Starbucks Rolls Out Plant-Based Options In Asian Markets With Impossible, Beyond & Oatly

Global coffee chain Starbucks has announced that it is adding new plant-based items on its menus across Asia this month, including products made with leading plant-based brands such as Impossible Foods, Beyond Meat and Oatly. The Seattle-based chain says that the move is part of the company’s strategy to expand plant-based offerings around the world in locally-relevant ways in order to achieve its goal of becoming “resource-positive”. 

Announced last Tuesday (September 8), Starbucks says that it will introduce a range of new plant-based food and drink options in select markets across Asia-Pacific. Starting from this month, two new seasonal plant-based beverages, the Oatmilk Cocoa Macchiato made with Oatly, and Almond Milk Hazelnut Latte will be available in 8 markets, including Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. These plant-based drinks will remain a part of the chain’s core permanent menu in seven of these markets after the promotion ends. 

This menu expansion is designed to offer our customers the same flavours and handcrafted service they know and love from Starbucks, in a new way. We’re excited to continue our journey toward becoming resource positive together with our customers in Asia.

Sara Trilling, President of Starbucks Asia-Pacific

Starbucks will also be rolling out new plant-based food options, adapted to each country’s local cuisine, in 5 markets: Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. These include two new Impossible Foods options and a vegan chocolate bread stick in Hong Kong; a plant-based mince and cheese pie in New Zealand; an Impossible Wrap in Singapore; Beyond Meat bolognese, Beyond Sausage Sandwich and Beyond Meatball Sandwich in Taiwan; and a Beyond Meat Sandwich in Thailand. 

Unless specified as vegan-friendly, most of the new plant-based food items will contain dairy or egg, making them only suitable for vegetarians. 

“We’re thrilled to offer our customers more ways to personalise their Starbucks Experience and enjoy plant-based choices at Starbucks,” said Sara Trilling, president of Starbucks Asia-Pacific. 

“This menu expansion is designed to offer our customers the same flavours and handcrafted service they know and love from Starbucks, in a new way. We’re excited to continue our journey toward becoming resource positive together with our customers in Asia.”

Earlier this year, the global chain made headlines in China for its landmark all-vegetarian menu featuring Beyond Meat, Oatly and Omnipork, which was rolled out across its locations nationwide.

Starbucks says that its aggressive expansion of plant-based menu items is a part of its company-wide pledge to become more eco-friendly and “resource-positive”, which it announced in the beginning of this year. In March, the coffee behemoth added that it will be removing the additional fee or “vegan tax” on drinks that are made with plant-based milks over the course of this year. 

Lead image courtesy of Starbucks, designed by Green Queen Media.