One Last Sip for Oat Milk...
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Time to read 3 min
Dearest Regen Warriors and Oat Milk Enthusiasts,
We have some important updates to share regarding Dirty Clean Food Oat Milk products. Since its launch in January 2022, our oat milk has stood apart as the first and only regeneratively farmed and carbon neutral oat milk on the planet. This has been one of our most difficult decisions as a business and today we wanted to officially announce that it is with a bittersweet heart that we bid farewell to our beloved Dirty Clean Food Oat Milk line.
It has been quite a journey from OatUp to Dirty Clean Food Oat Milk. The dream was to build WA’s first oat milk commercial production facility. Our oat beverage will always be the first of its kind to be made with WA oats and farmed regeneratively. This was possible because of the expertise of a family business in Italy who was willing to support us as a new market entrant with a bespoke custom product made from real rolled oats and no rapeseed oil. We grew in momentum, quickly getting distribution in Woolworths nationally, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan. Unfortunately, this project faced headwinds when our Italian partner’s business was sold to private equity. This coincided with a sharp decline in the financial markets’ eagerness to fund new plant-based drinks ventures. Our domestic production plans faced an impasse.
As you may have heard, Dirty Clean Food separated from its parent company, Wide Open Agriculture, in April this year. With the sale of Dirty Clean Food, the $5 million oat milk grant awarded by the West Australian Government in 2023 remains with Wide Open Agriculture. We are big believers in this project, and remain eager to sell a Buntine Protein® enhanced oat milk produced by Wide Open Agriculture, should it become possible in the future.
We still want to take the time to commend the passion and energy dedicated to oat milk, and every single person who has worked with us to achieve what we have- without oat milk, DCF wouldn’t be what it is today. We’re handing over the reins to Wide Open Agriculture, who are specialists in plant-based food products and wish them all the best with their plans. Dirty Clean Food will always advocate for future versions of this product- we just won’t be able to continue manufacturing it.
Though we’re excited for the future, we can't help but feel a bit teary-eyed. We’ve enjoyed every moment of our time together, from the creamy lattes to the satisfying smoothies. To our devoted fans, we know this news might leave you feeling a bit like your favourite show has been cancelled before the season finale. We’re truly sorry for any inconvenience this might cause and appreciate your incredible support. You've made our oat milk journey over the years nothing short of delightful.
What does this mean for Dirty Clean Food?
Our mission remains to transform food systems, and we’re making bigger waves than ever with our online delivery and premium regenerative meats from WA farmers. Nothing will change with Dirty Clean Food supporting regenerative farming in WA. We will continue to purchase and sell regenerative oats from Steve and Kelly Ford as we have existing food service and retail customers. For our granola offerings, we will continue to range the DCF Pecan Granola, and say goodbye to the other mixed varieties for now. We’re more passionate than ever to grow Dirty Clean Food as a one stop shop for healthy, fresh, local food products. This is a fantastic opportunity for us to support other WA small food businesses in new ways and we’re looking forward to making new products available on our online marketplace.
You can still have one last chance to stock up on our oat milk while supplies last! Grab yours before it’s gone – and as always, thank you for being such a fantastic part of regen family.
With warmest regards and a splash of nostalgia,
Jay Albany
Dirty Clean Food CEO
