Dubai: What would you make of a major coffee chain announcing that it would rope in a camel - and mind you, one that is organically reared - from April 1, so you can milk it yourself for the freshest possible splash of white in your coffee? Well, we don’t want to spoil the party, but all we can say is that the breaking news by COSTA has raised eyebrows.
Making the announcement in all seriousness in a press release on Wednesday, COSTA said the camel on site its Jumeirah Beach drive-thru on April 1 will allow customers to milk it for their latte, cappuccino or flat white orders.
The release said once the customers decide on the camel milk option, they will be directed to the camel milking station and given a quick demo on the best way to milk the animal and how much they will need to collect for their choice of drink. “Those wanting to milk their own for their coffee must be quick though as a camel can typically produce only five to six litres of milk a day,” it warned.
The release listed the benefits of camel milk and quoted Gihan Weerasinghe, head of COSTA’s Barista Academy, as saying the launch of the camel in-store was “the next frontier in our commitment to freshness”; Neil McFadden, senior product development manager, described it as an “awesome handcrafted coffee experience”.
The release said, “The COSTA camel will be in store from April 1 with plans for a permanent roll out to be decided following customer feedback and sales. There will be no price difference to order camel milk or for the milking experience instead of existing milk options in-store at COSTA.”
Now, it’s entirely up to you to get carried away or read between the lines - like a discerning few have.
