Wondering which oat milk is the best? I’ve rated 12 of the most widely available oat milk brands in the UK, both in terms of taste and ethics, to help you find the best milk for you.
We made the switch to oat milk for all our dairy needs quite some years ago now. In our quest to find the best oat milk, over the years, we have tried just about every oat milk going. I’ve found that some are better than others in terms of taste, and many have less-than-desirable ethical practices.
So, let me run you through the twelve most widely available oat milk brands in the UK. I’ll let you know what I think about the taste, and look into the ethics behind each brand, to help you decide which oat milk is the best for you.
Maybe grab a hot beverage – perhaps a plastic-free cup of tea – because it’s going to be a big one!
Why Oat Milk?
First off, you might be wondering why I’m focusing on oat milk and not other non-dairy alternatives. The main reason is that whilst non-dairy alternatives can be made from a variety of crops, some are more problematic than others.
Almond and rice are water-thirsty crops. Almonds alone require more water than any other dairy alternative, consuming 130 pints of water to produce a single glass of almond milk. That’s an awful lot of water.
Coconut milk also has its problems. As the demand for coconut milk has grown, it has led to deforestation and the exploitation of monkeys. That may sound surprising, but a PETA investigation found that monkeys were kept chained, abusively trained, and forced to climb trees to pick coconuts that are used to make coconut milk.
Oats, on the other hand, don’t have the same issues attached to them. They tend to be grown in cooler climates such as the northern US, Canada, and Europe. This means they don’t tend to be associated with deforestation in developing countries. They don’t need as much water to grow, and they definitely don’t require the use of monkeys to harvest them! Oats it is.
As well as ethics, there’s also the food waste aspect. I spent a lot of time trying to find vegan milk that didn’t curdle in my coffee. After trying heaps of different types of plant-based milk, I found that due to the higher protein levels in oat milk, it doesn’t curdle in coffee. Plus, I think it tastes the best.
The UK Oat Milk Brands Rated
Now let’s focus on the oat milk brands. I’ve tried as many as I could find that are available locally to me. When I find a new one, I add it to the list, so it’s ever-evolving!
Alpro
Alpro may be best known for its soya milk, but it has branched out into oat milk. Here’s how it fares in terms of taste and ethics:
Taste
I have tried a few of Alpro’s oat milk offerings, and it’s not a winner.
Alpro Oat Milk is too thin and too sweet for my taste. I can tolerate it in cereal or porridge, just about. However, in tea and coffee, it’s a no-go for me. Meanwhile, the Alpro Barista Oat Milk was way too sweet, and I expected a lot more creaminess to it than what it offered.
Ethics
In terms of ethics, Alpro is owned by Danone, one of the major dairy players. According to its website, Danone is the number one brand in the world for dairy product sales. It also has a pretty sizeable share in the bottled water market – with brands such as Evian and Volvic making up part of the Danone bottled water portfolio.
Let’s just say it’s an uncomfortable contradiction, buying oat milk (particularly if you are buying oat milk as an environmental choice), knowing that you are supporting big dairy AND the bottled water industry.
Aldi
Aldi changes the brand name of its oat milk quite frequently. At the time of writing (February 2026), it currently offers Acti-Leaf Oat Barista Style oat milk, but I don’t know why the page on Aldi’s website displays a picture of a jar of apple sauce!
Taste
I didn’t have high expectations from Aldi. The last one I tried from Aldi was a basic oat milk that contained only oats and water, and wasn’t fortified with any vitamins or minerals. It was much too thin and watery for my tastes, so it wasn’t one I regularly bought.
When I headed to my local Aldi to buy some of its barista oat milk to try, a person was in the UHT milk section stocking their trolley with heaps of cartons of this milk, which I took to be a good sign. I bought two cartons and headed home to make a hot drink.
This milk is good. So good, in fact, that it’s now my top budget-friendly oat milk. It’s fortified with Vitamin B12, Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), and Vitamin D, and tastes lovely in tea and coffee, as well as in my morning bowl of porridge.
Ethics
In terms of ethics, it’s not a great picture. Ethical Consumer has scored Aldi 3.5 out of 20 in its ethical supermarket league table – marking them down due to a host of factors in its People, Environment, Animals & Politics categories. In 2021, Mercy For Animals also uncovered animal abuse at one of Aldi’s chicken suppliers.
However, Aldi did come third best in Oxfam’s 2022 human rights ratings of UK supermarkets. This is part of Oxfam’s Behind the Barcodes campaign, which it launched to expose the economic exploitation faced by millions of small-scale farmers and workers in food supply chains.
Aldi has also been working to reduce the volume of plastic packaging it uses. It’s trialling refill systems. Plus, it is working to cut down on plastic packaging – with plastic removed from drinks packaging, as well as making changes to its toilet rolls to make them greener.
Asda
Asda sells its own-brand of oat milk – offering both fresh and long-life (UHT) varieties. Here’s what I made of these:
Taste
Asda’s own brand UHT oat milk is, for me, a good budget oat milk. Not too thick, not too thin, it has the perfect consistency for tea, coffee, and cereal. It has a great taste – not too sweet, and not too overpowering. What’s more, it’s fortified with calcium, vitamin D2, vitamin B12, and iodine.
Asda’s own brand of fresh oat milk is, on the other hand, a complete abomination. How Asda can get its UHT milk so right, but its fresh milk so wrong, is beyond me. I think it tastes like a wax crayon. Oat milk should never taste like wax crayons. Whoever has made it clearly hasn’t tasted it. Avoid at all costs.
Ethics
In terms of ethics, Asda was owned by US behemoth Walmart for 21 years. In 2020, a majority stake was bought by UK-based Issa Brothers, the billionaire owners of the Lancashire-based petrol forecourt firm EG Group, and private equity company TDR Capital. Walmart retains a minority stake in the business.
Ethical Consumer highlighted several ethical issues at Asda under Walmart ownership. From slavery in the Walmart supply chain to accusations of discrimination by Asda employees.
Ethical Consumer noted that the new owners immediately incorporated the company in Jersey, one of the worst tax havens worldwide. This left Ethical Consumer labelling Asda as a likely user of tax avoidance strategies.
In 2022, Oxfam also ranked as the worst supermarket for workers’ rights in its “Supermarket Scorecard” human rights analysis, so it seems there hasn’t been much improvement under the new ownership.
Califia Farms
Califia Farms is one that readers have been asking for some time, so it was high time I updated this post.
Taste
I really like the taste of Califia Farms Barista Blend. It tastes quite mild and creamy, and doesn’t curdle in hot drinks. No other notes!
Ethics
When it comes to ethics, Califia Farms is a fully vegan, and there’s no controversial parent company behind it.
One thing that might give you pause is that, in 2020, the Qatar Investment Authority (the QIA) took part in a funding round, and took a minority stake in Califia Farms.
The country’s sovereign wealth fund was set up in 2005 to invest Qatar’s substantial oil and natural gas revenues around the world. So if you are switching to oat milk to lessen your carbon footprint, then you might find that fossil fuel connection is uncomfortable, even though Califia Farms own operations are fully plant-based.
The QIA invests across many sectors and countries. This includes a multi-billion-dollar investment platform with Russia, funding projects in areas such as mineral extraction and technology.
At the same time, Qatar’s domestic laws criminalise same-sex relationships and restrict gender expression. While these points have no bearing on Califia Farms operations or values, they are wider associations that you may wish to bear in mind.
Jord
Curious about Jord? I’ve done some digging:
Taste
I haven’t been able to try out Jord Oat Milk yet, simply because I haven’t been able to find it in my local shops. However, a few readers have told me that it is their preferred oat milk, taste-wise. As soon as I find it I’ll give it a go, but in the meantime, do take the word of fellow readers that it does taste good!
Ethics
While I personally haven’t tried Jord’s oat milk, I do know that Jord is owned by a company called Arla. Arla is a huge Danish-Swedish multinational dairy company. In fact, according to Wikipedia, it’s the fourth-largest dairy company in the world. So if you’re looking for an oat milk that doesn’t support the dairy industry, then it’s not Jord.
An article published on Unearthed – Greenpeace’s journalism project – in 2021 linked Arla’s cow milk suppliers to catastrophic deforestation in the Brazilian rainforest.
Meanwhile, in 2022, Arla ran a campaign called “Don’t Cancel The Cow” – fighting back against people ditching milk and cheese over climate concerns. It’s an odd position for a company offering vegan alternatives to take.
Lidl
Budget supermarket Lidl sells its own-brand oat milk, under its vegan and vegetarian Vemondo brand. I’ve found some of the Vemondo products a bit hit or miss, so here’s how the oat milk fares:
Taste
Lidl’s Unsweetened Oat Milk is quite thin and watery, and not particularly creamy. In terms of taste, it’s not sweet, which is a big plus point for me. It’s acceptable in tea. However, because of its thin consistency, it did not make for a pleasant cup of coffee or bowl of cereal.
If you are a tea drinker looking for basic milk at a more affordable price, then this is a good option, otherwise, I would avoid this one.
Ethics
Ethics-wise, it’s a mixed picture. Ethical Consumer Magazine research has highlighted several ethical issues with Lidl. These include issues under the banner of climate change, habitats and resources, pollution, human rights, workers’ rights, anti-social finance, animal rights, controversial technologies, political activities, anti-social finance, and factory farming.
However, in 2022, Which? Magazine ranked Lidl as the UK’s most sustainable supermarket, alongside Waitrose. So who really knows!
MOMA
Want to know more about MOMA Barista Oat Milk? Here’s the full run-down:
Taste
I’m a big fan of MOMA oat milk. It’s pleasant tasting – not overpowering – and makes a perfect cup of tea and coffee. It doesn’t curdle in coffee, and overall, it’s one of my favourites.
Ethics
I was impressed until I did a little digging into MOMA. MOMA’s porridge is made with dairy products, so MOMA is not a dairy-free company.
Meanwhile, in December 2021, it was announced that Scottish soft drinks manufacturer AG Barr was purchasing the Moma brand. AG Barr produces bottled water – the Strathmore branded water – as part of its portfolio of drinks, which isn’t a great environmental choice to support.
It has been announced that AG Barr is scrapping Strathmore bottled water in 2025/26, so there is some change on the horizon though.
Morrisons
Morrisons offers both UHT and sweetened own-brand oat milk. Here’s what I think:
Taste
Morrisons’ own-brand UHT oat milk is high up there in my opinion. It’s got a good creaminess to it and the perfect consistency. It’s not too sweet, and it’s enriched with calcium, Vitamin E, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B2, and Vitamin D.
Go for the long life, rather than the fresh stuff. We did not enjoy their fresh oat milk. At all. It’s similar to Asda’s fresh oat milk in that it tastes of wax crayon. It’s genuinely horrific!
Ethics
As far as supermarkets go, I quite like Morrisons. It seems quite progressive when it comes to plastic packaging and tackling food waste. In 2019, it was named the UK’s most environmentally responsible retailer.
However, in 2022, Which? Magazine ranked it sixth best for its sustainability measures, and Oxfam ranked it 7th best in terms of human rights, so it’s clear that Morrisons has some way to go.
Minor Figures
Minor Figures Barista Oat Milk is another oat milk that I have tried in my quest for the best oat milk.
Taste
I do like this one. This milk is made in the UK. It doesn’t separate in coffee. It’s got a good consistency. It’s got a good taste, and it is enriched with calcium. The only thing I don’t find stands up is the claim from Minor Figures that it is foamable. The milk just does not give a good foam compared to Oatly Barista – it’s a much thinner milk.
Ethics
With regards to ethics, in 2019, Minor Figures sold a near 20% stake in their company to an anonymous US-based private investment fund. Who this private investment is from, Minor Figures is staying tight-lipped about it, other than the fact that the investor has several investments in the plant-based space. What they may also invest in is unknown.
In 2022, Minor Figures became part-owned by Danone – the dairy and bottled water giant. Whilst Danone is a minority investor, it means Minor Figures can no longer be classed as a fully vegan company.
Oatly
Oatly has a few different types of oat milk available. In my opinion, the best one is Oatly Barista, so I’ve reviewed this one here:
Taste
Oatly Barista is a nice creamy milk. I find I need to use a lot less of this milk in my beverages to get them to my desired colour (pretty milky!). The taste doesn’t overpower my tea or coffee, and it makes a mean frothy coffee.
Ethics
Ethics-wise, it’s complicated. In 2020, Oatly sold a stake in the company to Blackstone, a private equity group. However, Less Waste Laura linked Blackstone to a controversial Brazilian infrastructure investment that has been accused of contributing to deforestation in the Amazon.
Blackstone has denied having any links to deforestation. However, notwithstanding that accusation, Blackstone’s CEO Stephen Schwarzman has been a prominent Wall Street supporter of Donald Trump, donating millions of dollars to Trump’s political campaigns. It certainly leaves a bad taste in your mouth.
Provamel
Here are my thoughts and findings on ProvameL:
Taste
Provamel milk is not my milk of choice. Weak and watery, it makes a pretty insipid cup of tea. It did not fare well in coffee either. It wouldn’t be one I would reach for at the supermarket again.
Ethics
Whilst all of Provamel’s products are organic and GMO-free, Provamel has since 2016 been owned by Danone. This ownership is troubling, as Danone is one of the biggest retailers of dairy products and bottled water.
Rude Health
Want to know about Rude Health Oat Milk? Here’s what I thought:
Taste
Rude Health is another oat milk that I struggled with the texture and consistency of. It’s just too thin and takes a lot of milk to get my tea to the desired colour. I seem to go through a lot more milk when I use this brand. This isn’t great when it’s one of the more expensive oat milks around.
Ethics
In 2019, PepsiCo acquired a minority 9% stake in Rude Health. Whilst this minority share means PepsiCo won’t have much sway in Rude Health’s operations, PepsiCo has in the past been accused of human rights violations. In 2020, PepsiCo was also named as one of the top three plastic polluters in the world.
The Ethics Of Other Brands I’ve Not Tried
I’ve only been able to try brands I can find in my local shops. There are a few other brands that readers often ask me about that I haven’t been able to try. Rather than exclude them from this guide, I thought I could shed light on their ethics:
- Plenish – this oat milk brand is owned by Britvic. Britvic has a franchise bottling agreement with PepsiCo. This means Britvic is responsible for the production, distribution, marketing, and sales of all of PepsiCo’s soft drink brands in Great Britain until 2040. As PepsiCo is one of the worst plastic polluters, it’s not a great link.
- Glebe Farm – it’s very refreshing that I have nothing bad to report about Glebe Farm. It’s family owned and run independent business, and doesn’t appear to be investor-backed, so it doesn’t appear to have any links to anything dodgy. It’s also fully vegan and uses British-grown oats.
Are There Other Oat Milk Options?
If you want to opt out of buying pre-made oat milk, one option would be to make your own oat milk. I’ve not had much success in doing so. It’s a bit of a faff and can be a bit slimy, and it splits in my coffee. However, once I find a good technique, I’ll be sure to share it.
Another option is to look out for milk delivery in your area. Whilst not available in any shops or supermarkets, you can get Oato fresh oat milk delivered to your door in certain areas.
This milk is made in the UK and comes delivered to your door in returnable glass bottles. I tried it out for a little while and found it tastes lovely and doesn’t curdle or split in tea or coffee. We only stopped as our local milk delivery company kept delivering too much, despite trying to pause or reduce our order, and we ended up with a lot of waste.
In terms of ethics, Oato says, “We’re mainly a self-funded company, growing organically. However, we have a few minor shareholders that were friends who wanted to help us get started. We don’t have any institutional investors backing us.”
I sometimes had issues in the summer with keeping my oat milk deliveries cool, but I found a useful milk hack, in case you have the same problem.
Which Oat Milk Should I Buy?
As you’ve read, there are many issues in the oat milk industry. From big dairy to big investors with dubious portfolios, to anonymous investors, and big supermarket chains with dubious supply chains.
If you’re wondering what oat milk you should buy, then, personally, I would buy whatever oat milk is easily available to you at the price point you can afford, and the taste you enjoy. Why do I think this? Well, what I think this article highlights is the limitation of green consumerism.
More people are switching from dairy to non-dairy alternatives because of concerns about climate change. And yes, this undoubtedly helps the environment. However, green consumerism on its own won’t save us from climate change.
When a green product that we buy is used to possibly help fund the dairy industry, the bottled water industry, other non-green investments, or to line the pockets of shareholders, then green consumerism cannot be the answer to climate change.
This is not to say that I don’t think that green consumerism doesn’t work at all. I just think it needs to be coupled with green activism to bring about systems change.
Elizabeth Cline addresses this extensively in this article for Atmos – where she writes: “We must not mistake Ethical Consumption—a private act—for political power or organized, collective social change that benefits everyone. When we retreat into our Ethical Consumer bubbles, some of the most powerful institutions in our society get a free pass to run roughshod over people who don’t have the market choices we do“.
So drink oat milk. But where possible, you could also campaign for better policies and regulations that align with your ethics.
PS: Whilst we’re on the subject of oat milk and hot beverages, you might also like my articles on is there plastic in your tea. And to help reduce food waste, here’s my article on freezing oat milk.
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