Pret and Le Pain Quotidien join AMT Coffee in providing free plant milk for customers
Veganuary, a global organisation encouraging people to try vegan in January and the rest of the year, is today praising Pret and Le Pain Quotidien for joining AMT Coffee in offering all plant milks (soya, oat, coconut and almond) at no extra cost to customers. This World Plant Milk Day (22nd August) marks one year since Veganuary called on all high-street coffee chains to drop the surcharge on planet-friendly plant milks.
A 2018 study by researchers from Oxford University showed that producing a glass of cow’s milk results in almost three times more greenhouse gas emissions than any plant milk and consumes nine times more land than any of the plant-based alternatives1. Yet, until recently, most high street coffee chains (with the exception of AMT Coffee) charged between 20-50p extra for oat, coconut or almond milk, effectively penalising the planet-friendly options.
Toni Vernelli, Head of Communications at Veganuary, says:
“We’re thrilled that Pret and Le Pain Quotidien have joined the growing list of climate-conscious companies and consumers recognising the environmental benefits of plant milks. It’s great progress since we urged all coffee chains to drop their plant milk surcharges one year ago. However, we are facing a climate emergency so we reiterate our call for other companies to do the same as a matter of urgency.”
A Pret spokesperson commented:
“Over the past couple of years, we have worked hard to bring new vegan and veggie options to our menu, as more and more people are switching to plant-based products. We don’t believe this should come at a premium, which is why in January we dropped our charge for milk alternatives.”
A graphic illustration of the environmental impact of different milks, based on the 2018 study by Oxford researchers, can be viewed and downloaded here.
