Enough with the vegan milk surcharge
Cafés have always charged extra for dairy alternatives. It’s time to stop.
People don't want to pay extra for making more conscious choices. Photo: Anay Mridul
ANAY MRIDUL
Loves coffee.
As a barista at a busy café, I pour hundreds of flat whites every day. But I’ve never seen the demand for regular milk go this low. More and more people are embracing dairy alternatives. The problem is, they have to pay an added price for them. Most cafés charge somewhere between 30p and 60p extra.
That needs to change.
Some independent coffee shops don’t use surcharges. Pret became the latest chain to do it this January. But the only way to offset their expenses was to increase the beverages’ base price. This meant that, while alternative milks cost the same, drinks with normal milk were now more expensive.
It’s 2020. Veganism isn’t a fad anymore; over 600,000 Britons have gone plant-based. Carbon emissions and factory farming are huge factors in going plant-based. People don’t want to pay extra for making more conscious choices. And they’re voicing their displeasure: over 100,000 consumers have petitioned Starbucks to stop vegan milk surcharges.
It’s better for dietary intolerances, better for animals, and better for the climate. So why should it be worse for the wallet?