George Mackintosh and his nephew Gregor Mackintosh have acquired Untitled Oats, with a view to growing a 'powerhouse oat milk brand' in Scotland.

Untitled Oats was founded in Edinburgh in 2020 by Imperial College London graduate Alex Baldwin and University of Edinburgh graduate Callum McCadden, who created the brand, developed the formula, and established a processing plant in Edinburgh, selling an oat alternative milk drink to retail outlets across the South East of Scotland.

Mr Mackintosh founded international tech business Eggplant, which was sold to Keysight Technologies for $330 million in 2020, and is the director of historic East Lothian farm redevelopment Papple Steading, while his nephew is the founder and managing director of Mackintosh of Glendaveny, the UK’s largest producer of cold pressed rape seed oil.

Following the acquisition, the merged business, Mackintosh Oats, will move its production facility to the family farm in Aberdeenshire before re-launching later this year. It is expected that the first of a range of oat milks will be available later this year, with the product having a 'clear and strict Scottish provenance' grown and made in Scotland, and the first to scale up its operation with full British Retail Consortium accreditation.

Read more: Growing the market for Scottish oat milk

George said: "We are very excited about building a market-leading business in Scotland which can boast that its products are authentically Scottish, like Sotch whisky! Our oat milk will be another famous national drink enjoyed around the UK and internationally. Alex and Callum are two of the most capable people in this niche, and combined with Gregor's awesome manufacturing and marketing skills, we have the best team.”

Gregor Mackintosh, CEO, Mackintosh Oats, said: "Oat milk is made from oats, water, and rape seed oil. Who can question we have lots of good Scottish water, the family farm has a history of growing oats, and I’ve been producing cold pressed rape seed oil for 12 years, widely known for its leading health benefits. Our product will be packed full of provenance!”