Cafe Expert - overcoming the problems of

soya milk in beverages

The great problem of using soya milk in cappuccinos and lattes now appears to have been solved – the Soya Group of Cheshire has finished its testing and has produced Sunrise Café Expert, a non-GMO product which is expected to work in the demanding context of a modern coffee bar.

The need for a better soya milk, says marketing manager Robin Gleave, is not the vegan and lactose-intolerant sector of the community – it is far wider than that. As a result, the need for a soya milk which could steam and foam was bigger than many people expected.

“The UK market is about 80 million litres, expected to double in the next five years, and the majority of this market is no longer vegetarians.  It has become the lifestyle choice is for a healthier product, for Joe Public. It is unusual in having officially-approved health claims – the Joint Health Claims Initiative, now superseded by a European body, said that there was a good deal of science behind this, typically that 25gm of soya protein in your body each day will lower cholesterol… but the science is less clear on other benefits.”

 “This is why, in the café situation, soya is almost a default item in the States. In the UK, it has been largely a menu footnote, which is limiting the market. Put it on your menu, bold as brass, and see how it drives demand.”

The technical needs in the café sector were the most difficult to overcome.

“We are talking about the better mousetrap,” says Robin Gleave. “We are talking about the soya milk which no longer needs to be regarded as a nuisance by the barista, because it works well at high temperature – some cafes have served drinks at lower temperature to get over the soya problem. It steams and foams well, holds its foam, tastes right, and looks right.

“Curdling has been an acknowledged problem with soya. This is not visually appealing, which makes it a problem in catering. Ordinary soya has a natural yellowish appearance, which also tends to put people off, but ours is white!

“And in years gone by, soya was ‘an acquired taste’. People had to persist until their palate got used to it, because it’s true that soya does taste like soya… even though all soya milks did taste slightly different.

“We have worked towards a blander product, and ours tastes somewhere between a maltiness, a beaniness, and a nuttiness. In some coffees it enhances the coffee taste. It has no natural sweetness, and although we make some unsweetened soya milk, for café use we have produced a ‘slightly sweetened’ one.

“These solutions took a little while, but it was relatively straightforward. We have turned the tables on what was the market leader, and it’s curious that no other brand did it – they could do it if they bothered!”

Shelf life is twelve months, ambient or chilled; national distribution is already set up.

How is soya milk made?

“You start with a sack of beans. You de-hull, either by high-temperature blanching or milling. You macerate, or chop up, and it turns into a liquid at this point,  turn into an emulsion which is strained… what is strained off goes back for animal feed. The soy suspension is high-protein and is diluted down. Some become econom,y low-protein products, some remain high-protein. Orindary soya has a natural yellowish appearance, which does tend to put people off, but is not a sign of quality. Ours is white!”

Is this a product for the average caterer or café?

“In terms of ambition, we are now dealing with big operators. There is a lot of interest here.  The local café can get it very easily, because we service the whole country through distributors.

“If you can’t – call me.”