Oatly has introduced a new larger pack size for its most popular product, barista oat milk, in the UK. Taking inspiration from the large cartons used for the brand’s regular oat milk in the US, a new 1.5L format will launch at major food service wholesalers from next month.
The product provides an option for cafés and coffee shops that use large quantities of oat milk, and the cost per litre will seemingly be lower than for the smaller 1L pack size. The recipe is the same, containing oats, water, rapeseed oil, salt, vitamins, and minerals, along with an acidity regulator to prevent splitting in coffee.
“We took inspiration from our normal-sized US packs and made an extra-large pack for all true baristas, pretend-baristas, and other coffee lovers who like their rich, creamy, and micro-foamable oats in abundance,” says Oatly on its website. “The neutral taste comes from a combination of premium oats and unsaturated fat that will make any hot drink, like coffee, tea, or hot chocolate, seem like it’s undergone some kind of upgrading process.”
“Presence in cafés is extremely important”
The news shortly follows the publication of various press reports stating Oatly had abandoned plans to construct a new facility in Peterborough, England. The company said it had identified other ways to service the UK market using its existing facilities across Europe.
Last month, Oatly published promising financial results for Q1 2024, with revenue rising by 1.8% to $199.2 million. The company’s stock saw a 3.42% boost following the news, rising above the 200-day line.
“The presence in cafés is extremely important for Oatly and is always part of our market entry strategy,” Svenja Fritz, Oatly Managing Director for DACH and Poland, told vegconomist in a recent interview. “We have our own team of baristas who are solely responsible for identifying the speciality cafés that are relevant to us and building and expanding relationships in this area. We want everyone to always have the option of switching to Oatly wherever they consume cow’s milk. Ultimately, we measure ourselves as a company by how many litres of cow’s milk we can replace with oat drink.”