A coffee pop-up will be giving away drinks for free in the city centre this weekend. Alpro will be taking its barista roadshow to Exchange Square in the centre of Manchester, where passers-by can sample a range of plant-based drinks for free on Saturday and Sunday (September 28 and 29). The range will include a flat white and banoffee latte, both made with Alpro’s ‘barista’ oat milk, and a strawberry matcha latte with coconut milk from the range.
There will also be almond and soya drinks on offer too. READ MORE: Popular Greater Manchester Irish bar confirms exciting expansion plans According to research, Mancunians have humble tastes when it comes to coffee: our favourite remains instant coffee with milk or plant-based alternatives. But 75% of the 2,000 adults surveyed said they would be open to trying a new kind.
It also found that 5% of Mancunians prefer oat milk over dairy or plant-based alternatives. This year the city was ranked by LNER as one of the most vegan-friendly cities in the UK, seeing online searches for vegan restaurants increase by 84% between 2021 and 2023. Non-dairy milks have increased in popularity over recent years (Image: Getty) With the recent popularity of Knoops, Blank Street and Black Sheep Coffee in the city centre, there is clearly a strong local market emerging for specialty drinks.
And on a week where temperatures are set to climb into the 20s again after last week’s cold snap, demand for refreshment could be even higher among the shoppe.