Experiment with flavours: If you like to add flavours to your coffee, consider adding a dash of vanilla extract, cinnamon, or cocoa powder to your mylk base before heating it up. This will add extra depth and complexity to your coffee. Typically, plant mylks in cafes are sweetened, so our mylk bases (apart from our Sweetened Almond!) may taste quite different than you're used to. Sweetening them up with a natural sweetener or some added flavour is a great way to combat this!
Use the right ratio: When mixing your mylk base with water, make sure to follow the recommended ratio which is 1 cup of water to 1 Tbsp of mylk base. You can even add less water, 200ml to 1 Tbsp of base, for a creamier coffee.
Don't be afraid to mix: Some plant-based milks work better with certain types of coffee. For example, almond milk works well with darker roasts, while coconut milk complements lighter roasts. Don't be afraid to mix and match to find your perfect combination.
Get the temperature right: It's important to heat your mylk base to the right temperature to get the perfect cup of coffee. If your mylk base is too hot, it can curdle or burn, so make sure you heat it to between 60-70 degrees Celsius.
Keep it sustainable! Using plant-based milk is a great way to live a more sustainable lifestyle, but don't forget about the rest of your coffee making routine. Choose reusable coffee cups and make sure to compost your coffee grounds instead of throwing them away.
Dairy milk has been a staple in our diets for centuries. However, the environmental impact of dairy milk production has become a growing concern. From the amount of water and land needed to produce dairy milk to the greenhouse gas emissions and waste produced by the industry, there are many reasons why switching to plant-based milk is more sustainable.
One of the most significant environmental impacts of dairy milk production is water usage. It takes an average of 628 liters of water to produce 1 liter of dairy milk. This high water usage can put a strain on water resources, especially in areas prone to drought. In comparison, plant based milk production requires significantly less water.
Dairy milk production also requires a vast amount of land. Large areas of land are needed for grazing cattle, as well as growing crops for their feed. This can lead to deforestation, land degradation, and loss of biodiversity. On the other hand, plant based milk production requires much less land and can be produced using sustainable farming practices.
The dairy industry is also a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. The production of dairy milk results in the emission of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that is much more damaging than carbon dioxide. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the dairy industry accounts for approximately 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. In comparison, plant based milk production generates much fewer emissions.
Another environmental concern with dairy milk production is the amount of waste produced. Dairy farms produce large amounts of manure, which can lead to water pollution if not managed properly.
Switching to plant based milk, like Mylk Made's delicious and sustainable mylk bases, is an easy way to reduce your environmental impact. By choosing a plant based alternative to dairy milk, you can help conserve water, reduce land usage, and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Plus, you can enjoy the benefits of a healthy and delicious alternative that is good for you and the planet!
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Did you know that Mylk Made bases can be used in a variety of other ways beyond just making mylk? Here are five of our favourite ways to use them (aside from coffee... that goes without saying!).
Plant based cream: Mix 1 tablespoon of the base with 1/4 cup of water in a blender until smooth. Adjust the ratio as necessary for a thicker or thinner cream.
Salad dressings: Our bases can be used to make creamy and flavorful salad dressings. Use the bases as a base for your favourite dressing recipe.
Soups and Sauces: Use them to add creaminess to soups and sauces. Try adding the bases to your favourite soup recipe to make it thicker and richer. You can also use the bases to make creamy sauces for pasta or vegetables. Try using the Almond Barista or Almond and Coconut Barista base in a savory sauce for a unique and delicious twist!
Frozen treats: Make delicious and creamy frozen treats like ice cream or popsicles. Simply blend the base with your favorite fruits, sweeteners, and add-ins for a refreshing and healthy dessert.
Curry: Use Mylk Made bases as a creamy and flavourful addition to your favourite curry recipe. The Coco-Nut works really well in Thai-inspired dishes!
Our mylk bases are super versatile, and are a fantastic way to incorporate plant-based mylk into your diet. From smoothies to baked goods to coffee, soups, sauces, and overnight oats, there are endless ways to use Mylk Made bases to add creaminess and nutrition to your favourite dishes!
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Thanks for the write up Chris Lynch Media! You can read the full article here.
We are so thrilled to announce that you will be seeing Mylk Made on the shelves of Countdown in 2022!
A massive thank you to Kete Countdown for this incredible opportunity. With Kete, Countdown is empowering five small and diverse businesses to achieve their own version of success through a 12 month programme specially designed to make a meaningful difference to each business. We are so proud to be selected along side four other incredible business; Potiki Poi, Sobhanas, Rescued and IKUNA TASTE.
Thanks so much for everyone’s continued support and believing in our products and the ethos beyond it all. Bring on 2022 👊🏼
https://www.countdown.co.nz/news-and-media-releases/2021/november/small-businesses-ready-to-dream-big-with-kete-accelerator-programme
Whilst dairy milk is fantastic for dairy calves, we humans are not dairy calves! In addition, countries with the highest rate of dairy consumption have the highest incidence of fractures. This is certainly not the message my generation received as children, which, disturbingly is still a message given to billions of unsuspecting dairy consumers.
No doubt dairy products do contain a good amount of calcium and protein among other nutrients. However, they also contain fragments called casomorphins, which is a casein-derived morphine-like compound derived from the milk casein protein. Casomorphins, unsurprisingly, can lead us to become addicted to dairy products and can also cause constipation like most morphine-like compounds.
Another issue with dairy is that a significant number of people are intolerant to the sugar (lactose) in dairy which can trigger a number of symptoms if dairy is consumed. These include gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, and/or diarrhoea. However, it pays to bear in mind some of the symptoms attributed to lactose intolerance may actually be casein intolerance. This is because casein proteins can cause inflammation, which can subsequently lead to conditions such as sinus problems, ear infections and eczema. If this wasn’t bad enough research has shown that dairy can increase cancer risk.
So what to do instead? For those of you that love a latte or crave cereal with milk, thankfully there are alternatives. There are a plethora of non-dairy milk substitutes. These include ‘milks’ made from rice, soy, coconut, cashew, almond, oats, hazelnut, macadamia, hemp, flax, and pea. Before you rush off to the supermarket, there are many things to consider when choosing a milk-substitute.
First of all and most important in my opinion are artificial additives. Most of the supermarket brands are like chemistry experiments with far too many ‘nasties’ in them. It is beyond the scope of this article to go into each one but for further information on artificial additives please see here. The most common artificial ingredient found in non-dairy milks are emulsifiers which helps stop non-dairy ‘milks’ from separating. Unfortunately, as well as having no nutritional value, emulsifiers can also lead to increased risk of cancer, inflammatory conditions, metabolic syndrome and increased gut permeability.
A really easy way to ease the separation anxiety that can occur with non-dairy milk substitutes is to stir your ‘milk’. This can also count as your mindful exercise for the day as an added bonus. Personally I would rather stir my ‘milk’ constantly than risk the adverse effects of emulsifiers!
The type of non-dairy ‘milk’ is also important to consider. Nuts are one of the best options for plant based milks because of their nutritional benefits. Nut milks are also one of the best plant based options compared to the following other types of non-dairy ‘milks’:
The percentage of the main ingredient, e.g. hazelnut, in 100ml of made up product is important too as obviously the more nuts they contain the more you maximise the benefits of the good fats and protein in the ‘milk’ substitute. Most good quality nut-milk brands have around 4% nuts with some cheaper brands only containing 2.5% nuts.
It is for all the above reasons that I love the Mylk Made milk substitutes. The brand also ticks all the other boxes I like ticked when considering a dairy milk alternative such as:
A note of caution when considering switching to dairy alternatives is to add in alternative food sources of calcium or supplement with calcium if appropriate. If you are an adult don’t worry too much about that though, as calcium isn’t as bone-protective as we first thought. Research has shown that vitamin D is likely more important than calcium in preventing fractures. There are also potential problems with consuming calcium supplements so please seek medical advice before doing this.
If you simply must consume dairy, choosing grass-fed sources will give you the optimal ‘good’ fats compared to the more inflammatory ‘bad’ fats in grain fed dairy products. Hopefully after this you won’t feel the need to consume dairy, especially with the wonderful milk substitutes like the Mylk Made products.
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By Vita and Tash - Re-Store
1. Why did you start Re-Store?
Re-store is a bulk whole food and household re-fill store in Thames with a focus on sustainability and reducing unnecessary plastic packaging. We are two mums that started Re-store out of a frustration from the weekly shop and the huge amounts of plastic you'd come home with, even when you really tried to be 'eco conscious'. We wanted to create a space where people could slow down, enjoy the experience and re-connect with their food choices and other like minded people in the community...all while shopping without the plastic!
2. What is your top sustainability tip?
Top tip would be to start small. Choose one or two areas of your life where you can make an easy switch to an eco friendly alternative, once this becomes your new normal, add another area in. Making small positive steps helps avoid feeling overwhelmed by a big change.
3. What's been your funniest or most embarrassing moment during your journey of getting Re-Store to where it is today?
Our most embarrassing moments in Re-store is any time we have to pose for a photo! We are much more comfortable behind a counter than in front of a camera!
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We recently featured in Avenues Magazine. "Better with less" and we couldn't agree more!
You can read the full story here.
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By Laura
1. Why did you start Forward Whangarei?
I started Forward to try and make reducing waste easy for my community. I don't think it is fair that making environmentally friendly choices should be more work for the customer. Businesses should be leading by example, taking responsibility for their waste and creating new systems to do things differently. So, that is why Forward operates using a glass jar return system, creating a circular closed loop. This way customers can grab their shopping, without having to remember containers or bags to fill in to. They can return the jars whenever suits them. I sterilise and refill. Forward also focuses on supporting other small local businesses and bringing our community together to plant native trees across Tai Tokerau. At Forward, planet and purpose will always come before profit.
2. What is your top sustainability tip?
COMPOST, COMPOST, COMPOST! Just doing this one thing can have a huge impact. Allowing your food scraps to break down naturally, with oxygen, means they do not release harmful greenhouse gases like they would if they were buried in landfill. Separating your food scraps can also make you more mindful about your food waste.
3. What's been your funniest or most embarrassing moment during your journey of getting Forward Whangarei to where it is today?
The journey to make Forward a reality has had many stages, one of which was a temporary pop up container shop. The container sides opened outwards to create a roof and give access inside. After a long cold day it was time to close up; I totally forgot it had rained earlier and in the dark I couldn't see much, I pulled the container sides down and was hit with a waterfall from the earlier downfall which completely soaked me from head to toe. Doh!
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By Angela
1. Why did you start Get Fixed?
"Both Simon and I came from corporate backgrounds. He was an Engineer for Fuji Xerox and I was a Business Operations Manager for CA ANZ and prior to that, Director of Marketing for the Cityfitness group. Simon had always been in to cycling and motorcycling and had always been able to fix/restore/service anything on 2 wheels. He began fixing bikes for friends and workmates and because he was thorough and meticulous more people started asking him to look at their bikes, so he started a little side-gig from our garage that grew and grew until he was able to do it full time. Bicycles are something he is passionate about so it made sense to follow this path. After a few years we were we offered a pop up business spot on Porirua’s Harbour's Edge.
Between Simon and I we have a blended family of 7 children, and I was tired of being away so much for work as my role was split somewhat between Wellington and Sydney. I decided that we would take the risk and the opportunity to create a family business and so I quit my job and we opened our bicycle café. Simon ran the bicycle servicing/repair side and I ran the café. We started with just one converted shipping container that Simon converted himself – now we have 8. We went from a team of 2 to a team of around 10 (casuals included) with 2 of our daughters working for us so too."
2. What is your top sustainability tip?
"Purchase Mylk Made and then reuse their beautiful jars and don’t ever buy a coffee in a single-use cup ever again."
3. What's been your funniest or most embarrassing moment during your journey of getting Get Fixed to where it is today?
"There have been a few. Not that it's really embarrassing or particularly funny but we have been broken in to a couple of times. The most recent time which was probably a year ago now, the only thing that was taken was a big jar of bliss balls."
Did you know, the packing surrounding our jars is fully biodegradable? 🌱🌎
Pop starch is made from expanded starch, and is 100% compostable and biodegradable. We have found this option the most environmentally friendly, plus it's such a good option to protect the glass jars when they get shipped!
Chuck them in your green bin, dissolve them in water, or, why not save them up and see if one of your local shops want them to reuse for their packaging? 🌍
"We felt there was a gap in Raglan with the Kaupapa of being Plastic Free but people were having to travel to Hamilton to be able to support this. We wanted to bring this style of shopping to Raglan in an affordable way and allow those living in Raglan or near to be able to fill their containers and buy zero waste alternatives - such as Mylk Made!"
2. What is your top sustainability tip?
"Sarah: Reuse should always be the first option!
3. What's been your funniest or most embarrassing moment during your journey of getting SWOP where it is today?
"Possibly just the amount of spillages! We've dropped a whole bag of chia seeds (the glitter of the food world) and you still find rogue ones today, or the spirulina which just went EVERYWHERE. Not funny at the time with cleaning but always fun to look back on and I'm sure there will be many more!"
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SWOP is a plastic free refill store, located in Raglan.
Mum and I (Jemma) spoke to Kathryn Ryan on the Nine to Noon Show, with Radio New Zealand. We had a great conversation about how Mylk Made got started, and our product range.
If you would like to take a listen, click here.
]]>"I’d been saying for years that our local community needed more sustainable shopping options. We have some fantastic stores in Queenstown selling organic products and a few bulk items but nothing solely dedicated to reducing waste! When covid hit I found myself in-between jobs and trying to decide what I wanted to do next, so decided it was the perfect time to take the leap and give New Leaf Refills a go!"
2. What is your top sustainability tip?
"Start small and go from there! I speak to so many people who say ‘I really want to start being more sustainable but don’t have the time to start’. Even making one small change is a positive! Try tackling one area of your home, for example cleaning products! You will soon see how simple it is."
3. What's been your funniest or most embarrassing moment during your journey of getting New Leaf Refills where it is today?
"We timed the launch of New Leaf Refills alongside our local markets! All excited and feeling ready to go, we got to our first ever market day and soon realised how unprepared we were. I had pretty much forgotten half of the things we needed, had no change and couldn’t get the card machine to work for the life of me! But luckily we had an amazing day, laughed at how it could only get better and learnt from our mistakes."