We’ve shared a lot about our coffee sourcing practices in previous blogs. It is something that is very important to us. When we started development on our Almond Milk Iced Coffee range, where we could source our almonds was a huge focus.
Excitingly, unlike coffee, which is primarily produced internationally, there are many local almond farms. In fact, Australia is the world’s second largest almond growing nation. So we had a unique opportunity to source quality local ingredients.
Why did we choose almond milk for our plant based Iced Coffee range?
Almond milk has gained a lot of popularity in the last few years, especially for coffee. Our team all love almond milk, and many of us were drinking it with the First Press Original cold drip - so we knew it would work well together. A great non-dairy alternative, Almonds also contain a multitude of nutritional and dietary benefits.
Each serving of Almonds is packed with a good dose of Fiber, Protein, Manganese, Magnesium and Vitamin B. They are also an amazing source of Vitamin E and Antioxidants, which help to protect against oxidative stress and inflammation. You can read levels of each and find out RDI info at Health Line.
The other key benefit of almond based foods and drinks is their ability to satiate a hungry tummy. The European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that combining almonds in your diet helps to reduce hunger, helping you to eat less at other times of the day, lowering your overall calorie intake.
Choosing our Australian Almonds
Australia is the world’s second largest producer of almonds behind the US. Although the size difference is HUGE. US produce 79% of the world’s almonds and we produce 7%. Originating in Iran and surrounding countries, commercial almond operations started in Australia in the early 1900s and is predominantly located along the River Murray in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales.
One of these early pioneers of almond production in Australia was AlmondCo. Founded in 1944, by a small group family farms, the organisation is now “one of the most successful horticultural co-operatives in the nation. . . (with) more than 80% of all almond growers in Australia as contributing members.”
What drew us to working with AlmondCo, aside from the quality of their produce, was the co-op structure of the business. Including a grower-owned marketing and processing facility, the co-op focuses on getting the best results for farmers allowing them to access bigger opportunities then they could independently.
They also have long lasting relationships with growers. Which to us, generally signifies that they are being treated well. You can read more about their growers and relationships here.
Why do we care?
We are passionate about sustainable and ethical sourcing because we believe quality begins with the origin and ingredients. We also want to ensure we are supporting our suppliers, so they can do the same for their own.
See if you can taste the difference.