OAT DRINK manufacturer Alpro has announced a multi-million-pound investment supporting local farming in Kettering.
Its parent company Danone has pledged to use 100% British oats in its product, mostly sourced within 80 miles of Alpro’s factory in Burton Latimer and the Navara Oat Mill in Kettering.
Around 0.5 million litres of oat drink are sold in the UK every day, with sales now over £275 million. But currently only 1% of the oats are guaranteed from British sources.
Alpro is keen to increase the percentage of oats sourced locally, boosting opportunities for local farmers and giving new avenues for their crops. The investment builds on the company’s previous £41 million investment in its facility in Kettering, which saw the installation of new equipment to reduce energy consumption and cut carbon dioxide and water usage.
Jon Ruberry, category director, plant-based, at Danone UK & Ireland, said: “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 that is 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 nutritious3 new recipe that we think shoppers will love.”
Navara, whose factory is in Rushton Road, is owned by grain and agronomy business Frontier Agriculture and farmer-owned co-operative Camgrain. Frontier works with its oat farmers to supply the mill, providing expert advice through its team of agronomists and a range of products and services which help them grow the crop sustainably.
“The rise in the use of plant-based food ingredients has certainly brought changes to the farming industry – however, this exciting new investment by Danone has opened up more opportunities for oat farmers to broaden the products they produce and markets that they grow for,” said Navara Oat Milling’s managing director James Skidmore.
“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.”
The changes in oat sourcing and production process will significantly cut food miles, says Danone. And with oats traditionally used for porridge oats, cereals and flapjacks, the investment gives farmers new avenues for their crops. Some 58 million litres of the British Oat Drink are planned to be produced annually in Kettering, equating to a quarter of the site’s production of plant-based drinks.6
The oat drink is available now in an ‘original’ and ‘no sugars’ version. The new recipe is designed to be naturally low in saturated fat, whilst also being high in fibre and enriched with calcium, iodine and vitamins D2 and B2. It comes after research found that half of plant-based shoppers are driven by health.
Danone UK & Ireland president James Mayer said: “Health is at the heart of everything we do and we work to offer healthier nutrition to consumers in the most sustainable way possible. 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.
“This significant UK investment in manufacturing from home-grown oats is an exciting step forward and a great demonstration of how we are innovating to deliver healthy and tasty food and drink sustainably.”
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