The first time I ever drank oat milk was in a coffee from a Pret a Manger in London. It was Oatly Barista, which I had always liked just for how the carton looked. It frothed convincingly. And it was unexpectedly delicious: rich, full, subtle in flavour and exactly the viscosity of full-fat cow’s milk. I immediately knew I’d never go back.
Plant-based milks (or mylks, m!lks, m*lks or mxxxs, as they increasingly contort themselves) are booming business. Globally, the plant-based milk industry is worth US$12.4 billion and is expected to reach US$22.9 billion by 2027. In New Zealand alone, the dairy alternative industry is worth over $78 million. On a recent visit to Countdown, I counted at least 40 varieties of plant-based milk, from unsweetened almond to chocolate soy. These milks, previously the purlieu of hardcore vegans only, are now widely embraced by the general public, here and overseas. More than two-thirds of consumers in the Asia-Pacific and Latin American regions occasionally or always use plant-based milk. And plant-based milks reputedly come with a host of benefits: they’re naturally lactose-free, suiting those with digestive issues, bolstered with all kinds of added nutrients and supposedly better for the environment.
From a taste perspective, I’ll never return to cow’s milk. And I’m mildly lactose intolerant, so plantbased milks make me feel better, too. But the reason I started drinking them was purely environmental. Recently, I’ve article found that plant-based milks of all stripes were better for the planet than dairy. But is that still true in the New Zealand context, where dairy is so readily available? Is it actually more sustainable to drink oat milk flown in from Sweden than cow’s milk that comes from the Waikato?
