Oato has become the first fresh dairy alternative product to launch into the chilled aisle at Waitrose.
The British brand’s Fresh Barista Whole Oat Drink (rsp: £1.75/one litre), made with 100% British oats, will launch into the supermarket this month.
It said the move “marked a significant step for the brand” which was established in 2019, and represented a significant stride for both sustainability and plant-based alternatives.
“This is our first national listing with Waitrose, marking a significant milestone for our brand and expanding our reach to a wider audience across the UK,” said Oato founder Carl Hopwood. “The availability of Oato in a mainstream supermarket like Waitrose marks a shift in consumer accessibility to fresh, sustainable milk alternatives.”
Hopwood added that the improving the accessibility of fresh rather than UHT oat milk was “meeting a grower demand for high-quality, locally sourced dairy alternatives”.
“Locally sourced, convenience, and provenance matter to British consumers, so to be one of the few that have those USPs within the dairy alternative category while also being fresh and not UHT raises the bar,” he added.
Oato is striving to be the leading dairy alternative brand within the UK and claims to have among the lowest carbon footprint and food miles of plant milks on the market.
The bottling site in Lancashire is entirely solar-powered, producing more power than needed annually.
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