In the UK, the Latte will have more Fairtrade espresso at no extra cost to customers and a new approach to steaming milk will give it a smoother taste, according to the company.
The change from 14 March will be backed with an in-depth TV, print and digital ad campaign which will invite customers to try the new Starbucks British Latte for free. Meanwhile, customers who prefer the existing milder taste will still be able to have their drink made as exactly as before.
All 10,000 UK baristas have also been trained over the last three months to use a revolutionary milk steaming pitcher which spins and folds milk to velvety perfection every time – allowing coffee to rise through the milk. Designed by Starbucks engineer John Brockman, it took a year to develop and went through 14 prototypes until it was exactly right.
In extensive trials, British coffee drinkers said they liked the richer taste, the extra value and the new milk texture.
Starbucks has noticed UK customers adding more coffee in recent years – a 60% rise in the last two years to 200,000 extra shots every week.
In trials customers said they preferred the new Latte and appreciated the value of the extra coffee worth 35p for free. For many their drink will now be 14% cheaper.
Kris Engskov, managing director for Starbucks in the UK and Ireland, said: “Britain has become the home of the Latte and it’s the country’s most popular coffee shop drink. At the same time, the British palate is changing; we can see that in the way our customers are ordering their coffee.
“They’re becoming more experienced, more sophisticated and many more are looking for a stronger taste. This is a big move and a big investment, but our feedback shows that this UK-only change is the right thing to do for British customers.”
Source: Starbucks
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