MilkLab Brings Plant-Based Milks to New Zealand Retail to Fuel Its Home Baristas

Australia’s MilkLab has entered New Zealand supermarkets with barista oat and almond milks to tap into the country’s at-home specialty coffee culture, just as its parent company, Noumi, undergoes a takeover.

MilkLab, the Noumi-owned brand best known for its barista plant-based milks, has debuted two of its products at grocery stores in New Zealand.

The Australian brand is crossing the Tasman with “home barista” versions of its oat and almond milks to capitalise on New Zealand’s thriving at-home coffee space, where it’s aiming to “set the benchmark” in the category.

It’s already the top-selling barista plant-based milk brand in Australia, and the expansion to its neighbour is positioned as a “natural next step”, according to MilkLab’s head of marketing, Natalie Latimore.

New Zealand has one of the most sophisticated and fiercely loyal coffee cultures in the world, and we know Kiwi consumers hold their coffee to a high standard whether they’re at a café or in their own kitchen,” she said.

Tapping into New Zealand’s coffee obsession

MilkLab’s almond milk contains 3.5% Australian almonds, cane sugar, canola oil, corn maltodextrin, phosphorus, potassium citrate, vegetable gums, sunflower lecithin, and salt. Its oat milk has a much cleaner label, with 10% oats, canola oil, calcium, phosphorus and salt.

Both milks have been formulated to deliver superior texture, stretch, pour and mouthfeel in hot and cold espresso-based beverages, and each brings a distinct profile when paired with espresso. The almond milk is designed to deliver a clean, nutty taste, and the oat has a naturally sweet, creamy profile.

“MilkLab was created by working directly with baristas, coffee roasters and experts to deliver a milk that not only performs well in hot and cold beverages, but also tastes great,” said Latimore.

The brand claims that New Zealand’s coffee culture has “long punched above its weight”. The country consistently ranks among the top 20 coffee-obsessed nations globally, consuming 3.7kg of coffee per capita annually, according to the International Coffee Organization.

This craze is shifting into homes, too, as New Zealanders increasingly invest in espresso machine setups – fuelling a NZ$60M ($35.2M) market – and seek dairy alternatives that don’t compromise on taste, texture, or appearance.

“Our collaboration with coffee experts from the get-go has always been about elevating coffee moments, and now New Zealand coffee lovers can benefit from years of MilkLab plant-based milk innovation to achieve café-quality coffee at home, just by visiting their local Woolworths store,” Latimore said.

MilkLab eyes at-home specialty coffee and drinks trend

MilkLab has been building its presence in New Zealand’s coffee space over several years now, entering the market exclusively through coffee shops at the tail end of 2017.

It hosts the annual MilkLab NZ Barista Battle, a competition that gives local baristas a platform to showcase their skills and creativity through latte art using dairy and plant-based milks.

With the retail launch, the brand is now looking to appeal to coffee connoisseurs and mixology enthusiasts, much like Oatly in Europe and North America. “We know so many New Zealanders have fallen in love with brewing their own coffee at home,” said Latimore

“Now, café favourites such as a creamy almond latte or the latest on-trend drinks like an iced oat strawberry matcha or iced pistachio almond latte can also be enjoyed at home thanks to barista-quality Milklab milk.”

Additionally, the brand has partnered with coffee roaster Allpress Espresso, which will use MilkLab’s oat, almond and lactose-free milks as alternatives across all its cafés in Australia.

“This partnership is about the perfect alignment in values, in standards, and in what we believe the barista experience should be,” said MilkLab brand manager Melanie Ung. “Allpress is a name that carries real weight in this industry, and being the milk behind their bar isn’t something we take lightly. We’re excited to be building something together.”

The New Zealand expansion comes amid changes in MilkLab’s ownership structure. Its parent company, Noumi, is going private after agreeing to sell all its shares for A$737M ($520M) to the billionaire Perich family’s investment vehicle, Arrovest. The transaction, designed to resolve Noumi’s years-long debt issues, is set to be completed in November.