When I opt for a milky coffee, soy is my weapon of choice.
My mum remembers the days when cafes never even had soy milk, so she brought her own. For me, I remember when Bonsoy was a scarce café commodity. But gone are those days.
Generally speaking now, you can’t walk into a coffee shop without seeing alternative milk cartons placed right in our field of vision. Yellow Bonsoys, pink Happy Soy Boys, of course the Minor Figures mascot carton and all of the MilkLab. Boy are we spoiled for choice.
But as the story goes, if you want any milk that’s not ‘regular milk’, it’s going to cost you. Literally. And sometimes it’s going to cost you anywhere from 60 cents to $1. To me, that’s a double edged sword.
There could be a range of factors as to why one opts for alternative milk options. It could be a dietary requirement, a lifestyle choice, or even something as simple as a taste preference.
Whatever the reason is, it’s more than obvious that many of us are opting for ‘alternative’ milk options in our coffee – more than ever before. So much so that it has to make you wonder: should these ‘alternative’ milk choices even be considered ‘alternatives’ anymore?
Do we really need to continue to price discriminate against those who don’t choose to drink regular milk?
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Don’t get me wrong, I am forever grateful for the amazing cafés that exist today and hanging out in coffee shops is one of my favourite ways to pass the time. But when it comes to milk surcharges, I can’t help but wonder, have these prices gone too far? Will we ever not be charged for ‘alternative’ milk?
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