Farmers who beat Oatly in court cause stir with new advert

A Cambridgeshire farm business that won a court battle against Swedish oat-based drink maker Oatly last year has caused a stir with a new advert urging consumers to support British oat producers.

A giant billboard, placed at a busy London station on Monday (9 May), playfully asked customers to “help us pay off our lawyers”, by buying Glebe Farm’s PureOaty drink.

See also: Farmer wins in ‘David v Goliath’ battle with Oatly

Glebe Farm, run by siblings Rebecca and Philip Rayner, won their case against Oatly over an alleged trademark infringement in August 2021.

Dubbed a “David and Goliath” battle, Oatly sought an injunction to stop Glebe Farm Foods selling its PureOaty brand after claiming it is too similar to its own Oatly label.

But all of Oatly’s claims of trademark infringement were dismissed.

Mr Rayner said: “After winning the court case against Oatly, it has made us want to be more disruptive in our campaigns.

“We’re known as the oat milk brand that beat Oatly, but we’re so much more than that. We are true, British oat milk, and proud of it.”

A survey of 2,000 UK adults, commissioned by Glebe Farm, showed that 92% would prefer to buy plant-based milk made from UK ingredients, with two-thirds saying they want to support British farmers.

Mr Rayner said sales of Glebe Farm’s PureOaty drink had increased 150% in the past year, and the business was targeting further expansion.

“Our family-run business is now focused on broadening distribution to improve opportunities for mainstream consumers to access our oat milk through established grocery channels,” he said.