FOOD NEWS
Why Did Starbucks Choose Partanna Olive Oil For The Oleato?
By Lorien Crow
Starbucks made headlines when select locations in Seattle, Los Angeles, and New York began offering a brand-new brew: Oleato, coffee infused with olive oil.
The announcement elicited mixed reactions, with some customers eager to try the new blend and others less than enthusiastic, wondering how such a combination came about.
In a 2023 press release, former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said he drew inspiration in Milan, Italy, where locals often add a spoonful of olive oil to their morning coffee.
He brought his ideas to the Starbucks beverage development team, who set out to find the perfect olive oil to replicate the taste and found it in Partanna olive oil.
Partanna, named after the town in Sicily, is an artisan olive oil producer growing highly praised Nocellara del Belice olives, coveted for their "vibrant and buttery flavor."
The olives are hand-picked by fourth-generation Asaro family members, cold-pressed within hours of being plucked, and harvested into blends created exclusively for Starbucks.
Starbucks beverage developer Amy Dilger praised the way Partanna's "buttery smooth richness combines so well with our coffee."
Starbucks plans to offer several hot and cold options in the Oleato line, including an Iced Cortado with oat milk and orange bitters, a caffe latte, and a golden foam cold brew.