Most of our Udderly Kind partnerships begin with us reaching out, whether that’s visiting in person, emailing or picking up the phone. This time, a café reached out directly to us.

Roots Café at The Exchange got in touch after following our campaign online and seeing the trials other cafés had run. The team didn’t need convincing. They had been recommending oat milk to customers for months and wanted our support to make it their permanent default. With the help of our partner Minor Figures, who supplied oat milk and in-store signage, we were happy to make it happen.

For us, this is a milestone. When cafés start seeking out oat as default themselves, it shows the idea is spreading beyond our own outreach and becoming something businesses actively want to be part of.

About The Exchange

The Exchange is a vibrant community hub in the heart of north Paddington, offering a welcoming, inclusive space for local residents to connect, learn and create. The organisation does remarkable work in its community, operating also as a foodbank, community kitchen, and events venue.

It feels fitting that a space built around choice and dignity is now rethinking the default in its own café. Customers can still ask for any milk they like. Oat is simply what comes as standard.

Joel, Café Lead at Roots Café, told us:

“Oat milk as the default is becoming the obvious way to go. More and more people are ordering non-dairy milks, and when one option is so much better for the environment and the climate, and doesn’t compromise on taste, it’s a no-brainer. We’d been recommending oat milk to customers for months and the response was always really positive. Sometimes they just don’t realise it’s an option. We started the trial yesterday and we’ve already got converts. It’s been so positive that I can’t really see us going back. To other cafés I’d say: go for it. It’s a month’s trial, it doesn’t do any harm, and I think it’s always going to be a positive change.”

Along with talking to Joel, Phoebe, a vegan food and lifesyle influencer who visited on our behalf, spoke directly with a community member called Sherily. She’s 68 and visits the venue regularly. 

Interview with Sherily

Phoebe: We’re just here to chat about the oat-milk-as-default campaign. So when did you first try oat milk?

Sherily: Well, it kind of happened about three months ago. I've always had cow’s milk, and I suffer a lot from allergies. Natalie, actually, who’s working behind the coffee [counter], said, “Do you want to try oat milk?” And I said, “Okay, I’ll try it.” So after 67 years of having cow’s milk and having all these allergies, I tried the oat milk, and my god, not only did it taste better, but I can’t believe it. I started having it every day, and I started noticing my allergies… I had less itching, my headaches started to go, and I started thinking, hang on, maybe I ought to go dairy-free, nothing from a cow. I’ve done that now and I feel so much better. But best of all is that I have no more itching, no more allergies. So there must have been a connection there.

Phoebe: That’s amazing. I’m so glad it’s had such a positive impact for you. And what would you say if people are scared to try… sorry, if they’re scared to try oat milk, they’ve never had it before, they’ve been drinking dairy milk their whole lives? What would you say if someone’s a bit of an oat milk sceptic?

Sherily: Don’t be afraid of change, and don’t be afraid of trying things that are new. It’s healthier, number one. It’s tastier, number two. And it could help you with so many illnesses that you’re probably forking out for over-the-counter medicine for. So try something pure, natural, and environmentally good for you.

Why defaults work

Joel’s point that customers “just don’t realise it’s an option” is exactly why defaults matter. Most people stick with whatever comes as standard, and research from Faunalytics shows that plant-based defaults can increase plant-based selection from 17.2% to 72.5%. Our own YouGov polling found that almost one in three UK consumers would happily accept oat milk as the default, rising to 44% among Gen Z.

A café doesn’t need to persuade every customer. It just needs to change what comes as standard and let people discover how good oat milk tastes. Along the way, it’s a choice that’s kinder to the planet and keeps cows and their calves together.

Roots Café joins 13 other cafés across London, Bristol, Brighton and Nottingham that have now trialled oat milk as the default with Udderly Kind. Each one adds to the growing proof that customers are already on board.

Lets Make the UK Udderly Kind

Our Udderly Kind campaign has made great progress over the past few months, and we're excited to keep the momentum building by securing more trials. Don't forget, you can help us do so by giving cafés a nudge too.

Want your café to be part of the next round, or know one that should be? Get in touch, we'd love to hear from you.

As always,
For the Animals!