It is not every day that you walk into your local supermarket, pick up an item on the shelf that interests you (but instantly assume is not vegan) and then glance hopefully at the ingredients to find the words ‘suitable for vegans’ and ‘dairy free’ jumping out at you!
Especially not back in 2017 when I first discovered Minor Figures in my tiny local Sainsburys situated just outside of Vauxhall tube station. I would walk to the tube every morning around 5 am to get to my vegan chef job in Chelsea and was often in desperate need of a coffee. Their cans of plant-based cold brew coffee became something of a lifesaver for me.
The world is changing massively – more and more vegan products are popping up on supermarket shelves every day (just check out all of these awesome vegan meat substitutes). Where once they were hard to find, I am amazed to now find such variety! Meaning it is now that much easier for vegans to survive out there in the wild. Thanks, Minor Figures, for being part of this change.
Considering we are now in 2023, and having first discovered these vegan coffees back in 2017, I really don’t see this as a passing trend. And Minor Figures’ Cold Brew Coffee has truly stood the test of time, still being a staple purchase of mine when out and about.
Therefore, I decided it was about time to review this product and share it with the world, in the hopes that this awesome trend cements itself into the future. So, let’s get on to my Minor Figures Cold Brew Coffee review.
Who are Minor Figures?
Minor Figures is an independently owned plant-based start-up specialising in vegan milk and coffee products. Their main product line is oat milk, featuring everyday milk and foamy barista milk. On top of this, they sell a range of pre-made brews using their oat milk.
All of their products are brewed and manufactured in East London. Moreover, they source all of their ingredients as locally as possible, with most of their oats coming from the UK or Northern Europe, and try to close the loop with their production. Meaning they donate their leftover oat pulp to farmers.
Their brand is very artsy and fun, so you’ll definitely notice it standing out from the crowd on supermarket shelves.
What is cold brew coffee?
Cold brew coffee is made by steeping coffee with, you guessed it, cold water. This process takes longer than when you brew a cup of hot coffee, about 20 hours to be precise.
The result is a really subtle a light tasting coffee that is really refreshing. It goes really well with a splash of oat milk or served up in a glass with ice and a slice of orange.
Minor Figure’s cold brew is made with nitrogen which is released when you open the can!
What makes it ‘Nitro’?
A nitro cold brew has had nitrogen added to the coffee. This creates foamy bubbles within the liquid that creates a really lovely microfoam on the top.
You’ll notice the Minor Figures can pops a little when you open it, that’ll be the nitrogen working its magic creating a lovely silky creamy foam on the top of your cold brew.
Does their coffee taste good?
Surprisingly, for something that comes pre-made and inside a can, their coffee actually tastes pretty good. It is worlds apart from the coffee that you get in the pre-made Starbucks cups that you find in supermarkets. That stuff is absolutely vile and enough to put you off coffee, but thankfully Minor Figures have really pulled it off.
You can actually taste the coffee and the oat milk. Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t as delicious as freshly brewed coffee, but it does taste pretty similar to freshly made cold brew coffee.
When it comes to their mocha cold brew, I was afraid it would be too sweet, but instead, I could taste a deliciously distinct coffee flavour, with a slight hint of chocolate. Oh, and the yummy oat milk keeps it light and refreshing; it is definitely not as heavy as other brands I have tried.
Do they come with vegan milk?
The majority of Minor Figure’s cold brew coffees come with their own brand of oat milk inside. Their plant-based milk is really creamy and pairs perfectly with coffee, which is one of the reasons why I love this drink so much!
You can get the following cold brew products which use vegan milk:
They also offer these other nitro can products:
Why should you buy their cold brew?
I enjoy nitro cold brew coffees, especially when walking around London and whilst on the Tube, because, even in cold weather, I heat up quickly. Therefore, cold versions of my favourite hot drink are perfect! I am not normally one to drink coffee with chocolate, but I thought I’d give the mocha version a go and it did not disappoint.
Not only has Minor Figures got great packaging and product design, but all of their products are also vegan. Most importantly, I loved the nitro pop when opening the can; it definitely took me by surprise when walking under the echoey tunnel at Vauxhall Station.
Where can you buy it?
Minor Figures is now available in loads of different supermarkets, including Sainsbury’s (where I first discovered it) and Planet Organic, as well as Ocado and Amazon:
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