Coffee is an integral part of several people’s daily lives and many consumers are now deciding to go dairy free – but is this just a phase or could it change the coffee dynamics forever? 

The latest coffee developments have emerged as a result of more and more people switching to veganism and also because of the incredibly popular documentary, Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret. This has, therefore, lead to many individuals saying farewell to all animal by-products.

The 2014 documentary, Cowspiracy, explored the impact of animal agriculture on the environment and dug deep into the policies of environmental organisations on this issue. The film looks at various environmental concerns and suggested that animal agriculture is the primary source of environmental destruction. The documentary proved to be a big hit and has caused many to alter their daily habits; such as the way they consume their coffee.

In the past, various coffee establishments have only ever offered soya milk as an alternative to the standard semi-skimmed or whole – but that is no longer the case. Following a strong demand for more alternatives, various companies have now added oat, almond, hazelnut and rice milk to their menus.

However, although the fact that coffee companies are now offering is a big step – a number of the establishments, such as Cafe Nero, Pret, and Starbucks, are charging customers as much as 45p extra if they opt for the alternatives.

Laura Finkler, a supervisor at Starbucks, said: “Alternative milk options have definitely become more popular over the last year or so. We now offer four different dairy-free kinds of milk, to ensure that we cater to our large range of customers.”

It may still be early days in the world of dairy-free coffee, but with the rapid developments in veganism, this is a trend that looks extremely likely to stick around.