Starbucks China is launching a plant-based menu in partnerships with Beyond Meat, Omnipork and dairy-substitute Oatly which will be available in most stores nationwide.
From tomorrow (April 22) the coffee chain will launch two pasta dishes and a wrap featuring Beyond Beef, effectively launching the meat-substitute brand on the mainland.
A Vietnamese-style noodle salad and mushroom-sauce grain bowl created with protein-based pork substitute Omnipork is also going on sale, along with oatmilk options on its beverage menu, created with Swedish brand Oatly.
Leo Tsoi, senior VP, COO and president at Starbucks China Retail, says the new menu items make it easy and enjoyable for customers to explore new lifestyles.
“Through our new plant-based platform, we seek to inspire new routines by inviting everyone to eat good, feel good and do good. Together, we can take a small, humble step to make a better world,” he said.
Beyond Meat has worked with Starbucks as part of its market entry into the Chinese mainland. Ethan Brown, Beyond Meat founder and CEO says the launch marks an important milestone in the company’s goal of increasing accessibility to plant-based protein globally.
“Starbucks is a trusted brand with a strong market presence and deep understanding of customers in China, and we’re pleased to partner with them on our market entry. We believe the new Beyond Beef menu items deliver on our promise of enabling consumers to Eat What You Love while also enjoying the nutritional and environmental benefits of plant-based protein,” he said.
Meanwhile, oatmilk joins soy as a dairy alternative, which has been a feature of the Starbucks China menu for 13 years.
“It’s a significant step for the growing plant-based movement that Starbucks customers in China can now enjoy their favorite beverage with Oatly,” said Toni Petersson, global CEO at Oatly.
“Oatly pairs extremely well with espresso and creates a wonderfully dense and creamy foam for lattes.”
Starbucks China has also launched a merchandise range made with recycled coffee grounds, including tumblers and notebooks. The grounds are processed and mixed with polypropene to form an industrial-grade material with more than 30-per-cent recycled coffee ground content. The company also plans to roll out furniture for Starbucks cafes made from the new material.
