Alpro has invested a “multimillion-pound” sum in its UK manufacturing estate to bring 100% British oats to its standard oat drink line.
The Danone-owned brand said the move had been three years in the making, with a reformulated and rebranded Alpro 100% British Oat Drink going on sale across major retailers this month.
By the end of this year, the dairy alternative brand will have also reformulated its Barista oat drink with 100% British oats.
The company has worked with the Navara oat mill in Kettering, less than 10 miles from its own factory, to source the oats locally, mostly from farmers within 80 miles of the mill.
The changes in oat sourcing and production process would significantly cut food miles, while supporting local farmers by giving them new avenues for their crops, Alpro said. The change would not affect the recommended retail price, it added.
The investment has also seen Danone expand Alpro’s facility in Kettering, where some 58 million litres of the British Oat Drink are planned to be produced annually, equating to a quarter of the site’s annual production of plant-based drinks.
Currently only 1% of oat drink sold in the UK has been guaranteed to be from 100% British oats.
“When we look at the trends within the category, and what consumers are really talking about at the moment, naturality and sustainability is really key,” said Tom Kerr, head of category – plant-based at Danone UK & Ireland. “And we know from all our research that the consumers are looking for brands who support local and British farmers.”
Rival brand Oatly had previously floated plans for its first UK factory in Peterborough. But it never completed the move after “identifying new ways to serve the UK market [by] utilising existing facilities across Europe”.
Alpro has owned the Kettering factory since 2000.
“We’ve got the expertise, we’ve got the infrastructure,” said Kerr, who added the brand had updated its manufacturing facilities to be able to adapt to oat flour, as opposed to the more standard oat syrup imported from Europe.
“It was really around us making sure that we could build the right sourcing network with the right quality of oats.”
Navara was partly owned by a co-operative of farmers and worked with local producers. Kerr added: “They’ve done a lot of the linking together, and we’ve been trying to make sure that we find the right oat mill who can ensure supply from as small a radius as possible.”
Navara Oat Milling MD James Skidmore said: “The rise in the use of plant-based food ingredients has certainly brought changes to the farming industry. However, this exciting new investment by Danone has opened up more opportunities for oat famers to broaden the products they produce and markets that they grow for.
“When businesses back British agriculture, famers have more options for their crops, leading to increased resilience and potential for growth.”
The announcement builds on Alpro’s previous £41m investment into its facility in Kettering, which saw the installation of new equipment to reduce energy consumption and cut CO2 and water usage.
James Mayer, president of Danone UK & Ireland, said: “Health is at the heart of everything we do, and we work to offer healthier nutrition to consumers in the most sustainable way possible.
“As a pioneer and global leader in plant-based nutrition, plant-based drinks are a key part of our strategy to boost growth by focusing on developing products that deliver on both health and taste. This significant UK investment in manufacturing from home-grown oats is an exciting step forward and a great demonstration of how we’re innovating to deliver healthy and tasty food and drink sustainably.”
Alpro’s 100% British Oat Drink is available nationwide in an original and no sugars version.
The new recipe is designed to be naturally low in saturated fat, while being high in fibre and enriched with calcium, iodine and vitamins D2 and B2.
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