Veganuary on the Menu: Bubble Tea With Nothing to Swap

For Veganuary, TeaJoy bubble tea goes on the menu with nothing to swap. Every TeaJoy can and kit is vegan as supplied. The fruit teas are made with water, so they are vegan from the first pour. The Classic Milk Tea café kit box says "just add milk / plant milk and ice", so a vegan milk tea is simply a plant milk you probably already stock for coffee. What is left is writing the menu so customers can see it.

Why it is easy

Veganuary, the charity campaign that asks people to try vegan in January, sends a lot of customers looking for the plant-based options on a menu. Drinks are where cafés often trip up: a milkshake made with dairy ice cream, a syrup with an animal-derived colouring, a topping with gelatine in it. With TeaJoy there is nothing to check off or replace. That covers the popping boba, the instant tapioca pearls, the syrups and the tea powders.

• The boba has a shell made from xanthan gum, not gelatine.
• The instant tapioca pearls are made from tapioca starch and konjac.
• The tea powders contain no milk powder or creamer.
• The commercial kit boxes print "vegan & allergen free".

Our guide to vegan, gluten free and halal bubble tea lists the full ingredients for every product.

Which drinks take water, and which take milk

TeaJoy café products for a Veganuary menu

Product	Made with	Vegan as served?
Fruit tea commercial kits: Mango & Passionfruit, Passionfruit & Strawberry, Strawberry & Mango	300ml water, 50ml syrup, popping boba, ice	Yes, always
Classic Milk Tea commercial kit	300ml Milk or plant milk, tea powder, instant tapioca, ice	Yes, when made with plant milk
Bubble tea cans: Passionfruit & Strawberry, Peach & Mango	Nothing added: chill and serve	Yes, printed on the can

One tip from the kitchen: keep milk away from the fruit teas. The fruit syrups contain citric acid, which can curdle dairy milk. Why fruit bubble tea can curdle milk explains why. The fruit teas are designed for water anyway.

Choosing a plant milk for the milk tea

The milk tea is the only drink where you choose the milk. Oat milk is the usual café choice because it is creamy and most cafés already have it for lattes, but soya, almond, coconut and pea milk all work. Each changes the taste and texture a little. Plant milk for bubble tea compares them. Whichever you choose, make it the default for January rather than an option customers have to ask for. That way a vegan customer does not have to check, and nobody else will notice the difference.

What to write on the menu

Customers in January scan for one word, so make sure "vegan" is next to the drink rather than in a footnote. Lines you can copy:

• Fruit bubble tea (VE). Passionfruit tea with strawberry popping boba, made with water. Vegan as standard.
• Classic milk tea (VE). Black milk tea with chewy tapioca pearls, made with oat milk. Vegan in January.
• Bubble tea cans (VE). Peach & Mango or Passionfruit & Strawberry with popping boba, ready to go. Vegan, gluten free and halal.
• For the board: "All our bubble teas are vegan this Veganuary. Nothing swapped, nothing missing."

If you change the milk tea back to dairy milk in February, update the menu at the same time. Our guide on how to describe bubble tea on your menu has more lines for the rest of the year.

A note for staff

Vegan customers often ask what is in a drink before ordering. Brief the team on three answers: the boba has no gelatine, the fruit teas are made with water, and the milk tea is made with plant milk. If a customer asks about allergens, point them to the ingredient list for each product on Our Bubble Teas, and follow your usual allergen procedures for anything else you serve alongside it.

Questions café owners ask

Is all TeaJoy bubble tea vegan?

Yes. Every can and kit is vegan as supplied. A milk tea stays vegan when it is made with a plant milk.

Is there gelatine in the popping boba?

No. The popping boba shell is made from xanthan gum, and gelatine is not in the ingredient list of any TeaJoy boba.

Can I use plant milk with the fruit teas?

We would not. The fruit teas are made with water, and the acid in the syrups can curdle milk.

How do I order for January?

Through our wholesale page, which has free samples, free delivery and a £200 minimum order, or through Bidfood, Delicious Ideas Food Group, Savona Foodservice, Hunt's Food Group or Epicurium.

Get your Veganuary menu ready

Pick your flavours from our commercial kits and cans, or request free samples on our wholesale page to taste them with your team before January.