When one of Karen Robinson’s three sons became lactose intolerant she quickly turned to oat milk.
But as he began to look for dairy free alternatives, Karen was alarmed by how many plant-based products were high in sugar and failed to take children’s nutritional needs into account.
So, determined mum Karen decided to make her own. In 2020 she bought a nut milk maker and began to experiment making her own dairy free milk, testing out her recipes on willing friends and neighbours who all loved it.
‘When one of my three boys became lactose intolerant, we started buying oat milk regularly but we couldn’t find a brand that met all our families’ needs and worked well in both our lattes and in our kids’ cereal,’ Karen said.
‘Many plant-based products are also high in sugar, and fail to take children’s nutritional needs into account, making it difficult as a parent to find healthy options for the whole family.
‘After a bit of research I believed that there was a gap in the market for a brand that focused on families and that could solve the real life challenge I was facing – how hard can it be to make oat milk I thought?!
‘Spoiler alert, the answer is it’s obviously very hard, but I fortunately didn’t know that at the beginning.
‘Through all this initial product testing throughout 2020 and 2021, I learned that while no one would pay money for the oat milk I was making, the idea of the brand and what I wanted to create resonated with lots of families.’
After a 15-year career working to support women’s rights in conflict-affected countries and consulting for the likes of the United Nations, Karen decided to take the plunge and start her business Three Robins – an oat-based drinks and smoothie brand.
In the early days, Karen packed all the orders in her front hall and delivered oat milk to local customers herself, with the help of her boys who also lent a hand in the warehouse or at farmers markets.
‘I would be lying if I said it hasn’t been really difficult at times juggling home life with a new business,’ she said.
‘I hope that watching the business grow has been good for them and will inspire them to be entrepreneurial in the future, although sometimes I’m sure they would prefer it if I could pick them up from school every day.’
And what does Karen say to oat milk sceptics?
‘When I encounter people who are skeptical about oat milk, I make the case that it isn’t about trying to replace dairy for everyone, it’s more about offering a nutritious, sustainable, and inclusive alternative – giving further and better choices for the planet,’ Karen said.
‘The number of people, particularly children, with allergies and intolerances is growing and it’s essential that they have a good option to replace dairy with, and unsweetened and fortified oat milk is a great choice for this.
‘But there are also many others who are simply looking to cut back on animal products or to make a better choice for the environment, and for these groups’ oat milk can also be a great option.
‘Compared to dairy milk and many other plant milks, oat milk has a lower carbon footprint and uses less water, and so switching over can support more sustainable food systems.’
Karen’s three varieties of oat milk all use gluten-free Scottish oats and she has worked hard to create as ‘clean’ a recipe as possible for kids as more people have become conscious of what goes into their food and drink.
‘We currently have five products in our range. Our oat milks include our Barista Oat Mylk and Choccoriffic Oat Mylk that are designed for retail sale for the family market, and our newly launched Professional Barista Oat Mylk for the food service market.
‘We also have two flavours (Totally Tropical and Super Berry) of Little Smoothies, which are an oat milk-based on-the-go snack for kids.
‘We are definitely seeing a trend of more consumer awareness about what is going into our food and drink, with more and more parents reporting that they are actively seeking out healthier snacks for their kids.
‘The debates around high fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) and ultra-processed foods has helped shine a light on just how much of children’s diets are made up of unhealthy junk foods, but until healthier options are more convenient and priced competitively it will be difficult to change habits.’
Earlier this year Three Robins was selected as one of the winners in Scotmid’s prestigious Scottish Favourites competition and it can be found in stores
‘The Scottish Favourites competition run by Scotmid has been an amazing opportunity for us, and winning a listing for our full range in their stores has allowed us to double our distribution overnight, making our products available to families all across Scotland,’ Karen said.
‘Retailers in Scotland are generally quite supportive of Scottish suppliers, and I would say that there are more opportunities to get your products featured as part of a special listing or limited buy than there would be for businesses based in England or Wales.’
Read more Producer’s Corner here.
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