About Starbucks

Starbucks did more than any brand to globalise cafe culture. It opened in 1971 in Seattle's Pike Place Market as a single shop selling roasted beans, and grew under Howard Schultz into the company that exported the Italian espresso bar to high streets worldwide, normalising the latte and the takeaway cup. The original Pike Place store still trades, and the bold, dark, slightly roasty house style has barely shifted in half a century, which is why the at-home range can credibly promise the same cup.

The at-home line covers the cafe formats people order by reflex, caramel macchiato, latte, cappuccino and the flavoured sachets, plus straight roast and ground. Through C.A.F.E. Practices, developed with Conservation International, Starbucks verifies the large majority of its coffee as ethically sourced, one of the bigger producer-facing programmes in the industry, and the at-home range reaches shelves via a global licensing alliance with Nestle. For our shelf Starbucks is the brand for the customer who specifically wants that bold, dark, internationally familiar cup at home. The profile tracks the stores closely rather than approximating them, the flavoured sachets are pitched squarely at the people who order them out, and the strength sits a notch above the gentler high-street rivals. Bold and unmistakable rather than delicate is the whole identity, and its drinkers would not want it any other way.

Key facts

• Founded Seattle 1971 Coffee-bean roaster founded in Seattle that became the global cafe chain shaping modern coffee culture.
• Cafe-Style At-Home Sachets Premium latte sachets bring the cafe-style indulgent cup home at a fraction of cafe pricing.
• Recognised Flavour Profiles Cinnamon Dolce, Vanilla, Toffee Nut and White Mocha replicate the recognised cafe-counter cups.
• C.A.F.E. Practices Coffee Coffee And Farmer Equity (C.A.F.E.) Practices programme for sustainable coffee sourcing.

The founders

Brand timeline

1. 1971 Starbucks founded in Seattle

   Starbucks is founded in Seattle as a coffee-bean roaster, expanding from a single Seattle store into the global cafe chain that defined modern coffee culture across more than 80 countries.

2. 2006 Tazo + at-home expansion

   Starbucks expands into at-home product retail with Tazo tea (later spun off) and the at-home coffee-sachet range bringing barista-style drinks into supermarket retail.

3. 2018 Premium latte sachet range

   The at-home premium latte sachet range expands with Vanilla, Cinnamon Dolce, Toffee Nut and White Mocha variants, designed to replicate the cafe-style indulgent flavoured-latte cups at home.

4. 2022 Recyclable packaging commitments

   Outer packaging transitioned to fully kerbside recyclable cardboard across the at-home sachet range with continued commitment to sustainable coffee sourcing.

5. Today Global cafe chain + at-home premium

   A global cafe chain with substantial at-home retail presence; the at-home sachet range positions Starbucks at the premium end of the cafe-replica category.

6. 2026 Stocked at Teas.co.uk

   Hand-picked into curator selection: Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce Latte, Toffee Nut Latte, Vanilla Latte, White Mocha at-home sachets.

Sustainability

Starbucks at-home sachet range sits within the broader Starbucks sustainability framework with the Coffee And Farmer Equity (C.A.F.E.) Practices programme for sustainable coffee sourcing across the supply chain. Outer cardboard packaging is fully kerbside recyclable and the brand maintains commitments to reducing packaging weight and increasing recycled content across the range.

• C.A.F.E. Practices Coffee Coffee sourcing through the Coffee And Farmer Equity Practices programme.
• Recyclable Cardboard Outer Outer cardboard carton fully kerbside recyclable across the UK.
• Cafe Replica At Home Bringing cafe-style cups home reduces the per-cup transport footprint compared to daily cafe visits.
• Foil Pouch Recycling Inner foil pouches recyclable through supermarket soft-plastic collection.