Plant-based milk on the rise: Quarter of Britons now drink dairy alternative - study
The rise in plant-based milk sales has been driven by "concerns around health, ethics and the environment," researchers say.
Friday 19 July 2019 19:47, UK
Plant-based milk alternatives, including oat, rice, and soya, are used by almost a quarter of people in the UK, new research suggests.
The number of Britons using plant-based milk rose from 19% in 2018 to 23% in the three months to February 2019, according to a study by market research firm Mintel, who spoke to 2,000 people.
Young people aged 16 to 24 are the biggest buyers of plant-based milk, with a third (33%) drinking it, the research found.
The rise in alternative milk has been driven by "concerns around health, ethics and the environment, as well as by consumers' love of variety in their diets," according to Emma Clifford, Mintel's associate director of UK food and drink.
The popularity of plant-based milk comes amid a rise of veganism in the UK in recent years.
More than 600,000 people in the UK are vegan, up from 150,000 in 2014, according to The Vegan Society.
Cows' milk remains by far the most widely consumed, with 87% of Britons drinking it, but its popularity is skewed towards older consumers, peaking at 92% among the over-45s, according to Mintel's research.
By comparison, the study found 73% of 16 to 24-year-olds consumed cows' milk in 2019, down from 79% last year.
Ms Clifford said: "With volume sales of cow's milk already on a downward trend, the fact that more young consumers are turning away from these products does not bode well for this segment's prospects in the long-term."
The popularity of plant-based milks has also been helped by "high levels of innovation activity", she added, such as the launch of nut milks by the smoothie company Innocent Drinks.
One of the winners from the rise of plant-based milks has been oat milk, with sales up by 71% between 2017 and 2018, according to Mintel.
The popularity of oat milk brand Oatly in coffee shops led to a UK-wide shortage in November last year.
James Penn, the owner of Hackney Coffee Company in east London, told Sky News at the time: "There's clearly a plant-based, environmentally conscious movement happening, and we see that in our customers, whether they're asking for non-dairy milk or bringing their own reusable cups.
"What oat milk has done is provide an actual comparable alternative to dairy milk - something that's on a par in quality and taste. We didn't have that before."