Starbucks Blonde Espresso Roast Launches in stores around Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA)

3^rd January 2019: Today, Starbucks announces the launch of its Blonde Espresso Roast to over 3,000 stores throughout EMEA, bringing customers an entirely new way to experience coffee.  By introducing a Blonde Espresso Roast to its permanent menu, alongside its Signature dark Espresso Roast, customers will now be able to tailor the foundation of any handcrafted espresso-based drinks from a Flat White, Vanilla Latte or any iced espresso drink.

Created by Starbucks master blenders and roasters – with more than 45 years of roasting experience – the new Blonde Espresso Roast has a smooth body that’s balanced with citrusy notes. An entirely new take on what espresso-based drinks can taste like, it is perfect for those looking for something a little smoother, with no compromise on flavour.

The unique Blonde blend brings together beans from Latin America and East Africa, roasted to the peak of their flavour. The Latin American coffees lend a round, smooth body, while the East African coffees bring out flavours of lemon, orange and caramel.

Reuben Arnold, Vice President, Product & Marketing, Starbucks EMEA, said: “Since 2017, our stores in the US and Canada introduced Blonde Espresso Roast for the first time and the feedback has been overwhelming so we’re really excited to now be able to offer that to our customers in our 3,000 stores in EMEA too. Customers can now choose from the new Blonde Espresso Roast for a mellow but mighty taste, or the Signature Espresso Roast for a bold and rich flavour. It’s a great way to invite new espresso drinkers to try our coffee, while also offering our coffee experts new options.”

The new Starbucks Blonde Roast is available from 3^rd January 2019, for no additional charge.

Editor's note

Starbucks drinks are served as standard with semi-skimmed milk*.

*All Flat White drinks are served with whole milk as standard.

Starbucks is proud to have reached the milestone of 99% certified ethically sourced coffee through its Coffee and Farmer Equity (C.A.F.E) Practices, developed with Conservation International. C.A.F.E. Practices is a set of sustainability standards, which are designed to help farmers grow coffee in a way that’s better for both people and the planet. Over one million coffee farmers on four continents have benefitted from the programme. Starbucks is also a founding member of the Sustainable Coffee Challenge with Conservation International, with an ambition to make coffee the first sustainable agricultural commodity in the world.