Milk has always been a perennial favorite of many households worldwide. However, people looking to live healthier, or those who are lactose intolerant, would instead opt to consume milk substitutes such as almond, oat, and other plant-based milk.
Oatside is one such brand and since its conception during the pandemic, it has boomed in popularity in Asia, being seen in cafes and supermarkets across countries such as Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Singaporean Founder and CEO Benedict Lim began Oatside when he saw a gap in the market for a plant-based milk that offers a creamy and malty taste profile that is familiar to people who don’t typically drink plant milks. “We know that taste is often a barrier for more people adopting sustainable milks, so our goal was to develop an oat milk that could overcome these perceptions. It was a challenge developing the right product with existing setups at contract manufacturers in the early days, so we took the longer approach of building our own production line that allowed us more customization and control over the oat extraction process,” says Benedict.
Being a full-stack oatmilk producer allowed Oatside to control all aspects of production, from sourcing its oats, to oat preparation, extraction method, and packaging. The result is milk that has a creamy thick texture similar to full-cream milk with a slight sweetness from the malting process.
Oatside has finally come to the Philippines with a launch held last May 9 at Papakape Café in Fort Santiago. It will come in 3 variants: the Barista Blend and its Chocolate and Chocolate-Hazelnut flavors.
Oatside Barista Blend’s creaminess gives body to coffees and teas, but is neutral enough to allow the coffee and tea notes to shine through. Oatside Barista Blend also creates beautiful microfoam when steamed for latte art, making it a good option among baristas.
Oatside Chocolate is a dark, rich chocolate oat drink made with a Rainforest Alliance-certified Indonesian-African cocoa blend, no added flavors, and with less sugar than most chocolate milks.
Today, Oatside is available in partner cafes in the Philippines including PickUp Coffee, FRNK and Bo’s Coffee; and starting May, Oatside Barista Blend, Chocolate, and Chocolate Hazelnut will be available on the shelves of major retailers nationwide, starting with Landers and Puregold – and on e-commerce platforms like Lazada and Shopee.
