Originally founded in Finland as part of the Valio Group, Oddlygood is a plant-based food and beverage company known for its dairy-free alternatives such as plant-based milks, desserts, yogurts, and cheeses, with a focus on oat-based.
After acquiring Nordic brand Planti in a strategic move almost a year ago, the brand has seen retail success in the UK as well as northern European markets, and previously launched its Barista Oat drink on the US market in 2022. This February, Oddlygood received a Product of the Year award in the UK, and was the only completely vegan brand on the 2024 shortlist.
We spoke with Amanda Majer, Marketing Manager UK & Ireland at Oddlygood, to find out the secret to Oddlygood’s success that has led to its global growth of 40% YOY.
Please introduce your brand briefly and tell us about Oddlygood’s overall mission and vision.
Oddlygood® is a global brand on a mission to raise the standard of plant-based food and drink by creating high-quality, tasty products. We’ve seen huge success in Europe where we are a key player in the plant-based drinks category, including our native Finland where we are growing ahead of the market. We’re now driving UK expansion, following our launch into the market last June.
As a brand, we like to do things differently which is certainly key in making us stand out in the competitive UK market. We’re all about celebrating the bold and unique, and our ambition is always to make ‘odd’ the new norm.
What is your current portfolio, which are the best sellers and why?
In the UK, we recently launched a new range of Barista Oat Drinks into Asda which includes two flavoured editions, Salted Caramel and Vanilla. It’s early days for the range, especially for the unflavoured option which launched this summer but it’s looking promising. The UK market is competitive but we really feel our products stand out and can play a role in drawing more consumers into the category.
We also have a selection of Dreamy Desserts which are made using a unique combination of oat, fava bean and coconut oil to create a creamy and smooth taste and texture, enriched with vitamin D, B2 and B12 for added nutrition. These have been in the market longer and have managed to garner a loyal customer base, with Dreamy Lemon Dessert being the best seller.
Across Europe we do also have soy and almond drinks, plus alternatives to cheese and yogurt. The variety and quality of our innovation has been crucial in our growth across the Nordics.
In which markets and channels are you currently available and what plans are there for expansions?
Our products are currently available in Finland, Sweden, Belgium, Poland, the Netherlands, the UK, Ireland and the Baltic countries. On a global level, we have grown 40% YOY[1] and as we move into 2025, we’re focusing on driving brand awareness, growth and innovation in our key markets.
Oddlygood is growing 40% YOY globally and is a key player in Finnish and Swedish markets. Why enter the UK now and how are you driving growth here?
The UK plant-based drinks market is competitive with clear brand leaders, but we strongly believe there’s an opportunity for a brand to reinvigorate the category, especially when it comes to oat drinks. Key to this is showing our product quality, as the biggest challenge is overcoming existing perceptions around taste and texture.
The UK expansion is being supported by a seven-figure marketing investment throughout 2024 to drive awareness and trial at this key moment for the brand. This is being led by our global campaign, An Ode to Oddness, which aims to celebrate the unique and make ‘odd’ the new norm. It’s being activated in the UK through PR, experiential sampling, OOH, in-store and influencer partnerships. The latter includes BOSH!, the UK’s top foodie platform dedicated to plant-packed, flavour-focused, planet-friendly food inspiration to drive awareness and growth.
Oddlygood recently launched Barista Oat Drinks into Asda. How do these oat drinks stand out? What is the company’s strategy for product development?
For many consumers, adding oat drinks to coffee has become an entry point, which is why it’s key to get Barista ranges right. Our research has shown that almost half of Brits (44%)[2] start their day with a coffee and half (50%)[3] are now using plant-based dairy alternatives in their coffee.
“It’s important to remember that oat drinks aren’t a new trend or passing fad”
We launched our drinks in ‘barista’ style which means the product is specifically formulated to produce a high-quality coffee experience and excellent foamability. Our research shows that 32% of Brits prefer coffee with a good foam and will be expecting this from their oat drinks[4].
Unlike many products available, we use 100% of the oat flour to reduce any food waste whilst also creating a thick, velvety smoothness. The drinks are also gluten-free and palm-oil-free.
Our expert global team is constantly innovating and developing new flavours, sizes and SKUs, to help introduce new customers to the category. Being backed by Valio – Finland’s leading dairy producer and a major player in the international dairy products market – we use over 100 years of expertise in creating every single one of our plant-based products.
Why are oat-based drinks such a hit with consumers and why do they continue to trend, in your opinion?
It’s important to remember that oat drinks aren’t a new trend or passing fad – the category has grown over time and played a massively important role in offering consumers a great tasting and more sustainable alternative to milk.
The category continues to innovate, whether that’s through quality-assuring methods, flavours or sizes and that’s key to driving interest, trial and repeat purchase. Our recent research is testament to this, where a third (30%) of Brits stated they are looking to increase their general usage of oat drinks this year[5].
There is still a huge amount of potential growth in the category, especially as Gen Z and Gen Alpha increase purchase power. These generations, which are already over indexing on plant-based, are a key target audience for us.
Tell us about the decision to launch in 3 different flavours – what role do you think flavoured oat drinks can play for consumers in their everyday?
Our research found that just under 1 in 10 Brits feel one of the biggest barriers to them choosing oat drinks in their beverage is that there aren’t enough interesting flavours out there[6].
Coffee is of course a key everyday occasion, and our flavoured oat drinks were designed to perfectly complement coffee. Our Salted Caramel and Vanilla flavours deliver balanced and subtly sweet notes to complement coffee’s aromatic flavours, rather than overpower them. They offer a different way to add flavour, especially over sugary syrups.
Feedback from coffee experts, including Celeste Wong (previously named Financial Times Top 5 Baristas in London and author), has been “I love that Oddlygood® is not only a great tasting plant-based and gluten-free brand, but it’s quirky and fun. It makes me want to experiment more with their products and flavours as I know I won’t be sacrificing on taste or quality!”
The drinks are also incredibly versatile and can be used across all our everyday occasions including smoothies, cereals and baking. We worked with BOSH! who really brought this to life, creating recipes including a heritage tomato galette, rice pudding crème brûlée and a pistachio and rhubarb upside-down cake.
What’s next for Oddlygood?
We’re still relatively new to the UK but we see this as an opportunity. We want to draw new customers into the category here through quality, innovation and plenty of Finnish flair! We have a number of unique and delicious products in the pipeline for the UK, which is really exciting. Watch this space.
[1] Oddlygood global value growth 2023
[2] Oddlygood, 2000 UK adults via Censuswide, May 2024
[3] Oddlygood, 2000 UK adults via Censuswide, May 2024
[4] Oddlygood, 2000 UK adults via Censuswide, May 2024
[5] Oddlygood, 2000 UK adults via Censuswide, May 2024
[6] Oddlygood, 2000 UK adults via Censuswide, May 2024
