Recent Survey Suggests Majority of UK Coffee Shops Open to Making Plant-Based Milks the Default Option for Beverages – CoffeeTalk

According to a recent survey conducted by the Animal Justice Project, a significant majority of UK coffee shops are receptive to the idea of making plant-based milk, such as oat milk, the default option for beverages, conditional upon receiving adequate support. This shift would imply that when customers order drinks without specifying a milk preference, cafés would serve them a milk alternative instead of traditional dairy milk.

The survey indicated that although 84 percent of cafes had not previously considered defaulting to oat milk, 57 percent are now open to experimenting with this approach if they are provided with funding, complimentary oat milk, and logistical assistance. The motivations for this willingness stem from factors such as the lower wholesale price of oat milk, positive anticipated reactions from customers and the media, and evident consumer demand for milk alternatives.

To facilitate this transition, the Animal Justice Project has initiated the “Udderly Kind” campaign, which aims to encourage cafés to trial plant-based milk as the default. Participating cafés stand to benefit from up to 60 cartons of gluten-free barista oat milk supplied by Minor Figures, along with guidance and support from the organization, as well as exposure on the project’s digital platforms and in case studies.

The campaign underscores the idea that this initiative is not merely a trial but an opportunity for coffee shops to demonstrate leadership and innovation in their offerings, advocating for oat milk to become a new standard in the industry.

Moreover, sustainability initiatives have shown promising results; for instance, in March, Sodexo UK & Ireland and Nuffield Health reported a 22 percent reduction in food emissions across 35 hospitals after implementing a plant-based by default policy.

A notable example of this shift can be seen in “The Canteen,” a café in Bristol that is participating in the campaign. Established in 2009, The Canteen has been fully vegetarian since 2020 and emphasizes sustainability in its operations. Staff member Liam expressed that the café sells significantly more oat milk than dairy, indicating that it “feels like it should be our default.” The Canteen is eager to gauge customer reactions to oat milk being the standard option, hoping to highlight the potential for broader change through minor adjustments.

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