What started as a trial at The Canteen in Bristol has now become a permanent change: oat milk is staying as the default! 

As the very first café to take part in our Udderly Kind campaign trial, The Canteen’s decision to make the switch permanent is a major milestone and a hugely encouraging win. It shows that businesses are not only willing to test plant-based defaults, but that these changes can genuinely succeed in practice. For our first trial to fully embrace the change sends a powerful signal about where the future of hospitality is heading. We’re delighted by this result. 

Challenging the Idea of “Normal”

Originally introduced as part of an open-ended experiment, the move challenged long-held assumptions about what goes into a cup of coffee. On the surface, it may seem like a small adjustment. But changing the default choice subtly reshapes expectations, placing plant-based options at the centre rather than the margins and encouraging people to rethink what “normal” really looks like.

The response from customers has shown just how quickly habits can shift when sustainable choices are made easier and more accessible. Rather than creating resistance, the change has been met with enthusiasm, highlighting the growing appetite for plant-based options in everyday settings.

A Major Milestone for the Udderly Kind Campaign

This moment marks the first completed trial as part of the Udderly Kind campaign, but it’s only the beginning. The Canteen’s decision to keep oat milk as the default demonstrates that meaningful change is not only possible, it is already happening in cafés and communities right now.

By making one simple switch permanent, The Canteen is helping to normalise a more sustainable and ethical way forward. It sends a powerful message to other cafés, restaurants and hospitality spaces that plant-based defaults can work in practice and be embraced by customers.

Change does not always arrive loudly. Sometimes it starts quietly, with a different option poured into a morning coffee. But those small shifts can ripple outward, influencing behaviours, expectations and wider industry norms.

What’s happening at The Canteen is a clear sign that momentum is building. And this is just the start.

As always,

For the Animals!

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