Gutsch - the Swiss Organic Oat Drink
In November 2021, the Gutsch cooperative launched the first Swiss organic oat drink specially developed for coffee beverages. We co-founded the cooperative with other coffee companies. In doing so, we are sending a signal for Swiss organic agriculture, more conscious consumption, and meaningful collaboration with other businesses.
"Water from Schlieren instead of Sweden" was long the Gutsch internal motto, until it increasingly made the rounds and eventually served as a conversation starter with interested parties. An oat drink consists of approximately 90% water, the rest is processed oats, oil, salt, and in the case of Gutsch, red algae. Soyana in Schlieren near Zurich fills the drink for Gutsch, and this is also where the water comes from.
Oat drinks, which are extremely popular especially in the specialty coffee industry, come in large numbers from England, Sweden, or Denmark. The oat drink market is moving very quickly right now and is becoming increasingly differentiated, with new products coming to market every year.
In Switzerland, products from Soyana are very widespread; we also served them for years at the Café Frühling and at the Kaffeemacher Café am SBB Basel. Emmi recently launched Beleaf, an oat drink with Swiss oats (non-organic), and according to industry experts, further drinks are to come to market.
So it was also not surprising that with Gutsch we received an early rejection from a major organic retailer saying they were not interested in reselling. Fortunately - because this significantly shaped Gutsch's approach. We had to look for channels other than resale to wholesalers.
Oat drink from Switzerland - still extremely rare
Gutsch is not the first organic oat drink made with Swiss oats - the drink from Lebenshof Aurelio quickly gained many fans, as did the oat drink from Biohof Hübeli. These projects were the first in Switzerland to use organic oats. There are likely to be more products coming quickly, and in particular, the market is now becoming interesting for larger bottlers as well.
With Gutsch, we had a clear focus: we wanted to target gastronomy - we wanted to go where we ourselves had a need. Where we had contacts, where we knew what the requirements were for an oat drink in the coffee industry. So we took the suitable alternative into our own hands. And Gutsch had to be organic - that was always clear.
Photo: Boris Müller, from the Tagesanzeiger Instagram channel
Gastronomy in Focus
With Gutsch, we have statutorily established that we will not go into classical retail. The first request from a supermarket came just six days after launch - so there is clearly a need for a Swiss organic oat drink.
In order to be able to move the large quantities of private label production at all, we served gastronomy channels from the start. With our first three test batches of 50,000 liters, we were able to supply various cafés and restaurants and get direct, honest feedback. A week after the launch in November 2021, we were already able to supply over 30 establishments with Gutsch. All establishments that serve Gutsch are members of the cooperative - that is a requirement.
The Gutsch Cooperative as Foundation
We chose the cooperative model because we see Gutsch as a community project. Equal rights, equal voting power, lots of grassroots democracy. Membership in the cooperative is obtained with a share certificate of 500 CHF (companies) or 250 CHF (supporters). This model of distributing share certificates served us as start-up capital. We tried not to set up Gutsch like a food startup. Thus, the model of external investment fell away. Likewise, we wanted the people at Gutsch's helm who carry Gutsch forward - and those are the cooperative members.
Soyana - the Private Label Bottler for Gutsch
Within a year, Gutsch was market-ready. From the first conversations with Soyana, through recipe development, design, to setting up the supply chain. Leading the way were Philipp Schallberger (Kaffeemacher:innen) and Mathias Bühler from Adrianos Kaffebrennerei in Bern.
Soyana is a pioneer of plant-based drinks in Switzerland. Founder Walter Dänzer was a friend of the Gutsch project from the beginning and is now a cooperative member himself.
Soyana Managing Director Walter Dänzer in conversation with Sascha Britsko from Tages-Anzeiger
The article from Tagesanzeiger from November 5th is available under this link: Gutsch Reportage
The Design - Final Thesis by Sara Dietrich
With Gutsch, we wanted to take different paths, including in design. Sara was just before her bachelor's degree at the Design & Art University in Lucerne. We came into contact with Sara and she took on Gutsch. Sara designed the entire brand language, typography, corporate design, website, and: the "actual" packaging.
But why does Gutsch now just look white?
As is often the case, it's for technical reasons. The minimum order quantity for custom packaging is several hundred thousand. We didn't want to make this investment and looked for alternatives. The white package is now the blank that the manufacturer provides to us. Feedback from production was mixed, saying it "still looks special" - that's when we knew it fit.
Sara Dietrich's entire work can be hier viewed.
Will we ever fill Gutsch in Sara's packages?
The white packaging is a stopgap solution that we now really like. It's simply different. Sara's packaging is the goal - the more of you all drink Gutsch, the closer we get to filling Gutsch in the future in Sara's Tetrapaks, based on Swiss industrial design from the 1970s.
Gutsch - where to buy? And how much does Gutsch cost?
- The Gutsch cooperative sells to its cooperative members
- Cooperative members serve Gutsch in their establishments and/or can resell Gutsch to private customers.
- Liste of sales outlets
Prices for end consumers are between 3.70 to 3.95 CHF/l. Each establishment decides the selling price within this range based on its own costs.
The selling price of Gutsch to cooperative members varies between 2.40 CHF/l to 2.80 CHF/l, depending on the quantity ordered.
The Gutsch Cooperative
More benefit for everyone - that's what we decided at Gutsch . The more establishments that participate in Gutsch, the better the conditions become for everyone. That is the goal of a cooperative. On our website we write:
Together we go further. The more people participate in the Gutsch cooperative, the more attractive we can make the framework for everyone. The cooperative has the signal effect of a movement. The more cafés join together across Switzerland for the same cause, the more incentives are created for the production of organic oats. And we all benefit from that.
- Co-Managing Director Mathias Bühler
and Philipp Schallberger
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Further links:
Tagesanzeiger Reportage: https://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/jetzt-kommt-die-schweizer-biohafermilch-890018745704
Article by Benjamin Hohlmann: https://www.benjamin-hohlmann.org/blog/gutsch-hafermilch/
