Ghost Town Oats is partnering with coffee shops and allowing drinkers to invest.
Long gone are the days when soybean and almond Milk River reign supreme as the only two popular plant - establish milk option . The retiring several years has seen a boom in the popularity ofoat milkhere in the United States , which seemingly developed a cult following overnight . It ’s prosperous to see why the dairy option has become so popular , as it ’s a source of protein and fibre with a gustation that is much more reminiscent of cow ’s milk than most otherplant - based milk .
While oat Milk River has stay on togrow in popularity , it seems that the plant - based Milk River industry caters principally to a comparatively moneyed , white demographic with an interest in wellness . This is where the country ’s first Black - owned oat milk fellowship , Los Angeles - base Ghost Town Oats , come into child’s play .
Created by Michelle Johnson , ofThe Chocolate Barista , and her partners , Ezra Baker and Eric Grimm , a radical of coffee bean professionals with over 40 year of accumulative experience , Ghost Town Oats is using its combined 40 year of cumulative experience to redefine the culture around plant - based milk .
Photo courtesy of Ghost Milk Oats, Design by Maitane Romagosa for Thrillist
“ We ’re a radical of misfits who are jump into this blank space that has just had this elitist , classist air around it , ” Johnson says . “ This connotation that you have to be living a sure elbow room or lifestyle to be a part of the plant - based milk movement . ”
The squad at Ghost Town Oats believe that inclusivity and accessibility need to be a focus in the plant life - based milk movement , and that brand are pretermit out by go wrong to plight with a great demographic .
The three , who all felt that they were yet to come across the everlasting oat milk , started Ghost Town in December 2020 . They used their combined riches of noesis to dive headfirst into the growth process . For example , Baker had a specialised Q Grader certification , making him an expert taster . “ We really leaned on our collective experience tasting coffee berry , and grading chocolate taste , to set about develop this oat milk , ” Johnson says .
Ghost Milk Oats|Photo courtesy of Ghost Milk Oats
The team began by testing every oat milk that currently exist , and pinpointing what they did and did n’t care about each one . They were dictated to come up with an oat Milk River that ticked all of the boxwood . in the end , during the summer of 2021 , after months of examination and development , the squad arrived at a net merchandise that they felt excited about . “ We ended up with something that is deliciously creamy , very reminiscent of whole milk , steams attractively , and has a little bit of bouquet to it , ” Johnson says .
As a squad of baristas , they were direct to make an oat milk that would not only smack great , but that would also be telling to other baristas . “ coffee tree shops were the major pusher of plant - free-base milks , ” Baker say . However , he believe that this contributed to the special CRO that plant - based milk company have had . “ But umber shops kind of only target one type of mortal . ”
In credit line with their ethos of inclusivity , Ghost Town is using platformWeFunderto allow for those who contribute with an opportunity to become investors in Ghost Town . “ As lilliputian as $ 100 and you will get a piece of the company , ” Johnson says . “ It ’s super authoritative to us to create this boulevard for citizenry to be able to invest in something for the first clip , potentially opening up a pathway for generational wealth . This is for - the - hoi polloi , by - the - the great unwashed - ass society , and so we ’re doing that in every way possible , include fundraising . ”
Ghost Town Oats should officially be useable this summer . The squad is presently doing monthly pa - ups atBlack Market Fleain LA and working on distribution to coffee bean shops . A form on the website allow shop to unite the waitlist , which presently include over 100 coffee company throughout the U.S. and Canada .
In the meantime , the companionship is also working on a limited pearl of lineal to consumer stock , which is scheduled to be available on the website sometime in May .
“ [ Traditional ] oat milk companies are leaving money on the table , consume this selling and stigmatization that only attracts a certain amount of people , ” Johnson says . “ There are so many other people out here who would benefit from it , and buy it if they experience like they can be a part of it . ”
