Is there anything you can’t do with potatoes? Mash them, roast them, boil them, fry them… and, as it turns out, milk them. Yes, this week marks the rollout of potato milk brand Dug into Waitrose.

The milk has actually been around since last year, when the brand proudly proclaimed it “the world’s only potato-based dairy alternative”. But its ready availability on UK shelves has sent the media into a fresh spin – with headlines branding it everything from “a crime against potatoes” to “the new oat milk”.

So does potato milk have what it takes to mash the competition in dairy alternatives?

Clearly there’s plenty of growth to be had in the market. Last year, sales of alternative milks shot up 14.2% to £535.4m [Kantar 52 w/e August 2021].

At the same time, there’s also plenty of competition. Several small brands have launched on to the market over the past couple of years, alongside big hitters like Nestlé’s Wunda and Arla’s Jörd oat milk.

So to truly make a dent in the milk alternatives category, brands need to meet the key attributes for shoppers: taste, versatility, price and sustainability.

On the latter front, Dug certainly makes a good case. Its climate footprint is 75% lower than regular milk, the brand claims – and it outperforms many dairy alternatives, too. Potatoes are twice as land efficient as oats, Dug says, and use 56 times less water than almonds. At a time when sustainability is increasingly important to shoppers – and increasingly at the forefront of marketing efforts – it’s a powerful claim.

On the other attributes, Dug is on shakier ground. A litre of its Barista variant sells for £1.80 in Waitrose, pricing it on a par with many of its rivals. Alpro also sells for £1.80 in Waitrose, while Oatly typically retails at £1.85 (though it’s currently on offer at £1.48 per litre). 

When it comes to versatility, Dug sees this as one of its key selling points. The brand says its “neutral taste” means it can be used in everything from cereal to tea. “It will not cover the taste of your coffee, for example,” says Cecilia Lindwall, CEO of Veg of Lund, the company behind the Dug brand.

But this neutral taste appears to be somewhat divisive, if today’s media coverage is anything to go by. While one reviewer hailed the milk “very creamy” with a pleasant “malty taste”, another branded it “a crime against potatoes”.

And this, ultimately, is what will determine the success of Dug. Because however sustainable or novel a milk alternative may be, consumers will only become regular buyers if the taste is right.

For now, it looks unlikely potato milk will reach the heights of oat, which soared to near £150m last year [Kantar]. But its Waitrose listing suggests Dug is one to watch – even if not all shoppers dig it.

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