Starbucks launches two new coffee drinks as demand for healthier beverages grows

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Starbucks is launching two new coffee-based drinks in the UK, as it strives to tap into consumers’ growing appetite for healthy beverages.

The Cold Brew Vanilla sweet cream and the Cappuccino Freddo, will both be available in stores throughout the UK from Thursday.

The former combines vanilla syrup and semi-skimmed milk with cold brew coffee – coffee that has been brewed by steeping beans in cold water for 20 hours or more. The latter is espresso topped with foam made from skimmed milk.

Starbucks said that both drinks are lower in calories than the average coffee drink it sells.

Separately, the chain said that its existing Nitro Cold Brew, which has 26 calories and is already available in some London stores, will be rolled out to a further 100 stores across the country over the summer, in response to robust demand.

“London is one of the most competitive coffee markets and so we’re delighted to bring this to our customers here first, with plans to bring it to more stores around the country this summer,” said Maria Sebastian, senior vice president for brand at Starbucks for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Last month, Starbucks reported a sharp fall in profits at its UK business for 2016, blaming the effect of the Brexit vote on consumer confidence and a drop in the number of people visiting the high street.

The world’s biggest coffee chain’s pre-tax profits in the UK slumped nearly 61 per cent from £34.2m to £13.4m in the year to 2 October 2016. Its turnover declined from £405.6m to £379.9m during the period.

Starbucks is not alone in facing the challenge of changing consumer behaviours and tastes, and swelling demand for healthier products.

Coca-Cola last week announced plans to cut about 20 per cent of it corporate workforce, as it battles a drop in sales due to falling demand for its sugary drinks.

Nestlé, the company behind KitKat and Aero, last year claimed that it had developed a way of reducing the sugar in its products by up to 40 per cent, without affecting taste.