'We tried pumpkin spice lattes from Greggs and Starbucks - one stole the show'

07 September 2023 , 07:04

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I tried Pumpkin Spice Latte for the first time (Image: Daily Mirror)

Don't let the current heatwave fool you, autumn is right around the corner, which also means the long-awaited return of the Pumpkin Spice Latte. Starbucks officially brought back the seasonal favourite to its menu today, September 7, even though some keen shoppers have been able to get their hands on it early.

If you've never tried one before, the Pumpkin Spice Latte (or PSL for short) is made with espresso roast, pumpkin spice flavoured sauce and steamed milk, topped with whipped cream and pumpkin pie spices. You can also swap out the milk for a milk alternative of your choice and opt for vegan cream.

Who will be crowned the winner of the taste test? (Daily Mirror)

Not to be left in the dust, Greggs has released its own version of the much sought-after beverage. Their version is made up of ground coffee, pumpkin spice flavour syrup, steamed milk and finished off with a whipping of cream and a sprinkle of spiced sugar. If you're not a fan of cow's milk you can choose soy milk instead but there is no cream alternative. Determined to find out who should be crowned the winner, I tried a PSL from both chains for the first time ever to see what I thought. I roped in fellow reporter Ariane Sohrabi-Shiraz to help and we took into consideration taste as well as cost to determine the winner.

A word of warning: I don't drink coffee. While I grew up in a coffee-loving household, I had my first cup of Joe last year… and it was a mocha. Needless to say, I was nervous heading into this taste test. That being said, there was also a level of excitement, as I knew how popular the Starbucks version has become since the chain introduced the latte some 20 years ago. Putting the cup to my lips, I was going in with high expectations. With two pumps of espresso in the tall drink, I was anxious about the taste as well as what it would do to my energy levels.

While the cream had pretty much melted into the beverage when I went to pick it up, ruining the aesthetics, it didn't take away from the flavour. Even I could admit it was delicious. While at first there was an overwhelming coffee taste, this gave it depth of flavour, and the sugary sweet pumpkin spice syrup helped to balance it out.

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The latte was addictive, so I had to stop myself at the halfway mark, otherwise, I'd be tearing through the office. While I don't want to suddenly become a coffee drinker, this would be a great option if I one day was in desperate need of a caffeine hit. While it's a bit pricey (£4.70 for a tall, £5.10 for a grande and £5.25 for a venti), as a fun seasonal drink, I think it's completely worth it.

I had to go without the cream at Greggs (left) (Daily Mirror)

Unfortunately, Greggs didn't fare so well in the taste test. We had a bit of an issue in the beginning where the drink tasted incredibly watery and there was absolutely no pumpkin spice flavour apart from the powder on top. I had Ariane try my drink after me and we determined that they'd completely forgotten to put the syrup in. So, we went down to ask for a new one - we wanted this taste test to be fair after all! The second coffee was slightly better but still had that watery flavour. Unfortunately, the coffee and the syrup didn't seem to work cohesively. While it was the cheaper option at £2.40 for a regular or £2.85 for a large, I wouldn't say it's worth it.

"The Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte is always going to be the winner for me. It tastes like autumn in a cup, and has the perfect balance between sweet and spice, with a slight punch of espresso. I look forward to it every year, and was genuinely excited that Greggs brought out a version which is a bit kinder to the wallet," Ariane added.

"I actually don't mind Greggs coffee in general, but the syrup itself is way too sweet for my liking, and has tastes too heavily of nutmeg, and not enough of pumpkin or cinnamon. I treat myself to a PSL on rare occasions, so even with the price difference, I feel like it's worth it from a taste perspective to splash out on Starbucks' version."

Billie Schwab Dunn