Arla Milk Oats

Arla has unveiled its new Milk & Oats range of RTDs designed for the on-the-go breakfast market.

Two flavours of Milk & Oats - maple and vanilla - are set to go on sale from 7 May in Nisa and Co-op (rsp: £1.09/250g), with rollout in Sainsbury’s following at the end of the month.

It represented a move into a new market for Arla, said the dairy giant, targeting shoppers seeking convenient breakfasts while providing a high protein and fibre content and low fat.

The drinks blend skimmed milk, wholegrain oats and natural flavouring, are a source of calcium and contain vitamins B2 and B12.

The launch aimed to capitalise on the growing breakfast drinks market, with value sales increasing 30% between 2016 and 2017, and increase Arla’s presence into the £400m milk-based soft drinks category [Nielsen MAT 3 December 2017].

“As a nation, our eating patterns are becoming more flexible and the way we consume breakfast is changing. Traditionally, eating breakfast on the go can lead to less healthy choices, but Milk & Oats is a nutritious drink that still gives consumers the convenience and flexibility when eating breakfast out of the home,” said Arla senior category and brand manager Verity Richardson.

Arla’s ongoing NPD push has seen it launch a host of added-value products in recent months targeting consumers with time-poor lifestyles.

In March, The Grocer revealed Arla’s move into the soft drinks market with a range of protein-fortified flavoured waters under its Protein sub-brand, following the launch of Arla Fibre yoghurts earlier in the year.