Summer is here! Meet Starbucks EMEA’s new Crème Brulée inspired Cream Cold Foam and the Starbucks partners that developed it

Looking to elevate your next iced coffee order with a little je ne sais quoi? You’re in the right place. Putting a contemporary spin on a beloved ‘80s dessert, Starbucks EMEA is ringing in the warmer months this year with its new rich and velvety Crème Brulée inspired Cream Cold Foam. Add it to any of your favourite cold drinks for an extra smooth, creamy sip, or try it first on top of one of our three reimagined cold beverages:

• The Crème Brulée x Iced Brown Sugar Oat Shaken Espresso is a match made in coffee customisation heaven, marrying the two perfectly caramelised flavours in one Summery sip.
  
• Or, try the iconic Brown Sugar flavours in Frappuccino form, for an extra icy twist with the same creamy sensation.
  
• Completing the trio is the Crème Brulée x Cold Brew, which pairs Starbucks signature smooth cold brew with the same sweet creamy twist. There’s something for everyone!
  

Siân Mattison is the Beverage Category Manager at Starbucks EMEA, and says that this summer campaign feels different from previous years. “Usually we’d focus on one new element per Frappuccino, iced coffee, etc. But this year the Crème Brulée topping goes across three focus beverages – it pulls it all together. It feels more cohesive, special and offers our customers an element of customisation,” she explains. “At Starbucks we have so many options to tailor your beverage to suit you, and the new addition of the Crème Brulée Cream Cold Foam encapsulates that perfectly.”

Joining Starbucks 8 years ago, Siân has led the development of food and beverages in the UK, Italy and across EMEA. It’s her job to spot opportunities and trends in beverages and to capture customer’s imaginations in Starbucks drinks. “There’s a lot of research that goes into the job. We cater to a lot of different countries and customers in Europe ,Middle East and Africa so it’s a balancing act of appealing to the majority but keeping it interesting.”

Siân Mattison

The drink she’s most excited for customers to try? “Definitely the Crème Brulée x Brown Sugar Frappuccino. We’ve never done one without a whipped topped before, so it’s an entirely new take for us. I’m really excited to bring it to a new audience and to see how our customers take to it.”

As Beverage Product Developer at Starbucks EMEA, Estelle Buffet has a job many would dream of. “I get to eat and drink a lot as part of my job which is great!” she laughs. A Starbucks partner of two and a half years, Estelle creates beverages with a focus on Frappuccinos and Refreshas. Her earliest memory of Starbucks is when her Dad used to regularly take her back in the early ’00s.

Estelle Buffet

“After a lot of ideation, research and talking to customers, I’ll come up with a long list of ideas for beverages and then work with wider cross-functional teams to narrow these concepts down,” she explains. “Initially, the Crème Brulée came from the idea of incorporating the flavour of custard into a beverage. It doesn’t matter where you are, Crème Brulée is pretty iconic. Everyone knows what to expect with it – its flavour is simple but the experience of enjoying it is special, and we thought that would work so well on our Summer beverages.”

“The textural element of the Crème Brulée Cold Foam was really important,” Estelle continues. “While it’s rich, glossy and full of flavour, the texture is light, which balances it out really well. It marries so nicely with coffee and with three options to choose from, there really is something for everyone.”