Plant-based vs dairy: Do coffee shops need to pick a side?

Plant-based milk alternatives have moved from niche dietary requirement to mainstream coffee shop staple in less than a decade. But with dairy still dominant across Europe and operators facing surcharge politics, legal complexity and push-back over ultra-processed food, will the meteoric rise of plant-based run out of steam? Words by Tobias Pearce

The rise of plant-based drinks in coffee shops is unmistakable. In the UK, oat has reached typical usage among more than a fifth of coffee shop consumers, making it the fourth most common coffee pairing overall and the unchallenged leader among non-dairy options.

Across Europe, oat accounts for nearly 10% of most recent orders in Germany, nearly level with semi-skimmed milk, while almond leads non-dairy in both France and Turkey.