Minor Figures is an East London based producer of plant-based barista drinks including oat milks, chai, and cold brews with unique branding which makes it stand out in a busy market. The company has revealed its path to becoming carbon neutral and continues its expansion into Asia after establishing itself in Europe and Japan.
Founded in 2014, Minor Figures stands for innovative plant-based oat milk products. In line with the rise of oat milk as the fastest-growing plant-based milk category in 2020, the alternative oat coffee company had a successful 2020.
In May, Minor Figures joined Foodchain’s home delivery initiative to bring vegan meal boxes to customers in the UK. Three months later, Minor Figures continued with the launch of its oat milk on the shelves of supermarket chain Waitrose, which had previously reported a 113% increase in oat milk sales. Earlier this week, it was also announced that the company’s products are now available at health food shop chain Holland & Barrett.
The successful expansion course is now moving forward, as Miranda Jack, Head of Sales & Trader Marketing at Minor Figures, revealed in a statement: “Eight months ago we launched with Blue Bottle Coffee in Japan, and this month we roll out across Blue Bottle Korea. We’re stoked to be taking Oat M*lk to the speciality coffee scene in another Asian market. “
Blue Bottle Coffee is a coffee roaster and retailer of which the Swiss giant Nestlé acquired a 68% stake for $425 million in 2017, as reported by Time. In addition to a large presence in North America, Blue Bottle Coffee has numerous operations in Japan and South Korea, positioning it as an ideal expansion partner for Minor Figures.
On top of its successful growth strategy, the oat coffee pioneer established a path to becoming carbon neutral in collaboration with Ecofye. Minor Figures further works with the market leader for carbon offset projects, Climate Partner, and invests in projects in Vietnam and Peru. The company claims that these steps have now enabled its operations to become carbon neutral.
Minor Figures commented on its sustainability ambitions on its website as follows: “It takes a lot of time, effort and resources for businesses to operate from a truly pro-environmental stance, but that’s exactly where we want to be. Long gone are the days when good intention and trendy marketing lingo could dress up as progress. Words are cheap, action is everything.”