Another alternative to traditional dairy milk has arrived in a UK supermarket - and this time the drink relies on the power of potatoes.
Dug, a Swedish potato milk brand, is going on sale in 220 Waitrose stores this week, and represents the latest development in the market for plant-based milk options, which is now worth around £400 million a year in Britain.
Described by its makers as "super sustainable", Dug is made in the UK and also contains pea protein and rapeseed oil alongside potato.
The product also has a lower carbon footprint, according to the manufacturer, which says growing potatoes is twice as efficient as oats and that the crop uses less water than nuts like almonds, The Guardian reports.
Potato milk is described as having a "neutral" flavour, and therefore suitable for use in tea and coffee or poured over cereal - although The Daily Mail reported that some reviewers thought the drink had a "saline aftertaste".
It is pricier than dairy milk too. Dug's 'barista' version sells for £1.80 per litre, whereas a 1.1-litre bottle of Waitrose's least expensive own-brand cow's milk costs 90p.
Dug can already be bought online at places such as Amazon and Ocado, but Emma Källqvist, acting chief executive of Dug's owner Veg of Lund, said its UK supermarket debut remained "a critical milestone".
Waitrose's sales figures show that, in 2021, sales of plant-based milk were nearly a fifth higher than in 2019.
Oat milk leads the field as the bestseller, with almond, soya and coconut following behind, the retailer says.
Waitrose’s alternative milk buyer, Alice Shrubsall, said the sector had "gone from strength to strength" in recent years and that demand showed no signs of abating.
"We’re seeing customers become more experimental with their alternative milk choices," she said.
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