reflects on how that balance is maintained, what has changed in the way Australians drink milk and how Milklab pioneered coffee shop DJ sets.  Inside Retail (IR): Milklab began as a barista-first product designed for cafe performance. Looking back over the past decade, what were the key product or formulation decisions that helped the brand earn credibility with baristas early on? Michael Perich (MP):The Milklab brand has strong foundations in collaboration, hence the name Milk-‘lab’. It’s always been about collaboration with professional roasters, baristas and coffee experts to formulate the Milklab range for optimal stretch and texture and of course taste, to deliver consistent microfoam across different coffee styles.We worked with baristas and coffee professionals to prioritise flavour balance so the milk complemented, not overpowered, the espresso. Over the past decade, that collaborative approach has been central to Milklab’s growth. Milklab has earned industry credibility to now be the #1 barista plant milk brand in Australian cafes and Noumi’s flagship plant-based milk brand. By continuing to partner closely with baristas and cafés across Australia, the brand has evolved alongside the needs of the industry and consumers. The growth of iced beverages is a strong trend, being driven largely by Gen Z who are seeking healthier options and new flavour combinations. The recent Milklab Gen Z Survey found that 58per cent of Gen Z cafe-goers say the milk brand influences the café they go to. Milklab’s commitment to collaboration has helped Milklab Almond and Milklab Oat sit comfortably as the #1 and #2 preferred barista milks respectively in thousands of Australian cafés. This reflects not just product quality, but a deep, ongoing connection with the people behind the coffee and the consumers who enjoy it. IR: Considering alternative milks have moved quickly from niche café products to mainstream grocery staples, what do you think has changed most in how consumers and retailers think about plant-based milk today? MP: The biggest shift has been from “alternative” to everyday. Consumers now expect plant-based milks to deliver on taste, texture and performance just like dairy, whether at home or in a cafe. Retailers have expanded their ranges and given the category more prominence, recognising it as a core part of the dairy aisle rather than a niche.The launch of Milklab into the retail plant-based milk segment has been one of the most successful in the past 10 years. In the last 12 to 18 months, Milklab delivered 90per cent of plant-based milk growth on Australian supermarket shelves.  Off the back of this success, Milklab Coconut launched into Woolworths and Coles last year, and our new enhanced Milklab Soy will be on retail shelves in coming months. Coconut-based products are experiencing strong growth in Australian supermarkets, driven by health-conscious consumer preferences.  IR: Milklab now sits across cafés, grocery and international markets. How do you maintain product consistency and brand identity as the business expands into new channels and geographies? MP: Maintaining consistency starts with staying true to Milklab’s commitment delivering a product that pairs perfectly with espresso coffee and amplifies the coffee experience. Every product within the Milklab range, regardless of channel or market, is developed to the same core standards for texture, stretch and flavour in coffee. We have rigorous quality control processes in place across our manufacturing partners to ensure every carton performs the same, whether it’s served in a café in Sydney, Melbourne or poured in a café partner overseas. Milklab recently refreshed its brand identity to leverage its heritage of quality and innovation with new creative that champions the brand’s dedication to refining every aspect of its range to ensure excellence in taste, quality, and experience. This brand identity extends beyond borders to suit the region. Under the CAFELAB name in Southeast Asian markets, Milklab is showing tremendous growth. While we tailor how we show up in different markets, the brand is always grounded by its Australian coffee heritage and ongoing collaboration with baristas, which continues to be at the heart of everything we do. IR: Cafe culture has played a major role in shaping Australian beverage trends. How closely does the team work with baristas and cafés today when developing or refining products? MP: Café culture remains at the heart of how we innovate, so we stay closely connected to baristas and café partners at every stage of product development. We regularly gather feedback from our café partners to ensure our products perform on the machine, in the cup and under the pressure of a busy service. Over the past few years we have noticed an emerging generation of café consumers, attracted by curated café beverages and social media-driven experiences. New flavours and coffee moments are reshaping coffee culture in Australia. We’re seeing an emerging trend where young Aussies are swapping big nights out for early starts and curated hot and iced drinks with friends. It’s this shift in how and when we drink coffee that inspired MILKAB to pioneer Coffee Shop Sets in Australia – the latest global trend of morning DJ sets paired with specialty hot and iced coffee drinks. Our partnership with baristas and the coffee trade is ongoing, and one that helps us refine our range, respond to emerging trends and ensure consistency over time. IR: As the category becomes more crowded, what do you see as the biggest opportunity for innovation in plant-based milk over the next few years? MP: Milklab is still seeing our biggest opportunity is to focus on and tap into new occasions and consumer consumption habits (such as iced beverages). We know that taste remains the leading motivation to choose a new café beverage, so continuing to refine the flavour profiles of our range to ensure it meets the expectations of consumers is key. Milklab recently launched an enhanced Milklab Soy that has a smoother, more balanced and mild flavour with a creamier texture. It’s been developed with café partners so that it performs well with espresso coffee and tastes great too. We also see strong potential in ingredient innovation. On the dairy milk side, Noumi’s Australia’s Own brand has recently launched two new products – Australia’s Own Kids No Sugar Added Chocolate Milk and Australia’s Own High Protein Chocolate Milk – that fill a gap in the kids’ milk category. Every year, Australians spend AU$23.3 million on lunchbox dairy milk and despite demand, the kids’ segment of the flavoured milk market has been slow to innovate. IR:As Milklab marks ten years in the market, how are you thinking about the next phase of growth for the brand, particularly across retail and global markets? MP:Milklab is [currently] in a growth phase and our focus is on leveraging the brand’s credentials of delivering barista-quality performance to move into new channels and markets. In retail, that means continuing to bring café-quality products into the home, meeting growing consumer demand for plant-based milks that deliver on taste, texture and consistency. Globally, we see strong opportunity to take Milklab’s Australian café heritage to international markets where coffee culture is evolving rapidly. We know that the specialty coffee market is enjoying strong growth. For Noumi’s barista quality dairy and plant-based range, including Milklab, our products are now sold throughout Asia. We’ve also recently entered new markets including Thailand, South Korea and India. Ultimately, growth will come from staying close to baristas and consumers, while also expanding our range and footprint in line with how the category is evolving