Danone-owned plant-based brand Alpro has announced a multi-million-pound investment in the UK to make its oat drink from 100% British oats for the first time. The company will source the oats directly from British farmers, with the aim of strengthening local farming and supporting its plant-based range. 

The investment will build on Alpro’s previous £41 million (US$52.9 million) investment in its site in Kettering, England, after which equipment to reduce energy consumption and slash CO2 emissions and water usage was installed.

UK consumers are warming up to oat-based drinks, which, according to Danone, are constituting two-fifths of all plant-based drink sales this year. Half a million liters of oat drinks are sold in the country daily.

However, despite this rise, the French multinational notes that only 1% of these drinks are guaranteed to have been made from 100% British oats. The company says it will source oats primarily from farmers 80 miles from the Navara Oat Mill in Kettering. The updates to sourcing and production processes could “significantly” reduce food miles.

Jon Ruberry, category director, Plant-based, at Danone UK & Ireland, says: “We continue to see a big appetite among shoppers for healthy, plant-based products, especially for ‘flexitarian’ shoppers looking to add variety to their diets. It is also clear that oat-based drinks are increasingly popular with consumers, a trend here to stay.”

“This expansion is a key part of our ambition to bring greater choice to supermarket shelves, providing a locally sourced product and a nutritious new recipe that we think shoppers will love.”

Alpro’s oat drink is available in “original” and “no sugars” versions. The brand claims the new formulation is designed to be “naturally low” in saturated fat while delivering high fiber and is enriched with calcium, iodine, and vitamins D2 and B2.

New farming avenues

While traditionally, oats are used for porridge, cereals, and flapjacks, this investment could present new opportunities to farmers for their crops. Danone’s current estimates suggest that some 58 million liters of British oat drink will be produced annually at the site.

James Skidmore, managing director, Navara Oat Milling, says: “The rise in the use of plant-based food ingredients has certainly brought changes to the farming industry. When businesses back British agriculture, farmers have more options for their crops, leading to increased resilience and potential for growth.”

“The investment will boost capacity and production at the Navara Mill, bringing substantial benefits to the local community both in Kettering and further afield.”