British oat drink producer Oato has introduced a Fresh Oat Matcha Latte as a limited-time addition to its range, available from July exclusively through doorstep delivery service The Modern Milkman at £2.50.
The product follows the same fresh format that Oato applies across its portfolio, which the company positions as requiring less processing than shelf-stable alternatives and delivering what it describes as a cleaner taste. The Modern Milkman partnership makes the drink available to households across the UK on a daily delivery basis rather than through retail shelves.
A fresh format in a UHT-dominated category
Oato was founded in 2019 by Carl Hopwood and manufactures at a bottling site in Lancashire. The business built its position on chilled, short shelf-life oat drinks distributed via milk rounds, a route to market largely untouched by the plant-based category, where UHT cartons remain standard.
The company reports it is the best-selling fresh oat drink on British milk rounds and cites a 34% year-on-year like-for-like rate of sale increase, according to its own figures. Distribution now extends beyond doorstep delivery into Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose, Booths and Ocado.
Domestic sourcing and production
Oato uses British oats and produces in the UK, which the company says results in a carbon footprint among the lowest of any plant-based drink currently on sale. Its Lancashire bottling facility is solar-powered and, according to the company, generates more electricity than the site consumes annually.
Commenting on the launch, founder Carl Hopwood said, “We are so excited about this latest launch, not least because it offers an exciting addition to the range, but also because it is the very essence of what Oato is: creamy, fresh, delicious, and of course British made.”
