We’ve All Gone Nuts: The Rise of Vegan Plant-Based Milk
A cappuccino is not complete without a good milk option
Credit @Erin Waks
By Erin Waks
In my local Costa coffee last week, a bewildered gentleman looked blankly at the barista when she asked him which milk he wanted with his cappuccino. “Just milk?” he responded, glancing furtively around for assistance. The middle-aged man seemed not to understand the question. Which milk? Was there more than one option?
For millennials and Generation Z, this is not out of the ordinary. Part of the daily routine, in fact. With veganism and plant-based diets becoming more and more popular, ordering oat milk - or even cashew milk - in coffee is the norm. 2022 has seen a massive increase in the popularity of vegan milks. A range of nut and plant-based ‘milks’ are filling the shelves in British supermarkets, making their way into homes across the country.
Plant-based milks on offer in British supermarkets
Credit @Erin Waks
One in three Brits now drink plant-based milk, according to a study by market research and intelligence company Mintel, which surveyed 2,000 internet users for their 2021 study. The research found 32% of those surveyed drank plant-based milk, an increase from the figure of 25% in 2020. The rate is even higher among 25- to 44-year-olds, reaching 44%.
So what are the reasons for this dramatic increase? For many of the younger population, it’s about animal welfare and the cruelty of the dairy industry, as many charities and organisations like international animal protection organisation Animal Equality argue.
Of course, there is also a massive environmental impact of dairy farming. Greenhouse gases emitted from rearing cows to produce milk contribute to global warming, as Sentient Media has explained. The international nonprofit news organisation is fighting to change the conversation around animal agriculture across the globe, creating public awareness of the agriculture industry’s impact on the climate crisis. Much research has demonstrated the need to therefore switch to eco-friendly food options. As such, veganism has become a popular choice for the environmentally conscious.
Yet despite the evidence, many are resistant to this change. Talking to Vikki Davis, Manager of environmentally conscious coffee shop Brass Monkey, it is clear that the appeal of veganism is not universal, as many of her clientele are “turned off” by vegan food products in the shop. While vegans are excited by the options available at the coffee shop, the company had to change their tactics to attract a non-plant-based clientele too.
Brass Monkey: Radlett’s answer to good coffee
Credit @Erin Waks
Hiding their ingredients and vegan labels has allowed Brass Monkey to encourage a more sustainable lifestyle in spite of people’s personal views towards veganism. For the clients who are vegan, there is plenty on offer – but for those who aren’t, they might even be consuming something plant-based without realising it. Vikki said the company does all they can to be environmentally conscious, saying they recycle everything and almost everything they sell is compostable – even their coffee cup lid.
Brass Monkey does not, however, clearly advertise which of their products are vegan - even though many of them are. Why? So they don’t put off their non-vegan customers.
Vikki said: “A lot of our customers are vegan. We used to have labels on our food saying vegan, and a lot of people would be turned off by that. So we took the labels off, so when customers come in and say, do you do vegan food? We say of course, this is what we have, but to people who are not vegan…”
Discussing the reasons for the disregard for the ecological impact of drinking cows’ milk, Vikki said: “My generation and the younger generation are aware, because it’s their future. Sometimes older people may not be aware of it.
“But everyone’s lifestyle is changing, veganism is seen as a healthier lifestyle, so we will increase our range and carry on doing so.”
Indeed, while the consequences of living an unsustainable lifestyle are often as a result of a lack of understanding of the implications of the food industry on the environment, it can stem from indifference or impracticality.
Jake Simon, a young professional from London, believes that milk-drinking habits are influenced by those around us, and the practicalities of obtaining milk. As part of the vegan-crazed generation, he is among the large group of young people who are trying to do their best for the planet but have not made the switch to a fully plant-based diet.
Jake said: “My uni friends drink a lot of plant-based milk, but that's just Cambridge being left-wing and edgy, whereas in the office I don't see people drinking plant-based milk quite as much.
“But then that's the availability of things. The big coffee machines that are free just have normal milk. So everyone just hits the button for a cappuccino or a flat while and it just shakes out the normal milk.”
When vegan milk is easily available, Jake said, he will choose it - in coffee shops or cafes, for example. But when he just needs a quick caffeine hit in the office, and plant-based milk is not an option, he, like many of his contemporaries, will not go out of his way to find it.
Habit also plays a large role. If you are used to buying cows’ milk for your cereal, and don’t like the taste of almond milk, changing from one to the other might be challenging. However, if we want to move forward and become more sustainable, these small changes could make all the difference to the environment, particularly during the climate crisis.
While it is clear that plant-based milk is becoming a popular alternative, the death of the dairy industry is still far off. Many people may still choose to use cows’ milk in their breakfast cereals and coffee, who knows what the future holds - might we see oat milk takeover? Could a soy-based future be on the horizon?
All video and photography are by the author, unless otherwise credited.
