Starbucks, the world’s largest coffee chain, have launched their first olive oil infused coffee range, named Oleato, in Italy.
The range includes a latte with olive oil steamed oat milk, ice shaken espresso, and a cold brew coffee in which “a silky infusion of Partanna extra virgin oil with vanilla sweet cream foam… slowly cascades through the beverage”.
The Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Milan will sell their own range of Oleato drinks. This includes an iced Cortado, a deconstructed coffee described as “an ode to the Italian tradition of combining olive oil with a squeeze of lemon” and an espresso martini.
They plan to bring the drinks to southern California in the spring with the UK, the Middle East and Japan set to follow later this year.
The chain currently has around 20 shops in the country, along with the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Milan. Many Western chains struggle to break into the market in Italy, which is famous for its independent and frequently family run cafes and businesses.
Some Italians called for a boycott when the plans were announced for the opening of the first Starbucks in the country in 2018, and when Domino’s Pizza left Italy last year, the news was celebrated by some on social media.
Starbucks had first launched there in 2015 but had struggled to gain a foothold in the country that is heralded as the birthplace of pizza, especially as local restaurants began to sign up to platforms such as Deliveroo and Just Eat.
Chief Executive of Starbucks Howard Schultz said on the company’s website:
“I was absolutely stunned at the unique flavor and texture created when the Partanna extra virgin olive oil was infused into Starbucks coffee. In both hot and cold coffee beverages, what it produced was an unexpected, velvety, buttery flavor that enhanced the coffee and lingers beautifully on the palate.”
Mr Schultz went on to say, “Now, there’s going to be people who say, olive oil in coffee? But the proof is in the cup. […] In over 40 years, I can’t remember a moment in time where I’ve been more excited, more enthused.”
Hopefully, we get to try this for ourselves soon.
Words by Jess Boot-Cowie
Support The Indiependent
We’re trying to raise £200 a month to help cover our operational costs. This includes our ‘Writer of the Month’ awards, where we recognise the amazing work produced by our contributor team. If you’ve enjoyed reading our site, we’d really appreciate it if you could donate to The Indiependent. Whether you can give £1 or £10, you’d be making a huge difference to our small team.