Starbucks launches OLIVE OIL coffee in Italy – and will bring it to UK and US later this year 

Starbucks has launched a new range of coffee in Italy that contains an unexpected ingredient – olive oil. 

The ‘Oleato’ range will add a spoonful of Patranna cold-pressed extra-virgin oil to Starbucks’s arabica coffee, and will come to the US, UK, Japan and the Middle East later this year. 

Starbucks say the result is a ‘velvety smooth, delicately sweet and lush coffee that uplifts each cup with an extraordinary new flavour and texture’. 

Coffees that will have the option of including olive oil are the latte, iced shaken espresso and the golden foam cold brew. 

In some shops, customers will be able to add a ‘press’ of olive oil – about a spoonful – to a drink of their choice. The beverage will then be infused with the oil or an infused golden foam can be added on top.

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The ‘Oleato’ range will add a spoonful of Patranna cold-pressed extra-virgin oil to Starbucks’ arabica coffee

Coffees that will have the option of including olive oil are the latte, iced shaken espresso and the golden foam cold brew

Howard Schultz, Starbucks’ interim executive officer, said the drinks were inspired by his trips to Italy and the experience of Italian coffee. 

He said: ‘During my first trip to Milan in 1983, I was captivated by the sense of community, connection, and passion for coffee I found in the city’s espresso bars. 

‘It was that trip that inspired me to bring the ritual of handcrafted espresso to Starbucks and to America. 

‘Oleato represents the next revolution in coffee that brings together an alchemy of nature’s finest ingredients – Starbucks arabica coffee beans and Partanna cold pressed extra virgin olive oil.

‘Today I feel just as inspired as I did 40 years ago, Oleato has opened our eyes to fresh new possibilities and a transformational way to enjoy our daily coffee.’ 

Starbucks has around 20 outlets in Italy and is currently trying to expand into the country to compete with its many family-owned and independent cafes. When it opened its first store in the country in 2018, the franchise was met with protests. 

They decided to use the Italian brand Partanna, which has farmed in Italy to produce the oil for over 100 years

In some shops, customers will be able to add a ‘press’ of olive oil – about a spoonful – to a drink of their choice

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CEO Howard Schultz (pictured in Milan) said the company had been inspired by traditions of Italian coffee-making

Starbucks has around 20 outlets in Italy and is currently trying to expand into the country

In 2018 they opened a lavish store in Milan in a former post office in the Piazza Cordusio square – launching the franchise into Italy for the first time.  

The company says the new drink is inspired by an Italian family tradition of adding a spoonful of extra virgin olive oil each day. 

They decided to use the Italian brand Partanna, which has farmed in Italy to produce the oil for over 100 years. 

Milan’s Starbucks has already debuted five beverages with the olive oil.  

‘When creating the beverages, we were inspired by the rich history and origin stories of coffee and olive oil – two of nature’s most transcendent ingredients,’ said Amy Dilger, principal beverage developer for Starbucks. 

‘Infusing Starbucks coffee with olive oil yielded a velvety smooth, rich texture, with the buttery, round flavors imparted by the olive oil perfectly pairing with the soft, chocolatey notes of the coffee.’

Olive oil is sometimes added to cocktails for an additional flavour and to create a unique texture. 

Adding extra fats, including olive oil, to coffee is a growing trend due to paleo and keto diets. 

The fats in the oil could have health benefits, including sustained energy throughout the day and healthier hair and skin.