Delice de France has launched a first-of-its-kind partnership with Oddlygood oat drink to help retailers and foodservice outlets drive sales of milk alternatives.
The agreement sees Oddlygood become Delice de France’s preferred oat drink supplier and gain exclusive foodservice distribution rights. In UK retail, Oddlygood is available from Morrisons, but the tie up means independent retailers will have greater access to the brand, which is the number-two oat milk in its homeland, Finland.
“Our partnership with Oddlygood represents an important step in driving beverage sales by providing on-trend products consumers are looking for," said Emma Woodcock, Category Manager at Delice de France.
“Alternative milk is now standard in many environments, from stores to coffee shops and hotel breakfast bars. We’re seeing retailers increasingly introducing dedicated bean-to-cup machines that serve oat milk only, such as Amazon Fresh.”
Interest in oat milk has grown rapidly in the past five years, with Google searches related to the topic increasing by 400 per cent since 2018, reaching the highest point ever recorded in January 2023 .
The brand’s main SKU – Oddlygood Barista Oat Drink – has a 12-month shelf life and comes in cases of six 1l cartons, meaning it can be sold as a retail product, as well as used in coffee-to-go.
The brand recently secured five Great Taste Awards across its range of drinks and pot desserts, including a two-star "outstanding" award for its Barista Oat Drink.
Delice de France is advising that customers use it just like milk. It is perfectly paired with coffee and its versatility means it can be used in many formats. A great example of this is blending with the company’s Berry Burst Smoothie Mix to create a breakfast smoothie.
The product is sugar-free and does not contain soya or palm oil. It stands apart from other brands by using only gluten-free oats and is certified vegan. Where other oat drink brands only use a fraction of each oat processed, Oddlygood uses every part, resulting in less waste and greater sustainability.
Nina Gillsvik, Global Chief Marketing Officer for Oddlygood, said: “By using the whole oat flour we’ve created a product that is creamier and richer than competitors. It makes it easier to create longer-lasting froth in hot drinks, which is part of the reason we keep getting the highest scores in blind tests from baristas.
“Our partnership with leading foodservice provider Delice de France will enable us to reach our target audience in premium locations.”
The brand has a pipeline of new products for autumn 2023 and beyond. It will launch limited-edition seasonal flavours, such as 1l Pumpkin Spice Barista Oat Drink and Cinnamon Roll Barista Oat Drink, with Delice de France later this year.
Oddlygood will be backed by an outdoor campaign in London in September, with digital activity running throughout the rest of the year. Retailers and operators are encouraged to get in touch with Delice to France and Oddlygood to benefit from in-store promotions and the brand’s "free coffee days" promotional programme.
