• Oat milk rose to stardom in specialty espresso within the mid-2010s, embraced by baristas and shoppers alike.
• However indicators level to a return to dairy; USDA knowledge exhibits People consumed a document quantity of dairy merchandise in 2023, up by 3% in quantity over the previous 5 years.
• Whereas plant milks have a longtime presence in espresso tradition, rising well being issues and debates over meals processing have created alternatives for dairy to reclaim market share.
• Present traits counsel a rebalancing of choices that acknowledges the strengths of each high-quality dairy and plant-based choices.

Plant milks, particularly oat-based drinks, turned ubiquitous with specialty espresso within the mid-2010s. However the current rising motion towards ultra-processed meals might imply dairy is reclaiming the highest spot in espresso retailers.

Distinguished roasters like Stumptown, Blue Bottle, and Onyx Espresso Lab defaulted to oat milk as its reputation soared over the previous few years. Nevertheless, rising international shopper traits counsel a possible restoration for cow’s milk. 

US gross sales of dairy milk elevated 2% to over US$17 billion in 2024, whereas consumption within the Asia-Pacific market continues to develop. Around the globe, shoppers more and more cite well being issues as the principle causes behind this shift.

This alteration in consumption is more likely to lengthen to espresso retailers; does specialty espresso must reassess its milk choices?

Toby Weedon at Oatly and Maria Kurenkova at MILBOK share their ideas on whether or not dairy is making a comeback within the espresso trade.

You may additionally like our article on how a lot individuals are actually keen to pay for oat milk.

How oat milk turned the barista’s greatest pal

Within the mid-2010s, oat milk emerged because the undisputed champion of plant-based drinks in specialty espresso retailers. In accordance with knowledge from World Espresso Portal, over 28% of shoppers at UK branded espresso retailers have ordered oat milk, which makes it the most well-liked plant milk within the nation.

Oat milk continues to outperform different plant milks – and dairy in some instances. The information that some well-known roasters and occasional chains within the US and UK defaulted to oat – and even upcharged for cow’s milk – was a transparent signal of its mainstream reputation.

However the oat milk “revolution” wasn’t coincidental; it was the results of strategic advertising and marketing.

Manufacturers like Oatly, Minor Figures, and Califia Farms spearheaded the motion by way of branding campaigns focused immediately on the specialty espresso group. 

In 2017, Oatly’s newly employed Barista Market Builders familiarised themselves with espresso retailers throughout main cities in North America and Europe. They launched employees to the Barista Version oat milk, demonstrating its similarities to dairy by way of foamability and pourability, however with out the upper carbon footprint. This grassroots strategy proved efficient, creating coffee-oat milk advocates who might communicate authentically concerning the model’s merchandise. 

The “Barista Version” label – a declare of superior efficiency to different plant milks – additionally performed a crucial position on this success. Oat milk manufacturers developed formulations that addressed baristas’ most important issues about dairy alternate options: foamability, flavour neutrality, and texture consistency. 

The consequence was a product that created microfoam akin to dairy milk with out overpowering the fragile flavours of espresso. Many baristas had been impressed and rapidly embraced oat milk as the brand new various to dairy.

Many shoppers agreed, persuaded by its creamy texture, impartial flavour, and monitor document for sustainability. In 2022, coinciding with the rising international vegan motion, retail gross sales of oat milk elevated by greater than 50% to over US$527 million within the US alone.

A rising backlash towards plant milks

Regardless of their preliminary success, plant milks have confronted mounting criticism lately. Well being-conscious shoppers are more and more scrutinising the dietary worth of those merchandise – specialty espresso’s favorite, oat milk, particularly.

After reviews that oat milk could spike blood glucose ranges, the traditionally “wholesome” drink got here below fireplace.

The broader motion towards ultra-processed meals has additionally affected shopper notion of plant milks general. The time period refers to meals that comprise components not generally present in dwelling kitchens and have undergone a number of phases of processing.

Social media “FitTok” influencers have began to spotlight the intensive processing required to remodel oats, almonds, and different plant-based components into milk-like drinks. These merchandise typically embrace emulsifiers, stabilisers, and different components that battle with the clean-eating philosophy that extra shoppers are adopting.

Present controversy additionally surrounds the processed seed oils used to make oat milk obtain its fascinating creamy texture. Some imagine they result in plenty of well being points, though many of those claims have been disputed.

“Extremely-processed is a catch-all time period that has been oversimplified to imply ‘unhealthy and unhealthy’, by default,” says Toby, the EMEA Barista Improvement Supervisor at Oatly. “We’re happy with our fortified merchandise, and we additionally perceive that it’s essential for some folks to have fewer components, which is why we even have natural choices.”

Oatly launched its Barista Natural Oat Drink, which incorporates natural oats, water, rapeseed oil, unsaturated fats, sea salt, and potassium carbonate, as a part of efforts to diversify. 

However many shoppers nonetheless query whether or not the perceived environmental and moral advantages of oat and different plant milks justify the dietary trade-offs.

“Many shoppers are questioning the ingredient record and sugar content material of some plant milks. There’s a rising consciousness round components and processing ranges, and individuals are prioritising clear label merchandise, whether or not dairy or plant-based,” says Maria, the advertising and marketing supervisor at MILBOK, a specialty dairy model designed for baristas.

“That is opening up area for dairy once more, particularly when it’s transparently and ethically produced, in addition to minimally processed,” she provides.

World dairy consumption is on the rise

Concurrent with the rising scepticism about plant milk’s dietary worth, international dairy consumption has skilled notable progress.

USDA knowledge exhibits People consumed a document quantity of dairy merchandise in 2023, up by 3% in quantity over the previous 5 years. In the meantime, Asia will proceed to see the strongest progress in demand for dairy merchandise over the following few years, and the Center East and Africa are additionally poised for important progress.

UK supermarkets are additionally reporting rising gross sales of whole-fat milk according to the shift away from extremely processed meals. In 2024, UK grocery store gross sales of entire milk grew quicker than these of plant-based milk, up by 1.2% and 0.9%, respectively, based on knowledge from Kantar.

Rising disposable revenue and quickly increasing café tradition have created substantial demand for premium dairy merchandise within the Southeast Asian market, particularly. This regional progress has international implications, influencing traits within the worldwide dairy market.

Dairy firms are actually recognising the chance to reclaim market share in specialty espresso. By branding cow’s milk because the “unique barista milk”, they will emphasise its pure foaming properties, flavour compatibility with espresso, and better protein content material.

“The rise of plant milks challenged dairy manufacturers to rethink how we talk our price, particularly within the specialty espresso scene, the place style, texture, and efficiency matter,” Maria explains. “It pushed us to not solely enhance product high quality but in addition clearly outline what makes premium dairy stand out.”

How is dairy innovating in espresso?

Latest innovation in dairy processing has resulted in premium merchandise particularly designed for specialty espresso.

Freeze-distilled, or cryo-dessicated milk, is only one instance. This course of entails the applying of low temperatures and totally different pressures to take away moisture, successfully doubling the focus of sugars and fat. The result’s cow’s milk with enhanced sweetness and mouthfeel with out the addition of different components – interesting to health-conscious shoppers.

Competitions just like the World Barista Championship have inadvertently promoted these merchandise. 12 months after 12 months, baristas more and more use freeze-distilled milks of their routines, showcasing how the upper sugar and fats contents can improve the espresso expertise. 

Actually, cryo-dessicated milks have began to turn out to be simply as widespread as WDT instruments and different high-end espresso devices on the WBC. This degree of visibility has generated broader curiosity, as baristas search to copy competition-quality drinks in espresso retailers.

Additionally essential to notice, nonetheless, is that extra WBC rivals are creating freeze-distilled dairy and plant milk blends. Coconut and oat milk are two standard choices to pair with cow’s milk, rising fats content material or enhancing mouthfeel. 

In the end, this underscores the evolution of milk pairings in specialty espresso. More and more, dairy or plant milks alone don’t make the lower in competitors settings.

So what does this imply for specialty espresso?

With knowledge indicating a resurgence in international dairy consumption, espresso retailers could must rethink their milk choices. These which discovered success positioning plant milks, particularly oat, because the go-to choice might danger alienating prospects who’re rising their dairy consumption.

Concurrently, the shift away from ultra-processed meals means espresso retailers may need to focus extra intently on the standard of each their dairy and plant milk choices.

“As extra folks look into the components of what they’re ingesting, they begin asking extra questions: The place is it from? What’s in it? How was it processed?” Maria says. “Cow’s milk that’s easy, additive-free, and made for high quality somewhat than shelf life is immediately extra interesting once more.”

To capitalise on this rising pattern, extra espresso retailers have switched to higher-quality suppliers, highlighting the origin and high quality of their dairy merchandise. Single-farm milks and grass-fed dairy have turn out to be extra widespread, as manufacturers like The Property Dairy and Brades within the UK, for example, more and more deal with espresso retailers as their most important B2B shopper base.

Nevertheless, the environmental and moral issues that originally drove the surge in plant milk consumption nonetheless stay related. Analysis from the Vegan Society exhibits that over 25 million folks tried following a vegan food plan globally in January 2025 as they search to cut back consumption of animal-based merchandise for plenty of causes.

“Within the UK, oat drink continues to be the primary alternative by way of plant-based milk, making up 55% of shopper gross sales,” Toby tells me. “This factors to oat drink remaining dominant in espresso retailers, notably as customised and signature drink traits develop.

“Between 2024 and 2025, the variety of folks selecting oat drink of their espresso within the huge 4 UK espresso chains elevated from 14% to fifteen%,” he provides. “In specialty espresso, oat drink utilization is even larger, with plenty of our key companions sharing that 40% to 60% of their coffees are actually made with oat drink.”

Somewhat than a reversal of plant milk adoption, the present pattern suggests a rebalancing of choices that acknowledges the strengths of each high-quality dairy and plant-based choices.

“It’s not about dairy versus plant-based anymore; it’s about selecting high quality and transparency. Specialty espresso deserves higher than a one-size-fits-all strategy,” Maria says. “Whether or not folks select dairy or plant-based, the objective ought to all the time be to boost the drink, not simply observe a pattern.”

The espresso retailers that efficiently navigate this transition will possible supply numerous, high-quality dairy and plant milk choices that cater to different shopper preferences.

Specialty espresso’s relationship with plant milks is clearly evolving as shopper consciousness and preferences shift. Whereas plant-based choices have a longtime presence in espresso tradition, rising well being issues and debates over meals processing have created alternatives for dairy to reclaim market share. 

Nevertheless, the way forward for milk in espresso retailers received’t be outlined by the dominance of a single choice however somewhat the coexistence of premium choices throughout a number of classes. In flip, shoppers could make extra knowledgeable selections based mostly on their priorities and preferences.

Loved this? Then learn our article on why espresso retailers must focus extra on milk high quality.

Picture credit: MILBOK, Sugi Ye, Marek Stratil

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