Working with the Navara oat mill in Kettering, Alpro is sourcing most of its oats from farmers within 80 miles of the Mill. The change to oat sourcing will significantly cut food miles and support local farmers by giving them new avenues for their crops.
The investment has expanded Danone’s Alpro facility in Kettering, where some 58 million litres of the British oat drink are planned to be produced annually, equating to a quarter of the site’s annual production of plant-based drinks.
James Mayer, Danone UK & Ireland president, said: “As a pioneer and global leader in plant-based nutrition, plant-based drinks are a key part of our strategy to boost growth by focusing on developing products that deliver on both health and taste.
Home grown
“This significant UK investment in manufacturing from home grown oats is an exciting step forward and a great demonstration of how we’re innovating to deliver healthy and tasty food and drink sustainably.”
The popularity of oat drinks continues to grow in the UK, with sales of more than £275 million – up from £155 million five years ago (Circana). This year, oat drinks made up two-fifths (39%) of all plant-based drink sales, up from a quarter five years ago, amounting to half a million litres of oat drink sold every day in the UK.
However, only 1.3% of oat drink sold in the UK has been guaranteed to be from 100% British oats – based on value sales on brands that claim British oats.
Appetite for plant-based
Jon Ruberry, Danone UK & Ireland category marketing director, added: “We continue to see a big appetite amongst consumers for healthy, plant-based products, with half of plant-based shoppers driven by health.
“We are confident in the future of the plant-based category and this expansion is a key part of our ambition to bring greater choice to supermarket shelves, meeting the rising consumer demand in a way that benefits local communities and farmers.”
The announcement builds on Alpro’s previous £41 million investment into its facility in Kettering, which saw the installation of new equipment to reduce energy consumption and cut CO2 and water usage.
Meanwhile, Apetito has announced plans to construct a new food manufacturing facility in Wiltshire.
