Starbucks UK has launched two new vegan options just in time for Easter.
The Caramel Chococado Pot and the Vegan Spiced Protein Bowl are the most recent additions to Starbucks’ expanding plant-based menu.
The new Spiced Protein Bowl contains harissa and cumin roasted beetroot. It’s served with edamame beans, lentils, chickpeas, and golden bulgur wheat, and topped with pickled red onions.
According to Starbucks, its new Caramel Chococado Pot features “velvety chocolate and avocado mousse.” The vegan dessert contains dairy-free coconut yogurt, and is completed with a “silky caramel sauce.”
Earlier this month, the chain launched plant-based breakfast sandwiches in Canada. The Beyond Meat, Cheddar, and Egg Sandwich is also part of Starbucks’ spring menu additions. COO Roz Brewer has revealed that the sandwich will also launch in the U.S, but it’s not yet known if the option will arrive in the UK anytime soon.
In the U.S., Starbucks’ has also added two new iced coconut milk drinks. The Iced Golden Ginger Drink combines ginger, pineapple, and turmeric with coconut milk. The Iced Pineapple Matcha contains premium matcha, pineapple, ginger, and coconut milk.
The coffee chain has also now added oat milk to the menu in certain U.S. locations. Customers can order drinks made with Oatly at 1,300 stores across Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin.
Vegan at Starbucks
Adding sustainable, plant-based options is a central part of Starbucks’ ongoing environmental strategy.
The company is working toward a 50 percent reduction in carbon emissions from its direct operations and supply chain by 2030. CEO Kevin Johnson said: “Alternative milks will be a big part of the solution. The consumer-demand curve is already shifting.”
Previously, Starbucks worked with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and sustainability consultant Quantis on a sustainability audit. The audit revealed that Starbucks emitted 16 million metric tons of greenhouse gas in 2018. The coffee chain also dumped 868 metric kilotons of waste and used one billion cubic meters of water.
Offering more dairy-free and vegan options could significantly reduce Starbucks’ impact on the environment.
It takes 144 gallons of water to produce just one gallon of milk in the U.S. And, according to WWF, each dairy cow produces approximately 17 gallons of manure and urine. When this is improperly managed, it “emits greenhouse gases, pollutes water and air, and damages wildlife habitats,” says the organization.
