For Peet’s Sake! Sir Paul to Peet’s: Drop Non-Dairy Milk Upcharge, Please
For Immediate Release:
March 12, 2025
Contact:
Nicole Perreira 202-483-7382
Because Peet’s Coffee is still milking conscientious consumers by charging at least 80 cents more for vegan milks, PETA today launched a nationwide campaign to have the coffee retailer stop the unfair upcharge with a little help from their friend, long-time PETA pal Sir Paul McCartney. The rock icon, longtime veggie, and animal liberation advocate has kicked off the campaign with a letter to Peet’s Coffee President and CEO Eric Lauterbach, pressing him to come together with the rapidly growing list of coffee chains that have stopped penalizing consumers for choosing dairy-free milks that are kind to cows, their calves, and the environment, something that Peet’s professes to care about.
McCartney will also star on a PETA billboard as part of a nationwide media blitz targeting Peet’s, which kicks off March 17 with an additional billboard directly outside Peet’s Oakland location—just down the road from their corporate headquarters in Emeryville.
“I must say this [vegan milk upcharge] surprised me as I understand that your company is committed to reducing methane emissions and water waste, yet cow’s milk significantly contributes to them,” writes McCartney. “I would like to politely request that you consider dropping the upcharge on plant milks, just as Starbucks and Dunkin’ have recently done.”
Cows have friends, hold grudges against other cows, and mourn when a loved one dies or when they’re separated from each other—especially their beloved calves who are taken away so that the milk from their mother’s teats that is meant for them can be sold. In addition to causing these animals immense suffering, the dairy industry is a major producer of the greenhouse gases fueling the climate catastrophe.
To coincide with McCartney’s outreach and launch the campaign, PETA supporters are hitting the streets with protests outside Peet’s locations around the country. PETA members will gather outside Peet’s flagship store in San Francisco—where yet another billboard is scheduled to go up in April—alongside a “dead” calf in a giant Peet’s Coffee cup, chanting and holding signs declaring, “Dairy Milk Kills Cows and The Planet. End the Upcharge!” PETA will also run full-page ads in local Emeryville newspapers.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness and free vegan starter kits for anyone thinking of making the switch. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
McCartney’s letter to Lauterbach follows.
3rd March 2025
Eric Lauterbach
President and CEO
Peet’s Coffee
Dear Mr. Lauterbach,
It recently came to my attention that Peet’s has an extra charge for plant-based milks as opposed to cow’s milk. I must say this surprised me as I understand that your company is committed to reducing methane emissions and water waste, yet cow’s milk significantly contributes to them. I would like to politely request that you consider dropping the upcharge on plant milks, just as Starbucks and Dunkin’ have recently done.
My friends at PETA are campaigning for this to happen and I have agreed to support them with the quote: “Sir Paul is asking Peet’s to end its Surcharge on plant milks,” and I sincerely hope that for the future of the planet and animal welfare you are able to implement this policy.
Many thanks.
All the Best,
Sir Paul McCartney
