Boring Oat Milk, New Zealand’s leading plant-based oat milk producer, has secured a distribution agreement with Woolworths, Australia’s largest supermarket chain. The deal will see Boring’s Original and Barista oat milk varieties stocked in 95% of Woolworths locations across Australia—covering 953 supermarkets and 80 Metro stores.
Founder Morgan Maw described the expansion as an important milestone in Boring’s global growth.
“We know that Australians are turning to premium plant-based products more than ever, and Boring is ready to meet that demand with a product that’s simple, sustainable and made for everyday use.”
Supported by Apollo Foods, the Hawke’s Bay-based company behind beverage brands like Picky Juice and The Apple Press, Boring Oat Milk has experienced rapid growth since its 2021 launch, now capturing approximately 31% of New Zealand’s oat milk market and 12.4% of the overall plant milk category.
Although Australia is a natural next step for Kiwi brands, Maw said they approached expanding across the Tasman with considerable caution.
“They’ve always shown their interest, but we’ve sort of been just keeping it light and friendly, and really we didn’t want to commit until we were 100% sure that we could actually make it work on many levels,” she said.
Maw revealed that discussions with Woolworths had been ongoing for two and a half years.
In terms of profit, Maw stated that, according to forecasts, they anticipate Australian sales will equal those of New Zealand within a few years.
“In NZ we sell into Woolworths. Our best-selling [product], Barista, sells on average 95 units per store per week. But in Australia, we’re looking at about a quarter of that rate of sale,” she said.
“Even though we’ve got four times the amount of distribution points [in Australia] than what we have in NZ, the rate of sale is only a quarter of what we’re actually doing in NZ. Once we build up, it will be equivalent. It’s just that there’s so much more competition [in Australia].”
Maw has also emphasised Boring’s commitment to sustainability. Research commissioned by the brand in 2023 revealed that oats grown in New Zealand generate 93% fewer emissions than dairy and require 70% less land.
“We know that Australians are turning to premium plant-based products more than ever.”
“Boring is ready to meet that demand with a product that’s simple, sustainable and made for everyday use,” Maw stated.
Besides Australia, the brand expanded into Vietnam in 2024 following a New Zealand trade mission in 2023.