Eco-friendly firm, ReRooted offers home delivery service for dairy alternatives
The clink of the milk bottle outside your door on a cold and frosty morning is a sound that takes many of us back to a simpler time. Before the world wide web, before phones that fitted neatly in your pocket and when you could be forgiven for thinking that Covid-19 was a rock band.
Thankfully, we can now go back to that simpler time with Totnes company, ReRooted, but with a modern twist to the tale. Some may think that drinking nut or plantmilk is a trendy fad but if it is, it is one that is not going away any time soon. Quite apart from dairy intolerances that led sufferers to seek out alternatives; it is now a conscious choice for those that want to reduce emissions and help create a greener world.
The three guys behind Rerooted are Richard Eckersley, Dan Dawson and Nick Barradale; all from different backgrounds.
Richard, a former professional footballer, already ran a zero waste shop in Totnes and Dan is a chef and the two of them started off making nut milk to sell in the shop. A few months later things had really taken off and two years down the line they are delivering across Devon and are about to go nationwide. Nick, a dairy vet for 17 years, has just joined the team to help take the business that step further.
Different paths maybe but they have one common goal, to make a difference, as Dan explains to me: “We wanted to make something that was truly healthy, sustainable and something we were happy to give to our kids.
“As soon as we launched it was so popular and in the process we have perfected the recipe and re-educated ourselves and now enjoy educating others as to what is possible.”
READ MORE: Bespoke handbag maker unveils new Devon-inspired collection
And what is possible is that chance to have organic almond, coconut and oat milk delivered to your door in glass, re-usasable bottles. Even the vans are electric so therefore planet friendly and snooze friendly; no noisy engines to wake you up.
For the new boy on the production line, Nick, it has been not only career changing but life changing as he shares: “Once I had children I started to see things differently and the impact we were having on the world. It meant that I felt I couldn’t connect anymore with the industry I was in and wanted something different.
“I obviously know the milk sector quite well wanted to go down the plantmilk route. I heard good things about ReRooted and I knew I wanted to be part of it.”
The process to creating the perfect nut milk starts with the best quality ingredients and ReRooted do this by buying in bulk from organic worker co-operatives. Next, a good soaking, for at least eight hours, in the case of raw almonds; this activates them, making their nutrients more bio-available.
A press, releasing every bit of moisture and goodness whilst ensuring the nutrients stay intact and not damaged by unnecessary heat, follows. Gentle pasteurisation, hot enough to extend the shelf life by a few days, whilst being cool enough to protect the nutrients, is the next important step. This avoids any negative impact that can be caused by too high a temperature. Add in the glass bottles and you have a product that is sustainable, organic and - more importantly - good for you.
Quite a production process but for Richard it’s worth it: “It’s been an interesting road and not an easy one but also so exciting and it feels like we are paving the way for others. We are a proud member of 1% For The Planet and have committed to donating 1% of our turnover to a different environmental organisation every year.
“There is no such thing as leaving no impact on this Earth, but you can make a promise to always give back and we try this in as many areas as possible.”
THE EASY GREEN LIFE TIPS
Nick had the perfect easy tip to share: “Every time you go to consume stop and think - do you really need it?
Whether it’s a takeaway coffee, toy or new item of clothing; consider the impact - if you do spend, spend more on less with quality in mind.”
Join our Facebook group to keep up to date with the latest news, events and people in Devon
