WHEN native New Yorker Gilly Thorpe moved to York she missed her regular fix of almond milk.

The products she found in supermarkets just didn't compare to the rich, nutritious drink she had come to love.

So Gilly set about making her own – pressing almonds at home to extract the milk and using blended dates and vanilla as natural sweeteners. The other ingredient is natural still water.

When mother-in-law Kim Broderick, from Selby, tasted Gilly's mix, she was impressed – and persuaded her to launch it as a business.

Last May, the pair began working in Kim's kitchen on perfecting the recipe and launched their Nutty Health range of almond milks at the York Festival of Food and Drink on Saturday.

The range features three flavours – Vanilla, Cacao (chocolate) and Matcha (green tea) – each with their own health benefits, says Kim.

Gilly, 32, an executive assistant for a health care company, said: “Each bottle of Nutty Health milk is made with 30 almonds, giving us our signature indulgent, creamy taste which people really love.”

Each bottle is made up of 14 per cent of almonds, which compares favourably with the two per cent of almonds in mass market brands widely available in supermarkets, says Kim.

“When I first tasted Gilly’s home-made almond milk I couldn’t believe how good it tasted and I knew it was too good not to share," says Kim, 59, a former business development manager at Welcome to Yorkshire. "We’ve spent the last three months refining our recipes and testing our drinks on friends and family.”

Kim's daughter Kate is also involved in the venture and deals with marketing the brand.

Kim added that sales of plant-based milk were soaring across the UK as consumers learned more about their health benefits. Nutty Health's almond milks are 100 per cent vegan and lactose-free, with no additives, added sugars or artificial flavours.

Kim is particularly interested in the perceived health benefits of almond milk. She has a passion for healthy eating and drinking and is studying to become a consultant nutritionist.

She says Nutty Health’s milks are low-calorie (under 140 calories per 150ml bottle), packed with antioxidants and a great source of iron, Vitamin D and calcium.

"Macha is considered to be the most powerful superfood. It is high in anti-oxidants and helps burn calories," says Kim.

Cacao, the raw form of chocolate, is also packed with anti-oxidants and can help reduce the risk of heart disease and other circulatory problems such as high-blood pressure, says Kim, adding that the vanilla milk is great for the skin and combats anti-ageing.

Nutty Health’s milks will be available to buy online at nuttyhealth.co.uk and in farm shops, tearooms and independent shops throughout Yorkshire from October, retailing around £3 per bottle.

They will be selling their milks from a stall in Fossgate this Saturday, September 30, during the Food and Drink festival.

Kim said: "We have made these drinks to replace a cup of coffee or glass of orange juice; it is a natural, indulgent product, an alternative treat."

Find out more at nuttyhealth.co.uk