One ‘yes’ turned a kitchen-bench concept into a global hit.
Every business starts with an idea and a dream. For Boring Oat Milk founder Morgan Maw, that idea was just “samples and a pitch deck” – until a major retailer took a punt.
Now, the Taranaki-based business owner is the founder of Aotearoa’s best-selling plant milk – and the first oat milk to be commercially made in New Zealand. Since its launch in 2021, Boring has cemented itself as a favourite in New Zealand’s alternative milk market, selling 6 million bottles each year. Its local success laid the groundwork for international growth, with its signature recyclable bottles now available in Australia, Hong Kong, Thailand and Vietnam.
For Boring, getting stocked in New World, PAK’nSAVE and Four Square was integral to its early success.
“Boring was just a concept. I saw how successful oat milk was in the Northern Hemisphere, and I thought, how great would it be to create the same thing down here?” says Maw.
“When I met with Foodstuffs North Island, I had samples and a pitch deck. But to be honest, all I had was a failed oatcake [Maw’s first venture, Bonnie Goods], and really no other credentials behind me. It was just me and an idea.
“When I met with George Lim, our Foodstuffs North Island category manager, he said to me, ‘Lots of suppliers have an oat milk, why should we choose yours?’ I said, ‘Ours is the only one being made in New Zealand and in a recyclable bottle.’ He was like, ‘I’ll give you a shot.’ And he did.”
Lim’s punt paid off. Maw’s locally made oat milk was stocked on supermarket shelves, and Boring “hit the ground running”.
With that ranging in place, Maw says they scaled quickly, with big displays, repeat sell-outs and sales well ahead of plan from day one.
Throughout the country, Foodstuffs North Island and Foodstuffs South Island are supporting suppliers like Boring Oat Milk to get started and grow in New Zealand and beyond. Foodstuffs’ operating model includes strong links with local businesses and as wholly New Zealand-owned co-operatives, any profit the co-ops make stays in the country.
More than half of the products sold in-store are from New Zealand-owned suppliers, while every store is owned by a local grocer who lives in their community.
Lim remained Boring’s category manager until this year, which forged a strong relationship between him and the brand.
“He loved the product and he really supported us,” says Maw. “It’s hard being a small supplier going into a supermarket, but we had a product that was branded well, priced well, good quality, and people wanted it.”
Supplier relationships play a key role for Foodstuffs, particularly during periods of disruption or cost pressure, where clear communication becomes important. When Cyclone Gabrielle hit swathes of the North Island in February 2023, many businesses were impacted – including Boring.
“All of our manufacturing is in Hawke’s Bay, and Cyclone Gabrielle affected our supply quite a bit. Foodstuffs were understanding and super supportive with us during that as well,” Maw says.
More than four years on from its launch, Foodstuffs continues to support Boring Oat Milk. The co-ops give critical feedback on their new product development, says Maw, making sure customers “are getting what they want and need”.
For entrepreneurs wanting to carve out their own corner in New Zealand’s food and beverage space, Maw says the support is there. Her advice? Ask questions – and stick to the rule book.
Maw says supermarkets – Foodstuffs especially – are open in having conversations with small suppliers. The key, she says, is understanding the rules of the game: the margins they need and how to supply well.
She recalls her friend Roman Jewell from Fix & Fogg saying her previous oat-cake business was a strong product and brand, but not something people consumed daily. In FMCG (Fast-Moving Consumer Goods), volume comes from everyday habits – products need to move, fast.
“For me, I’d already had a brand I had learnings from, and then I just had lots of conversations with other brand owners, figuring out what works. It’s really about going back to the basics.”
Foodstuffs co-ops are “HereForNZ”, supporting New Zealand suppliers to thrive and grow locally and beyond. Watch the video at the top of the page to learn more about the Boring Oat Milk and Foodstuffs North Island story.