Q & A with Carl Hopwood, Founder of Oato

What do you love most about the brand you’ve created?

I love that Oato is built on the principles of sustainability and British sourcing. We’re supporting British farmers, reducing waste with our reusable glass bottles, and making a fresh product that’s genuinely different from the typical long-life plant-based milks. Seeing our customers embrace these values has been incredibly rewarding – and we’re now available for delivery to your door!

Have you always wanted to work in this industry?

Not always. My background was actually in chemistry, but I’ve always been passionate about sustainable living and reducing waste. Noticing the pile-up of tetra-paks, I began to experiment with fresh oat in glass and that is how we ended up with Oato today.

What are you most proud of?

The fact that we’ve been able to scale production from producing from my own kitchen to a 55,000 sqft site in Preston, Lancashire. It’s not been easy to grow the facility and the team but looking back and seeing where Oato has come from is definitely a proud moment – we’re now stocked in Waitrose too.

What advice would you give to someone keen to start a business but unsure where to begin?

Start by identifying a real gap or need in the market, then make sure you’re solving a problem people care about. And don’t underestimate the value of customer feedback—engage with your audience early and often. Above all, don’t wait until everything’s perfect; get started, learn, and adapt as you go. Mistakes along the way will help you learn more about your end goal.

Who is one of your biggest inspirations – either professionally or personally?

One of my biggest inspirations is Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia. I admire how he built a brand that stands for much more than its products —it’s a statement on responsibility, quality, and environmental stewardship. Chouinard pioneered a new way of thinking in the business world, showing that a company could thrive while focusing on sustainability and social impact. His commitment to durable, purposeful products and transparent practices resonates deeply with me. At Oato, we share this ethos, creating a product that values quality, reusability, and a cleaner future, echoing Patagonia’s principles in the world of plant-based foods.

If you could attribute your success to anyone who gave you your big break?

There wasn’t one big break, per se, but Waitrose giving us our first national supermarket listing was huge. It was a risk for them to take on a new, fresh oat milk product, and their support helped validate what we were doing.  We’re now selling more than their category average, showing the risk paid off!

What’s the hardest thing about your job?

Balancing sustainability goals with profitability. It’s easy to make decisions that are either good for the planet or good for the bottom line, but finding solutions that are both is a constant challenge. We’ve had to get creative, especially with packaging, to make it work.

Which part of your job do you most enjoy?

Connecting with our customers. Whether it’s feedback on new products or ideas for improving our service, it’s energising to hear directly from the people who love Oato.

Do you find it easy to balance work and play?

Not always! Building a business is all-consuming, especially when it’s something you’re passionate about. But I try to set boundaries where I can, whether that’s carving out family time or getting outdoors. It’s something I have to work on, but taking breaks ultimately helps me be more focused and effective in the long run.