Coffee at home: Nestlé and Starbucks launch non-dairy creamers in US

14 Jul 2020 --- Nestlé and Starbucks have unveiled a range of non-dairy creamers, the latest innovation to come out of their global coffee alliance which is focused on bringing consumers new ways to enjoy coffee at-home. The Starbucks Non-Dairy Creamers are crafted with a blend of almond milk and oat milk and create a rich and smooth texture with flavors inspired by customer-favorite handcrafted beverages.

The move comes amid growing consumer interest in plant-based creamers. This rapid growth in popularity has prompted Starbucks to expand its existing creamer portfolio to include non-dairy options.

Starbucks Non-Dairy Creamers are available in two flavors – Caramel and Hazelnut.

Starbucks Caramel Flavored Non-Dairy Creamer is inspired by the customer-favorite handcrafted beverage Caramel Macchiato and is made with sweet, buttery caramel and hints of vanilla flavor to pair perfectly with our coffee for an oh-so-delicious cup.

Starbucks Hazelnut Flavored Non-Dairy Creamer is inspired by the Hazelnut Latte found at Starbucks Cafes and is crafted with flavors of rich hazelnuts to pair with Nestlé coffee.

The Starbucks Creamer portfolio celebrates coffee in the finished cup, perfectly smooth and balanced, with a great taste and rich texture, notes Nestlé.

Starbucks Non-Dairy Creamers will be available in the refrigerated dairy aisle in grocery stores across the US beginning in August.

The launch of the non-dairy creamers range comes on the heels of Starbucks initial entry into the creamer category last July when Nestlé and Starbucks collaborated to release a range of refrigerated creamers – marking Starbucks’ first foray into the category. 

Before launch, the line had been in development for under a year and is the fourth product platform released since the companies formed a global coffee alliance in August 2018. 

“We’re seeing this launch as an opportunity to bring new users into the creamer category, such as people who frequent a Starbucks café but are currently using creams or milks to whiten their coffee in-home,” Daniel Jhung, President of Beverage, Nestlé USA told FoodIngredientsFirst at the time. “Additionally, we see this as an incremental opportunity to encourage consumers who frequent the coffee shop to also enjoy the Starbucks café flavors they know from the comforts of their home.”

Earlier in 2019, Nestlé also launched a range of 24 Starbucks products across various platforms, following its 2018 closure of a US$7.15 billion licensing deal to market Starbucks Consumer Packaged Goods and Foodservice products globally. 

The acquisition strengthened Nestlé’s coffee portfolio in the North American premium roast and ground and portioned coffee business. It also unlocked global expansion in grocery and foodservice for the Starbucks brand, utilizing the global reach of Nestlé.

By Gaynor Selby