Why Goat Whey Costs More
Nimisha Nailor·
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One of the answers that comes up in our website quiz is, quite simply, "the price", and I'd much rather talk about that openly than pretend it isn't there. Kultra is £69.99 for a 1kg pouch, which is more than many protein powders on the supermarket shelf, and I completely understand anyone who sees that number and hesitates. If that's you, it isn't a personal failing to care about what things cost, and you deserve a proper explanation rather than a vague line about "premium quality".
So I did what I always do. I went back to the numbers, from the goats themselves to the pouch that arrives at your door, and I want to walk you through them honestly, including the parts you might not expect.
It starts with the goats
The single biggest reason goat whey costs more is that goats produce far less milk than cows. A dairy goat gives about 3 to 4 litres of milk a day, whereas a high-yielding dairy cow can give 25 litres or more. For context, the average UK dairy cow produced 8,278 litres of milk in 2024 [1], which works out at well over 20 litres for every day of the year, and the top herds produce considerably more than that.
Milk per animal, per day
Litres, approximate
That difference matters so much because whey is only a small part of milk. It takes well over 100 litres of milk to make 1kg of whey, so when you think about a single pouch of Kultra, you're looking at the milk from a goat for roughly a month, if not longer. With a cow, the same amount of milk could come in under a week. Every one of those litres needs feeding, care, milking and collecting, which means that, quite simply, each kilo of goat whey takes more animals, more farms and more work to make.
Small farms, not huge herds
The goat whey in Kultra comes from small, family owned goat farms in the Netherlands. I wrote about how and why we chose them in why we chose grass-fed European goats, but the short version is that these aren't the vast operations that produce most of the world's cow whey. Smaller farms can't spread their costs across thousands of animals in the same way, so the milk itself costs more before anything is done to it.
Moreover, cow whey is produced at an enormous scale, much of it as a by-product of the cheese industry, which keeps its price down. Goat whey is a far smaller market, so there's simply less of it, and the processing happens in smaller batches.
A short supply chain, and checking every batch
We keep the supply chain short on purpose, from those farms to the whey, to being packed in Kent, because I wanted to know exactly where everything came from and to be able to stand behind it. A shorter chain gives us more control, however it also means we don't benefit from the economies of scale that large brands with global supply chains can use.
Every production batch of Kultra is released against a certificate of analysis covering composition and microbiology. It's one of the things I care about most, because three ingredients only mean something if you can trust what's actually in the pouch, and it's another cost that I'd never want to cut.
What's not in the pouch
It might sound strange, but what we leave out also affects the price. Kultra has three ingredients, goat whey protein concentrate, natural vanilla bean and stevia leaf, and nothing else. Fillers such as maltodextrin or added fibres are cheaper than protein, so a powder that includes them can lower its cost per kilo, and gums can make a smaller amount of protein feel thicker and more substantial. We don't use either, which means almost every gram of a Kultra serving is the goat whey itself.
I think this is worth keeping in mind whenever you compare prices, because two pouches that weigh the same can contain very different amounts of protein. A cheaper powder might have more servings in the bag, but if each serving is smaller, or carries less protein, or is partly made up of fillers, the real cost of the protein you're getting can end up much closer than the price on the front suggests. That's why I'd always look at the protein per serving and the ingredients list together, rather than the price of the bag on its own, and it's a habit that helps with any protein powder you're considering, not just ours.
What it actually costs per serving
The pouch price can feel like a lot, so I find it more useful to think about the cost per serving. A 1kg pouch has 30 servings, each of two level scoops, 33g, with 26g of protein.
Kultra, cost per serving
30 servings per 1kg pouch, 26g protein each
On subscription, you get 15% off every order, applied automatically, so there's no code to remember. The subscription has a minimum term of two orders after your first, and after that you're free to cancel. If you'd rather not commit to a full pouch before you know whether you like it, there's a £10 sample of three servings, and the £10 comes back to you as store credit towards a full pouch, so trying it doesn't cost you anything extra if you carry on.
If you'd like to see how Kultra sits next to other options, our comparison page lays it out, and there's a fair look at the research in goat whey vs cow whey.
Is it worth it?
Honestly, that depends on you, and I'd never want anyone to stretch their budget for a protein powder. If cow whey works well for you and the price matters more, that's a completely valid choice. On the other hand, if you're looking specifically for goat whey, with a short ingredients list and a supply chain you can trace, then the price reflects real things: fewer litres per animal, smaller farms, a short chain and every batch checked. It isn't lactose free, though, and it contains milk, so if you've been diagnosed with lactose intolerance, speak to your GP first.
I started Kultra because I wanted a protein I could genuinely trust, and I've written more about that in why I created Kultra. I'd rather be honest about why it costs what it does than make it cheaper by putting things in it that I wouldn't want to have myself. If you'd like to try it, you can find Kultra here.
-N 🤍
FAQ
Why is goat whey more expensive than cow whey?
Goats give about 3 to 4 litres of milk a day compared with 25 or more from a high-yielding cow, and it takes well over 100 litres of milk to make 1kg of whey. Goat whey also comes from smaller farms and a much smaller market.
Where does Kultra's goat whey come from?
Small, family owned goat farms in the Netherlands, with a short supply chain. It's packed in Kent.
How much does Kultra cost per serving?
About £2.33 per serving on a one-off pouch, or about £1.98 on subscription at 15% off.
Is there a cheaper way to try Kultra?
Yes. The £10 sample has three servings, and the £10 comes back as store credit towards a full pouch.
References
- AHDB. UK milk yield (Defra data, 8,278 litres per cow in 2024). https://ahdb.org.uk/dairy/uk-milk-yield
- Kultra supplier figures: goat milk yield (3 to 4 litres per day), milk required per kg of whey (well over 100 litres), farm origin (Netherlands).
- Kultra batch release: certificate of analysis covering composition and microbiology.