Starbucks To Add Plant-based Foods In Asia

(RTTNews) - Coffee giant Starbucks Corp. is adding new plant-based food and beverage options in select markets across the Asia-Pacific such as Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand, Taiwan and Thailand. The new additions are expected to cater to the respective tastes and preferences of local customers. Starting in September, the company is adding two new seasonal plant-based handcrafted beverages, the Oatmilk Cocoa Macchiato and Almondmilk Hazelnut Latte, to store menus in 8 markets, as well as plant-based food choices at stores in Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand.

The Seattle-based company is introducing the Maize Impossible Sandwich and the Spiced Impossible Puff in Hong Kong as well as the Impossible Wrap with a plant-based Impossible Burger patty, in Singapore.

Starbucks is also adding the Beyond Meat Bolognese Penne, the Beyond Meat Sausage Sandwich, and the Beyond Meatball Sandwich in Taiwan as well as the Beyond Meat Sandwich along with Beyond Meat patty In Thailand. Further, it is adding the new plant-based Mince & Cheese Pie in New Zealand.

The strong demand for vegan options has prompted restaurants and fast-food chains to offer menu items that contain products from food companies such as Beyond Meat and its rival Impossible Foods, which develop plant-based substitutes for meat products.

In Singapore, Starbucks had introduced the Impossible Rendang Pie, a locally inspired twist on a Starbucks classic, on July 1, featuring a filling of ground Impossible Burger.

In June, Starbucks had expanded its summer menu in the U.S. by adding a few cold coffee beverages and a plant-based Impossible breakfast sandwich made with Impossible Sausage produced from plants.

In mid-April, it launched plant-based platform in China after partnering plant-based innovators there, Beyond Meat and Oatly, to expand plant-based ingredients and products.

Starbucks worked with Beyond Meat to create three new dishes - Beyond Beef Pesto Pasta, Beyond Beef Classic Lasagna, and Beyond Beef Spicy & Sour Wrap. It partnered OmniPork to offer two dishes featuring a plant-based protein - OmniPork Vietnamese Style Noodle Salad and OmniPork Mushroom Sauce Grain Bowl.