Sir Paul McCartney Joins PETA’s Push to End Peet’s Coffee’s Vegan Milk Upcharge

For Immediate Release:
March 12, 2025

Contact:
Nicole Perreira 202-483-7382

For Peet’s sake! 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 against the coffee retailer with a little help from their friend, long-time PETA pal Sir Paul McCartney. The rock icon, veteran 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—including Starbucks and Dunkin’—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.

To coincide with McCartney’s outreach and launch of the campaign, PETA is kicking off a nationwide ad blitz on March 17 with a striking billboard directly outside Peet’s Oakland location—just down the road from their corporate headquarters in Emeryville. And PETA supporters are hitting the streets with protests outside Peet’s locations around the country. First up, 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.

“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.”

“Peet’s punitive price hike on vegan milks leaves a bad taste in the mouth of anyone who cares about animals or the environment,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA is calling on the public to join the push for Peet’s to brew up compassion and stop charging extra for kind and climate-friendly choices.”

Cows have friends, hold grudges against other cows, and mourn when a loved one dies or when they’re separated from each other. In addition to causing these animals immense suffering, the dairy industry is a major producer of the greenhouse gases fueling the climate catastrophe.

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.