Oatside is expanding beyond oat milk with new soy and almond drinks

Singaporean oat milk brand Oatside is expanding its range of plant-based milk products with a new line of soya and almond milk.

Launching on March 9, it will come in two flavours: Nobo Soy – smooth, slightly sweet and lightly roasted – and Nobo Almond Soy, which has a nuttier, more vegetal taste. Both have a thick and creamy texture, designed to appeal to local palates.

Oatside founder Benedict Lim says his aim is to rejuvenate the plant-based milk sector. Oat milk sales are still going strong and the product remains popular among young adults – Oatside is now in 19 markets around the world. But he has observed that Gen Zs and millennials are no longer as interested in soya and almond milk.

“Soya milk isn’t something you can get excited about any more, so hopefully we can get people talking about it again, posting about it on social media,” the 35-year-old tells The Straits Times.

The new products contain no added oils, gums, emulsifiers or protein powders. They are aimed at health-conscious 20- to 35-year-olds who “like working out and are looking for something guilt-free and nutritious, but also tasty”.

Each 100ml portion of Nobo Soy contains 4.2g of protein and 4.8g of sugar, earning it a B Nutri-Grade. In comparison, the same amount of soya bean milk from Yeo’s contains 2g of protein and 5g of sugar, while NutriSoy’s Original Fresh Soya Milk contains 4.3g of protein and 4.9g of sugar.

Mr Lim also touts his company’s ability to eliminate the “beany” taste in soya milk, likening its flavour profile to kinako powder instead. This is achieved through custom-made double extraction technology, in which non-GMO soya beans from Canada are roasted and then flash-cooled.

He also sought to distinguish Nobo Almond Soy from existing options on the market. “Almond milk is quite a big category in the US, but not so much in Asia because people here generally find it too watery. We tend to prefer something more full-bodied.”

According to him, these products are best consumed on their own. They will retail at all major supermarkets, convenience stores and e-commerce platforms. A 1-litre bottle of Nobo Soy or Nobo Almond Soy costs $2.90 while a bundle of three 180ml packets costs $2.25.

Though Oatside has since expanded into flavours like mocha and matcha, Mr Lim says there are currently no plans to do the same for Nobo Soy and Nobo Almond Soy.

He adds: “We’re launching the core range first. If we see people like it and if it’s doing well, we’ll look at what else we can do. Whenever we innovate, we’re careful not to launch flavour extensions at the start because the products can become very niche.”

This article was originally published in The Straits Times.