Proving that plant-based is the future, Framptons has moved from egg wholesale to plant-based, evolving into the biggest co-packer of plant-based drinks in the UK with plant-based now accounting for 80% of the company’s business.
“Roughly eight out of ten enquiries are plant-based. Of those, five relate to oat”
Founded in 1898, family-owned business Framptons evolved into a contract packer and manufacturer for well-known brands in the plant-based industry such as Mighty Pea and Shaken Other. Today, the plant-based beverage business accounts for 80% of the Framptons’ operations, underlining the general shift of consumer preferences towards plant-based alternatives.
Responding to industry developments
The company states in a page titled Is Dairy Udder Threat? that “many consumers are transitioning to flexitarian diets. 41% of UK consumers currently follow a flexitarian diet (Quorn, 2021), with shoppers often purchasing both a dairy milk and a plant-based option for their household.
“With dairy alternatives still in their infancy and set for major growth over coming years, there is no doubt that major opportunities present in the category. Oat drinks are currently the bestseller in the milk alternatives category – and by some margin. Oat milk value sales increased 50% to £147m this year (Kantar, 2021), and is no doubt starting to give dairy milk a run for its money.
“Here at Framptons we have our own proprietary oat extraction capability. We are the leading partner of choice for brands that are looking to develop a reputation for taste, convenience, and health.”
While Framptons still generates 20% of its revenues from dairy and egg products, the company is heading towards further expansion of plant-based production. Speaking to FOOD Manufacture, the company’s business development director Will Martin revealed: “Roughly eight out of ten enquiries are plant-based. Of those, five relate to oat. We now run our own oat extraction plan.”
Oat milk, especially new variants, have already been highlighted as a top trend for 2022, but Framptons is also working on plant-based drinks using pea protein and potato extract, as many brand owners, and an increasing number of consumers as well, appreciate their locality and sustainability performance.
Giving an outlook of the plant-based future of Framptons, Martin said in a statement published by FOOD Manufacture: “With oat extraction and to accommodate our growing plant-based volume and range, we have an industrial unit we’ll convert into a plant-based centre of excellence. We see that as a key direction.”