Image: @vegan_food_uk / Instagram
The international coffee chain has expanded its plant-based menu just in time for Easter.
Starbucks UK has added the Caramel Chococado Pot and the Vegan Spiced Protein Bowl to its existing plant-based menu.
According to a post shared by Vegan Food UK, the new Chococado Pot is a “velvety chocolate and avocado mousse with a dairy-free coconut yoghurt and silky caramel sauce.”
The spiced Protein bowl is made with harissa and cumin roasted beetroot along with edamame beans, lentils, chickpeas, golden bulgur wheat and pickled red onions.
The new items are a part of Starbucks plans to expand its vegan fare with vegan bowls, cake, and overnight oats.
According to an image shared earlier on Vegan Food UK , the international coffee chain intended to add a vegan Chocolate & Raspberry Mini Loaf Cake, a Vegan Smoky Jackfruit & Grains bowl made from pulled smoky BBQ jackfruit and dairy-free smoked cheese and Chocolate & Coconut Overnight Oats to its menu.
Starbucks has been adding vegan options across its stores globally, in the US it added two tropical, refreshing coconut milk beverages to kickstart the 2020 spring season.
While the Iced Pineapple Matcha contains premium matcha green tea blended with flavors of pineapple and ginger along with coconut milk and ice; the Iced Golden Ginger Drinks is made with ginger, pineapple and turmeric flavors mixed in coconut milk.
Vegan tax on plant milks
Although the coffee chain is trying to woo vegan customers with more plant-based options, it is still to drop the surcharge applied on plant-based milks.
PETA has called out Starbucks for the unfair “vegan tax” on people who don’t drink dairy for ethical, environmental, or health reasons and has been pressurizing the brand to drop the fee since last July.
While many other coffee chains including Pret A Manger, Tim Hortons, Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Noah’s New York Bagels, Philz Coffee, and Costa Coffee have dropped the vegan milk fee, Starbucks continues to charge extra for the alt-dairy varieties citing lesser orders, no subsidies and the need to make special formulations to enhance the beverage as reasons to justify the surplus charge.
“The surcharge is unfair to customers who oppose animal abuse—such as the separation of mother cows from their calves in the dairy industry—and it punishes people who are lactose intolerant (most of whom are people of color) as well as anyone who chooses vegan milk in order to reduce methane-gas emissions,” said PETA.
“PETA is upping the pressure on Starbucks to wake up and smell the coffee: It’s time for the unfair surcharge to end.”
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