Müller Milk & Ingredients has killed off its Good Stuff Barista Milk, just a year after launch – in response to what The Grocer understands were underwhelming sales.
The dairy giant unveiled the milk last June in response to calls to “make it easier to make delicious frothy coffees at home”, citing a “growth opportunity to leverage [Müller’s] strong brand credentials and expand into new areas”.
Launched under Müller’s Good Stuff sub-brand following the introduction of its Fresher for Longer filtered milk last May, the Barista Milk cost between £2.10 and £2.25/one litre carton and was stocked by Tesco, One Stop, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s.
The UHT milk could be sold ambient and boasted a 120-day shelf life. The key to its uniqueness was said to be the addition of extra protein to the milk, which at 3.9% per 100ml was higher than both semi-skimmed (3.6%) and whole milk (3.5%).
This created a froth with tighter and smaller bubbles that lasted for longer, and was ideal for the creation of latte art, the dairy giant claimed at the time of launch. It was able to be frothed with any domestic frothing gadget, warmed and whisked or even used cold.
The product represented the first mainstream dairy barista milk in UK supermarkets – in the wake of a slew of similar launches in the dairy alternative category – and was followed by the launch of fresh milk barista variants by Trewithen Dairy last October and Arla last week.
But despite positive reviews in pre-launch blind tasting trials, plus what Müller highlighted was a clear demand from consumers that has subsequently been echoed by Trewithen and Arla, the product is understood to have underperformed soon after launch.
It was delisted in Tesco, its final retailer, last month, with Trewithen’s cheaper fresh product going on sale nationally in the retailer in late May, costing £1.59/one-litre bottle.
While the product was no longer available, “Müller Good Stuff Fresher for Longer and our Müller Milk branded range remain widely available”, a spokesman said.
“As we work to build a better future for the UK dairy sector, we will constantly explore various private label and branded opportunities and work hard to continue meeting the needs of our customers and the markets we serve,” he added.
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