It's the milky way
In April, Christchurch-based sustainability pioneers Spout added a new offering to their game-changing line-up: oat milk, on tap. It’s a logical next step for the business that revolutionised milk consumption in the Southern Hemisphere, doing away with single-use plastic bottles in favour of reusable stainless steel kegs. Now, with the rise of plant-based demand and a uniquely local twist, Spout’s oat milk is here. Proudly grown and produced in Ōtautahi.
Spout was founded in 2019 by Jo Mohan, Nick Jackson, and Luka Licul during a startup accelerator programme. Their idea? Bring back the milkman model. Modern, scalable, and planet-friendly. Spout supplies fresh, pasteurised milk (now both dairy and oat) to cafés, offices and hotels across Canterbury, Otago, Queenstown, Wānaka, and Southland. To date, the Spout team have saved over 130,000 plastic bottles, equating to 22,000 kg in carbon emissions.
The oat milk launch was driven by rising consumer interest in plant-based milks. But for Spout, it wasn’t just about meeting demand, it was about creating a premium, locally made alternative that stood up to barista scrutiny. The oats are grown locally and processed in Woolston by Ōtautahi Oats, using a custom formula developed specifically for barista coffee. The result? A creamy taste and silky texture that lends itself well to barista-made coffee. A common sticking point for many oat milks.
Spout’s keg system is more than a novelty; it’s a fully closed-loop model that runs on both convenience and conscience. Kegs are filled with fresh milk, delivered across the South Island, and collected once empty. They’re then washed and refilled, each keg reused thousands of times. The system is robust, easy to install, and a hit with both cafés and corporate clients.
“We wanted to create a better system for everyone – farmers, cafés, the environment. Oat milk was the natural next step.” With a small but mighty team and a growing community of like-minded partners, Spout is well on its way to reshaping the way Kiwis consume milk, one keg at a time.