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The Guardian
08-03-2025
- Lifestyle
- The Guardian
Which brand makes the best plant milk? I tried 10 favourites, from oat to almond, to find out
Plant milk is everywhere. Once a niche alternative, it now lines supermarket shelves in endless varieties – oat, almond, soya, hazelnut, coconut, rice, pea – and is often the product of choice in coffee shops. Whether for ethical, environmental or dietary reasons, more and more people are ditching dairy. But not all plant milks are created equal. Some taste fantastic on their own but split in hot coffee or tea, some are ultra-processed, and others still have questionable sustainability credentials. Even so, according to the environmental charity Hubbub, oat, almond and soy milk generate at least 68% fewer planet-warming emissions than conventional dairy milk, require less land and fresh water, and have a lower impact on waterways through chemical run-off and eutrophication. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. I tested 10 plant-based milks, judging them on taste, texture, ingredients, sustainability and how they perform in coffee, and I enlisted my local cafe, Oru, in south-east London, to help me assess them for taste, texture and stability once heat is applied. Here's how they measure up. £2.30 at Ocado★★★★★ A balanced, clean oat flavour, with mild sweetness and a smooth, creamy texture. Works well in coffee, tea, cereal and smoothies. It froths exceptionally well, too. It's made with organic EU-grown oats, manufactured in Europe and free from gums or stabilisers. Califia Farms has a sustainability initiative focused on reducing carbon emissions and improving packaging recyclability, and, alongside Plenish, is The Good Shopping Guide's best-scoring plant milk for sustainability. £2 for 1 litre at Asda£2 for 1 litre at Tesco★★★★☆ The pale cream colour is similar to that of dairy milk, and it has a subtle aroma and a relatively neutral flavour profile. Drunk straight,the mouthfeel was slightly cloying, but it works well in cereal, tea and filter coffee. It's excellent for lattes and steams easily with a stable microfoam. Oatly calculates the climate footprint of its products and puts this one at 0.49kg carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e)/kg, although the brand has a low sustainability score on The Good Shopping Guide. £2.25 for 1 litre at Tesco£12.99 for 6 x 1 litre at Amazon★★★★☆ Crisp and white, with a clean mouthfeel and subtle almond aroma. Works well straight as well as in tea, coffee, cereal and smoothies. Steams well for lattes, too, but tricky to make latte art. £2.30 for 1 litre at Morrisons£2.30 for 1 litre at Tesco★★★★☆ Bright, white colour, with a fresh, clean flavour and a deliciously full taste that's never overpowering. Very sweet, though. Best enjoyed straight, or in tea, cereal or smoothies. Not suitable for latte, because it won't steam. It's made with whole brown rice, including the bran, so it has a naturally sweet taste without added sugars. The ingredients include spring water, organic brown rice, organic cold-pressed sunflower oil and sea salt. Rude Health is a certified B Corp. £2.25 for 1 litre at Sainsbury's£2.25 for 1 litre at Tesco★★★★☆ The flavour is balanced, and it has a subtle scent of soya beans. Refreshingly unsweet, too, unlike most oat and nut milk. The mouthfeel is clean, with good viscosity. Best enjoyed straight, in tea, cereal or smoothies. Not for latte or steaming. Made with a simple ingredients list, namely spring water, EU-grown organic soya beans and sea salt, this is a great source of protein. One of the best-scoring plant milks for its sustainability on The Good Shopping Guide. Sign up to The Filter Get the best shopping advice from the Filter team straight to your inbox. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. after newsletter promotion £2 for 1 litre at Waitrose£2 for 1 litre at Ocado★★★★☆ A yellow, custard-like colour, a sweet, malty and rich flavour, and a creamy texture. This contains a larger percentage of oats than most brands, resulting in a thicker texture, creamier colour and sweeter taste. Delicious straight and on cereal, and also good in tea. It steams well and has a smooth microfoam texture, making it decent for lattes. This one is made with UK-grown oats, harvested and packed within 100 miles, so has a climate footprint of only 0.35kg CO₂e/kg. £2.50 for 1 litre at Ocado£16 for 6 x 1 litre at Holland & Barrett★★★★☆ A beautiful, pale hazelnut beige, with a wonderful, nutty aroma. The taste is naturally sweet, nutty and delicious, and there's a clean mouthfeel and pleasant aftertaste. Best enjoyed straight, or in tea, cereal or smoothies. Not suitable for latte. Made with simple ingredients – spring water, organic rice, organic hazelnuts, organic cold-pressed sunflower oil and sea salt – this provides a rich, sweet flavour without added sugars. £1.90 for 1 litre at Sainsbury's★★★☆☆ A subtle but pleasant hemp flavour, with a clean taste and a pleasant mouthfeel. Best enjoyed straight with tea or cereal. Not really suitable for coffee, though, because it develops a bitter flavour when heated; it's also difficult to foam. Unlike many similar products, this is free from rapeseed oil, and I opted to include it here because hemp is such an incredible plant, which contributes to soil health and carbon sequestration. That said, Jörd has a low sustainability score on The Good Shopping Guide and is owned by Arla, the fourth largest dairy producer in the world. £2.10 for 1 litre at Ocado£2.10 for 1 litre at Amazon★★★☆☆ A smooth texture, but a slightly artificial aroma and aftertaste. Works well in tea, coffee (to which it imparts a slight acidity), cereal and drunk straight. Froths adequately for lattes, too. Minor Figures is a certified carbon-neutral company that offsets 100% of its carbon emissions by supporting Gold Standard carbon-offsetting projects. £1.88 for 1 litre at Asda£2 for 1 litre at Ocado★★☆☆☆ For me, this is a nostalgic product that I used to drink in the 1980s, but now, while the taste is sweet and it has a good viscosity, I find it has an off-putting artificial aroma. Good in coffee, tea, cereal and smoothies. Alpro is a B Corp-certified company, ensuring high social and environmental standards and its soya is non-GMO; but it's the lowest-scoring plant milk for sustainability.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
UK's first multi-brand returnable cup scheme launched in Glasgow
The UK's first multi-brand returnable drinking cup scheme has been launched in Scotland in an effort to reduce waste from single-use products. Borrow Cup launched in Glasgow on Monday with more than 40 participating outlets. They involved include major retailers such as Costa Coffee, Burger King, Caffe Nero and Tinderbox. Many smaller organisations such as Kelvingrove Museum, Sprigg and Glasgow City Chambers are also participating. The scheme, launched by charity Hubbub and reuse start-up Reposit, aims to expand across Scotland and the UK if the project is successful in its initial three-month period. Customers purchasing a drink at any participating store will be asked if they would like to use a Borrow Cup for a £1 deposit and will receive a discount or loyalty rewards at most stores. Available in three sizes, customers can return a cup after use for a clean one for their next drink or a £1 voucher. Hubbub says around three-quarters of people in the UK own a reusable cup, but only a third use them at least once a month. According to Zero Waste Scotland, 388 million disposable cups are used in Scotland each year. Gavin Ellis, co-founder of Hubbub, said: 'We know disposable cup waste is an issue Scotland is keen to tackle so we are delighted to launch the UK's first cross-brand returnable cup initiative here in Glasgow. 'By making it easy and convenient for people to choose reusable cups, we hope Borrow Cup will shift habits and help to make reusable cups the norm. 'The success of the project hinges on how many people use it, and crucially how many cups are returned to be used over and over. 'For it to be a success, we need the people of Glasgow to get behind Borrow Cup so we can show the rest of the UK what is possible.' Stuart Chidley, co-founder of Reposit, said: 'As a local business we are delighted to be enabling local people, local and national businesses to make a simple switch from single-use to returnable cups. 'The world is watching how Glasgow is leading the way so that they can follow.' Nicola Pierce, director of commercial planning, environment, social and governance at Burger King UK, said: 'Burger King UK is excited to partner with Hubbub to bring Borrow Cup to Glasgow. 'This industry collaboration allows us to explore innovative ways to offer our customers a convenient and sustainable alternative and we look forward to seeing the results.' Gareth Hopley, head of communications at Caffe Nero, said: 'We have long been supporters of recycling schemes for disposable cups, such as the Valpak Scheme, and we're delighted to be partnering on Borrow Cup. 'We already offer additional loyalty stamps to any customer who uses a reusable cup in any of our stores, and Borrow Cup will sit perfectly alongside it. I'm sure it will be hugely successful.'
