Launching Singapore’s first plant-based milk brand in the Philippines, Benedict Lim entices attendees to the OATSIDE of life, with Erwan Heussaff presiding over the oat milk tasting
Intramuros was bathed in the glow of a beautiful day—the sun shining, folk music playing softly in the background, and century-old walls and cobblestone streets adding to the charm. But the highlight of the day was the vibrant celebration taking place in the heart of this historic walled city.
On May 9, OATSIDE founder Benedict Lim officially launched Singapore’s first plant-based milk brand in the Philippines. The festive alfresco affair, held at Papakape in Fort Santiago, brought together a colorful crowd. Guests at the event included Marjorie Barretto, Leon Barretto, David Guison, Chelsea Robato, and Christiana Collings, among others.
Full stack
Hosted by TV and radio personality Sam YG, the event opened with Benedict being called to the floor to discuss what the brand OATSIDE is at its core.
“We know that taste is often a barrier for people to adopt sustainable milks, so our goal was to develop an oat milk that could overcome these perceptions,” said Benedict. “It was a challenge developing the right product with setups at contract manufacturers in the early days, so we took the longer approach of building our own production line that allowed us to customize and have control over the oat extraction process.”
“We like to call ourselves ‘full stack’ because we produce everything in-house,” he added.
Come to the OATSIDE
To introduce the brand, the Singaporean founder invited guests to experience the “OATSIDE of life” through a tasting led by Erwan Heussaff, milk sommelier for the afternoon.
His guidance made for an exciting and informative segment. The main idea behind this tasting was to demonstrate that, despite having the same ingredients, the taste and texture of oat milk can vary greatly depending on the type of oats used and the extraction method employed.
“With the wine process, so much goes into it, including terroir, provenance, the application and fermentation process, and how it’s gauged. And you’d think something like oat milk doesn’t really have that complexity, but it does,” the food and travel content creator said. “In terms of the extraction method, the actual provenance of those oats.”
“That’s why we’re making the allusion to wine, because if you do take time to taste things through, you’ll see how incredibly different they can taste,” Erwan smiled.
During this oat milk tasting segment, three glasses were served to each guest: two glasses with different brands and one empty glass for the OATSIDE milk. Guests were then guided through a tasting process consisting of seeing and swirling the milk, sniffing its fresh aroma, taking a sip while oxygenating it, and savoring its fullness and texture. Erwan emphasized that a long finish is a hallmark of any great product, and he pointed out that OATSIDE’s plant-based milks possess this desirable quality.
Oat milk variants
Today, OATSIDE is available in partner cafes in the Philippines, including PickUp Coffee, FRNK, and Bo’s Coffee; and starting May, OATSIDE Barista Blend and Chocolate will be available on the shelves of major retailers nationwide, starting with Landers and Puregold—and on e-commerce platforms like Lazada and Shopee.
OATSIDE Barista Blend is creamy, which gives body to your coffee or tea and creates a full and satisfying mouthfeel. The texture is silky, yet not too heavy, complementing the flavor profile of your beverage, rather than masking it. A favorite among baristas, this variant also creates beautiful microfoam when steamed for latte art. Meanwhile, OATSIDE Chocolate is a dark chocolate oat drink made with an Indonesian-African cocoa blend. Because it’s made with twice the cacao but half the sugar, it “does not taste so sweet, and the chocolate is intense.”
Different applications
On the versatility of OATSIDE oat milk, Erwan said, “I think what’s cool is that it’s not just a supplement to coffee. It’s something you can actually experiment with, in making ice cream at home or using it in different cooking styles. There a lot of applications to the milk.”
In partnership with the Moment Group, the event menu showcased a festive spread of Filipino applications for the oat milk. Guests were able to indulge in savory items such as Adobo Mousse on a Fried Oat Milk Bar, along with other local delicacies that incorporate OATSIDE such as Oat-Crusted Cheese-Stuffed Arancini on Cauli-Oat Milk Puree, Chocolate Oat Milk Coffee Jelly Shooters, and South Cotabato Crumbs with Oatmilk Latte Dip. For desserts, halo-halo, taho, and ice cream with an OATSIDE twist were a hit. It feels apt that the launch of OATSIDE was held in one of Manila’s most historic and charming districts.
OATSIDE makes a healthy, sustainable oat milk for people who don’t care for plant milks by being incredibly delicious. OATSIDE is a Singapore-born brand leading the plant-based milk movement in Asia. Shop the Barista Blend and Chocolate variants in select retail locations.
