A glimpse behind the curtain at Floatmylk

Can you tell us about the origins of Floatmylk and what inspired you to start the business?

We wanted to make a different type of oat milk, which was a healthy and rich alternative to dairy milk. The idea behind doing it in the beginning was based on two things; one was creating a new kind of dairy-free milk, which had a superior taste and texture to that of existing oat milk. The other, which didn't exist so much at the time, was creating dairy-free milk in reusable, glass bottles.

That's why I started it. It got some good traction at the beginning because lots of people within Bristol already drank oat milk and providing it in reusable glass bottles that customers were encouraged to return became a vocal point.

How do you ensure glass bottles get returned?

We incentivise returns through a deposit scheme with businesses, and doorstep customers typically do this through habit. We have a 95% return rate from shops, a 97% return rate from cafes, and a 96% return rate from homes. This is done to ensure less waste is produced.

How do you make your oat milk and what ingredients do you use?

It's mainly made of oats, but there are other ingredients we add to make it an enriching drink. We add in oils for fat content and calcium carbonate for PH balancing. We work with a local company called Hodmedod's Wholefoods, who source natural products from British farms.

They provide us with a naked oat called 'Avena nuda'. This oat has a higher natural fat content, so it's better suited for making oat milk, as it gives it a taste and texture that's similar to cow's milk. They're also completely organic!

Our production process is similar to that of a microbrewery. Most oat milk production facilities will be multi-million-pound ventures, whereas ours is only small-scale. We're the only oat milk company that produces and distributes oat milk from inside Bristol. We probably have one of the smallest catchment areas from any oat milk producer too.

How important is the concept of 'locality' to FloatMylk?

Everybody we distribute to is either a doorstep customer or an independently owned Bristol or Bath-based business. We don't supply any chains or outfits that typically have more than one or two locations. Everything we make and deliver is done within a five-mile radius, so locality is very important to us and sets us apart from other oat milk producers.

Why did you choose GENeco's Bio-Bee service for your waste management and how has this partnership supported your sustainability goals?

I went with GENeco as I knew it was a local company. I also like the fact you turn the food waste into reusable gas. I thought that was really cool, and it's nice to know our waste is being repurposed into something useful that benefits the environment.

Communication has been really good, and collections are always easy and efficient. We didn't necessarily choose based on price, but what was locally available in combination with the most environmentally beneficial. The service offered makes it easier for us to recycle and ensure we're doing our bit environmentally. I would recommend GENeco’s services to other businesses.