British Airways has become the latest airline to start offering a non-dairy milk alternative on its flights, the Heathrow-based carrier said on Thursday. In this case, the airline has opted for an oat milk alternative which is also gluten-free, ticking off two main allergens.
Globally, the airline industry has been pretty slow to react to rapidly changing consumer demand for non-dairy milk alternatives, but a growing number of carriers are now catering to this ever-increasing market.
In the UK, more than one in three people now buy plant-based milk, such as soy, almond and coconut milk, although oat milk is proving to be one of the most popular choices, especially in recent years.
The creamy consistency of oat milk makes it a particularly good choice in hot drinks like coffee and, of course, English breakfast tea. Oat milk also has more fibre and protein than many other non-dairy options.
In an Instagram post, British Airways announced it would soon start stocking be Glebe Farm oat milk onboad all of its long-haul flights, although supply might be limited as the rollout gets underway.
Cambridgeshire-based Glebe Farm specialises in making gluten-free oat products and because the farm doesn’t process gluten-rich grains like wheat, barley, and rye, there is no chance of gluten cross-contamination.
Last September, Germany’s Lufthansa started to offer oat milk on its flights, while Air Canada started making oat milk available across all of its flights in July 2023.
Grrr. It’s not milk, it’s oat juice. Milk comes from mammals (esp. from contented, WI spotted cows) not from plants.