The Swedish oat drink company Oatly plans to open its first plant-based dairy factory in the United Kingdom by 2023, the company said on Tuesday. The factory will have the capacity to produce up to 450 million liters of oat drink per year.
The company, backed by high-profile investors including Oprah Winfrey, Jay-Z and Natalie Portman, said the new factory will be located in Peterborough and will source oats locally across the UK to supply the national market.
“The UK is a really important driver of the global plant-based movement, with growing demand for Oatly across the country, and we’re excited to supply this increased demand,” Ishen Paran, general manager at Oatly UK, said.
Plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy are becoming more and more popular. People worldwide are realizing that consuming fewer animal products is better for their health and the environment.
In recent years, fast-food chains and upscale restaurants in England have created new menus to attract healthy and environment-conscious customers who consume less or no meat and dairy.
Oatly sells products made from oats, like whole, semi and skinny milk, chocolate milk, yogurt, creamy oat for cooking, custard, creme fraiche and ice cream.
Their products are sold in more than 20 countries across Europe and Asia.
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