Blue Bottle Coffee makes major change to oatmilk orders

The US specialty coffee group has rolled back the plant-based policy introduced in May 2022

California-based Blue Bottle Coffee has scaled back its oatmilk-by-default policy in the US.

The specialty coffee group trialled oatmilk as the default coffee pairing across a handful of stores in New York and Washington, D.C. in May 2021. It then introduced the policy across its full US footprint – then comprising 73 stores – 12 months later as part of a drive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and become carbon neutral by 2024.

Within three months, oatmilk accounted for 63% of milk-based beverage orders, replacing whole milk as the preferred pairing among customers.

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

But Blue Bottle has now moved to give US customers more choice.