I've never heard of. My understanding from Googling is that is is de-activated yeast used to beef up the flavour of vegan food. Does anyone know where I might find it easily in the UK and what we call it here (which may well be "nutritional yeast" — I'm neither a vegan nor much of a cook!)? The Holland and Barrett website, which was my first thought for this sort of thing only has Brewer's Yeast.

Failing that, are there any alternatives I could use that are available in a biggish Tesco? MSG? Parmesan? I'm a vegetarian, if it makes any difference.

posted by caek to food & drink (11 answers total)

The Brewer's Yeast at Holland & Barrett is in pill form, taken as a supplement. For the ingredient nutritional yeast you might have better luck trying health food shops in your area, I'd try phoning these people to ask what they suggest. Alternatively Lewis Labs nutritional yeast can be ordered here. Failing that, there's always Marmite, if it's a savoury recipe.
posted by methylsalicylate at 9:31 AM on August 6, 2007

They appear to have powder, but you're right that I should try Uhuru, which is about 200 yards from my house.

Surely I can't use marmite in a pesto recipe though?
posted by caek at 9:44 AM on August 6, 2007

The nutritional yeast is there to replace the cheese. If you have no objections to dairy, just use Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano.
posted by desuetude at 9:59 AM on August 6, 2007

I used to be able to buy yeast flakes from health food stores, but this was some years ago. Here's one brand I recall that seems to still be available. I hope it's what you had in mind.
posted by Abiezer at 10:27 AM on August 6, 2007

You can use Marmite in any recipe, caek.
posted by Lionel d'Lion at 10:28 AM on August 6, 2007

Order it online from within the UK from Goodnessdirect.
posted by roofus at 11:36 AM on August 6, 2007

If it's a vegan cheesy sauce recipe, you want yeast flakes, not powder, and no, brewer's yeast is not quite the same. The most popular brand in the US at least is probably Red Star, but the brand I usually get from health food stores is Kal.

You should be able to get either from your favorite online retailer.
posted by team lowkey at 12:28 PM on August 6, 2007

Nutritional yeast is often a vegan substitute for cheese - it's a flakey yellowish powder that tastes surprisingly good for something with such an uninviting name, as I said once before around here. I would just check at yr local health food store before assuming it's unavailable (or switch to veggie cheese if you don't want to bother searching it out).
posted by mdn at 4:41 PM on August 6, 2007

Engevita Yeast Flakes were available all over the place when I was in England. Sadly it was the only stuff I could find in England and that stuff tastes like shit in comparison to American nutritional yeast.

I consider myself a nutritional yeast expert, I cannot imagine a day without the yummy flakes. I'm sure the yeast played some subconscious role in me leaving England [my giant bag of American flakes ran out days before I left].
posted by cloeburner at 8:09 PM on August 6, 2007

On another semi-related note I have to wonder if the people who made Engevita ever ate it. In the description on the side it said, "Engivita is such a pleasant tasting yeast that it can be consumed as it is. It is also readily dissolved in water, milk, fruit or vegetable juices and can be sprinkled on soups, stews, casseroles, salads and breakfast cereals to enhance the flavour."

You are an asshole if you put it in water, milk, fruit or vegetable juices or breakfast cereals.
posted by cloeburner at 8:12 PM on August 6, 2007 [1 favorite]

Calm down, cloeburner. It's only yeast.
posted by methylsalicylate at 2:22 AM on August 7, 2007