Alpro plant based coffee
Alpro research has found that consumers want more plant based coffee. Credit: Alpro PR

New research by Alpro For Professionals, the barista range from Belgian plant-based food and drink manufacturer Alpro, has found that nearly half of coffee drinkers now drink plant-based options when they are not at home.

Belgium-headquartered Alpro, which has been creating the milk alternatives for nearly 40 years, found 48% of coffee drinkers now drink coffee with plant-based milk when they are on the go.

It is predicted that 21 million plant-based coffees are being served in the UK every week, with three million people in the UK opting for plant-based alternatives.

Non-dairy alternatives are increasingly popular, with three out of ten coffee drinkers now choosing a plant-based coffee shop at least once a week, while one in 14 people said they choose plant-based coffees every day.

Research from the survey found that 44% of all coffee drinkers in the survey would ‘definitely’ or ‘probably’ drink more plant-based coffee in 2019.

Alpro UK & Ireland head of coffee marketing Abbie Hickman said: “Our new research shows there is a massive opportunity for coffee outlets of all shapes and sizes to make sure they are making the most of plant-based during the year to come.

“No longer a niche offering, plant-based has now firmly hit the mainstream as a choice for an ever increasing number of coffee drinkers, irrespective of their dietary persuasion.”

“To make the most of this opportunity, baristas and coffee shop owners should add a broad choice of plant-based options to their menu.

“And the good news is that Alpro can make it incredibly easy to either get started, or add to your repertoire. Each of our Alpro For Professionals products has been specifically developed to work with coffee in terms of both taste and performance, so whatever your plant-based ambitions, you can rest assured that you can create delicious plant-based coffee without compromise.”

Almost half of the coffee drinkers want plant-based alternatives in their favourite coffee shops, with 25% of them going back to the same business if it has a variety of plant-based alternatives.