I rather like good old fashioned milk, but I confess I’m not a fan of plant-based ones. All the commercial brands that offer almond, oats and such – they’re often thin, watery and to me, pretty yucky! A new plant-based milk made from oats, OATSIDE, just launched in Malaysia, is finally changing that perception.

Creamier and maltier than other plant milks, OATSIDE was developedby Singaporean Benedict Lim, with in-house manufacturing capabilities and full control over its sourcing and production process. No artificial flavouring, weird additives, preservatives or colouring, OATSIDE is made from oats which contains beta glucans so it’s supposed to be good for heart health, reduces cholesterol and boosts immunity, and is low in saturated fats. All OATSIDE variants are made with Australian Oats and natural spring water and are halal-certified.

“We know that taste is often a barrier for more people adopting sustainable milks, so our goal was to develop an oat milk that could overcome these perceptions. It was a challenge developing the right product with existing setups at contract manufacturers in the early days, so we took the longer approach of building out our own production line that allowed us more customisation and control over the oat extraction process,” said founder Benedict.

OATSIDE is the perfect solution for the lactose intolerant AND created with sustainability in mind. The production of oat milk requires 90% less land and water and produces 70% less emissions as compared to cow’s milk. OATSIDE sources Rainforest-Alliance certified ingredients and uses recyclable paperboard packaging (from Forest Stewardship Council certified sources) in line with our mission to be sustainable without tasting sustainable.

Three variants:

To make things more interesting, Alison, a ‘milk sommelier’ went through the usual tasting notes with the media, as you would with wine tasting. We checked for Clarity, Brightness, Sediment, Concentration, Viscosity and Intensity. Sounds serious, huh? We even pit OATSIDE against 2 other (unnamed) competitor brands, and needless to say, OATSIDE pretty much won hands down.

OATSIDE Barista Blend – creamy and rich, you can even create beautiful latte art as it’s creamy and gives great microfoam that sits well with coffee. – RM14.50

Taste test: First sip, I’m a little sceptical, second sip, swirl it around the mouth a bit, goes down well, third sip, ok, I’m sold!

OATSIDE Chocolate – a dark, rich and complex blend, with no-added-flavours and less sugar than most chocolate milks,made with a 100% Rainforest Alliance certified blend of Indonesian-African cacao beans for a more complex flavour. – RM14.50

Taste test: This I really like as it’s not so sweet, and the chocolate taste is rich, authentic, with the slightest dark bitter adge like dark chocolate.

OATSIDE Chocolate Hazelnut – intense notes of dark-roasted hazelnuts, no-added-flavours, relying instead on a heavier dose of high-quality hazelnuts, which are 100% Rainforest-Alliance certified and sourced from Turkey. – RM18.50

Taste test: the hazelnut flavour really stands out at the very start, and none of that artificial flavour.  

More about Oatside

OATSIDE is one of Asia’s only “full-stack” food start-ups which has retained complete jurisdiction over the entire production process from ingredient sourcing to oat extraction to filling. This allows customisation of the oat milk production process and ensures that only sustainably-sourced ingredients of the highest quality are used.

OATSIDE was founded by Singaporean Benedict Lim, formerly the Chief Financial Officer at Kraft Heinz Indonesia. Benedict started experimenting with making his own oat milks at home with different ingredients and extraction processes to achieve different flavours and texture combinations.

OATSIDE retails at major supermarkets like Village grocer, Jaya grocer, QRA Foods, and available in cafes throughout the country, including The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and Pulp coffee.