Rude Health to make dairy-free milk debut

Cereal brand Rude Health is aiming for a bigger bite of the breakfast market with the launch of a range of grain- and nut-based milks.

The three unsweetened milks - oat, brown rice and almond - are made from a blend of organic ingredients and mountain spring water. To date, Rude Health has only been active in cereals, healthy snack bars and savoury biscuits.

Each of the milks could be enjoyed as a refreshing drink in its own right but they were also perfect for hot drinks, cereals, baking and cooking, Rude Health said.

The milks would appeal to existing Rude Health shoppers who “realise that we really do know our oats, and our rice and our nuts,” said co-founder Camilla Barnard.

The milks would also stand out to shoppers who were new to Rude Health by bringing some personality to the ambient dairy aisle where they will be sold. “People new to Rude Health will be excited to see appealing and well-designed packs in the ambient dairy aisle, one of the most pharmaceutical and least attractive fixtures in any store!”

Pack sizes and prices have not been finalised but Rude Health aims to launch the milks in June.

Rude Health is the latest brand to break into the dairy milk alternatives market following a flurry of launches last year. Alpro launched an almond milk & hazelnut drink in February 2012, joining its range of soya milks. US almond giant Blue Diamond launched a three-strong range of almond milks under the Almond Breeze brand last summer.

Meanwhile, oat milk brand Oatly is to make its debut in the chilled aisle on Monday (29 April). It will go into over 200 Waitroses, at an rsp of £1.49 for a one-litre carton. Oatly has a 97% share of oat drinks in the longlife speciality milks market [Nielsen MAT 13 October 2012].