Suggestions For Adding Vegan Bubble Tea To Your Menu

Over the last few years, demand for vegan options in the food and drink industry has skyrocketed. The global vegan food market hit $32 billion in 2023 and continues to grow rapidly. In 2022, around 21% of Gen Z were found to be vegan, which, considering Gen Z is a huge consumer of bubble tea, is huge news for the industry. With such a large chunk of one of bubble tea's core consumer age demographics being vegan, it becomes clear that bubble tea stores need to adapt to appeal to this growing new sector of demand. In this blog, we will run you through our suggestions for adding vegan bubble tea to your menu!

Vegan Milk Alternatives

Given the rapid rise of vegan diets, store owners may be worried about how much change will be required to adapt to these new consumer tastes. However, when it comes to bubble tea, very few ingredients actually contain meat or dairy, meaning this transition is actually super simple! The main ingredient that is not suitable for vegans is milk, present in classic milk teas. However, with the customisable nature of bubble tea, there are some easy alternatives that will not negatively alter the taste of your drinks. In fact, some consumers will even prefer the taste! The best vegan milk alternatives are as follows.

Vegan Sweeteners

There are some great vegan sweetener options available in today's market. Some of these are particularly good due to coming from a natural sugar source. This means you can tap into both the growing vegan market, as well as the sector of health-conscious consumers! Some great natural and vegan sweetener options include:

  • Agave Syrup
  • Honey
  • Coconut Sugar
  • Maple Syrup

Whilst traditional sweeteners like fructose and brown sugar are vegan-friendly as well, there is a significant crossover between the vegan consumer base and the health-conscious consumer base. These sweetener alternatives allow you to tap into the demand and needs of both!

Vegan Friendly Ingredients

Lastly, it is worth mentioning some of the best vegan-friendly bubble tea ingredients. A lot of boba ingredients, due to their texture and visual appearance, may seem to not be vegan-friendly. However, it is important that you and your customers know that these are completely vegan approved! Classic ingredients like tapioca, popping boba, fruit syrups. These items are suitable for vegan diets, and many of Taipec's offerings are even Vegan Society Approved! Common misconceptions, such as that popping boba contains gelatin (it does *not*), can put off vegan customers. By making sure your customers are well informed, you enable them to enjoy their boba experience to the maximum!

Conclusion

In conclusion, boba stores are fortunate because of the ease with which vegan options can be added to the menu! By making these few easy adjustments and additions, you cater to a growing consumer sector and ensure that your store continues to cater to a wide audience. These suggestions for adding vegan bubble tea to your menu will set you up perfectly to capture this growing demand over the coming years! Oh, and for those of you looking for Vegan Society Approved ingredients, as well as vegan ingredient alternatives like creamers, Taipec has you covered! Check out our range today.