Two people in an office, one holding a matcha drink carton, with green Oatly flags in the background and various objects on a desk.
The Oatly Embassy opened its doors at The Lavery, 4–5 Cromwell Place, South Kensington, London. which happens to put an oat drink company rather neatly in the middle of the city’s diplomatic quarter. it was a place for the people helping to shape what comes next in food, drink and culture to meet, talk and probably disagree about a few things. it formally opened on Thursday 22nd October 2026, then the public were invited on Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th October, from 10am to 5pm.

What for? Who for? Why?

A meeting place for the exchange of ideas, the Oatly Embassy celebrated the emergence of new tastes, trends and innovations from around the world, all gathered under one diplomatic roof. It provided the ideal setting for the launch of The Future of Taste Report 2026 and the celebration of the Look Book Vol. 4.

The Grand Opening!

On the opening day, more than 500 members of the media, creators, customers and industry leaders from across the globe joined us for a series of conversations, panels, tastings and cultural experiences. Discussions explored topics ranging from climate, fibre and fermentation to global flavours, community, the life cycle of trends, and the growing influence of algorithms on what we eat and drink.

Throughout the Embassy, diplomacy got an Oatly makeover. Guests drank their way through new Look Book Vol 4. recipes and took part in masterclasses in the Diplomats Café, took a guided audio tour of the Museum of Modern Oats, visited the Press Office and Ambassador’s Lounge, and most importantly, took pictures with our three Oatly Embassy Rolls-Royces. We rounded off the day with our Ambassador’s Party, complete with passport control, a creator banquet by Agüita and The Ministry of Mixed Drinks by Mr Lyan Studio.

Frame
A person stands at a podium in a room with an "Oatly Embassy" sign and green flags, addressing a seated audience.
A man in a suit holding a green drink stands in front of a vintage car with green flame decals, parked near a white building.

The Grand Opening Part II! 

Across Friday and Saturday we opened the doors to the general public. More than 2,000 people visited the Embassy for complimentary drinks, drink workshops and community programming with Checkmate, Black Girl Knit Club, Strangers in the City and Lost Property. Our limited-edition Oatly Passport also took the mission beyond the townhouse, unlocking complimentary oat-based drinks at 21 partner cafés across London.

Munya Chawawa, our first Diplomat of Taste

Travelling across London in an Oatorcade of Rolls-Royces our appointed diplomat of taste, UK comedian Munya Chawawa was on urgent official business delivering the Future of Taste Report to the Ambassador at the Embassy ready to be presented for the Grand Opening day. 

What’s in the Future of Taste Report 2026

In case you were wondering what Munya was actually delivering: the report is what hundreds of baristas, café owners, mixologists and drinks experts in 21 countries told us they’re pouring now, and what they think comes next. It boils down to four drink trends for 2026–2027 (predictions, also guesses).

The Pharmafication of Drinks. Cafés are starting to look like 18th-century pharmacies, and 40% of the experts named herbs and botanicals as key to the future of flavour.
Recipe to match: Sleepy Kiwi.

The Great Café Reconnection. 51% talked about belonging, community and connection. Hence the chess, the knitting and the strangers.
Recipe to match: Saffron & Orange Shaken Espresso.

The End of the Flat White? 82% mentioned drinks that were neither tea nor coffee, and ube came up twice as often as the flat white.
Recipe to match: Jujube matcha.

The Squishy Boom. 72% say mouthfeel is becoming as important as taste, so your next latte might be chewy.
Recipe to match: Pannoat cotta thai tea.

We also asked 2,000 Brits what they drink. 47% of young Brits now think a traditional cuppa is old-fashioned, 81% of under-30s order something other than tea when they go to a café (matcha first, chai second), and 72% would rather meet for coffee than go to the pub. Or, as Rowena Roos, our Head of Food and Drinks Experience, put it: ‘The beloved cuppa isn't going anywhere just yet, but it's definitely got some competition.’

What happens now?

Whilst the Oatly Embassy is now closed, it lives on in the amount of flags we have to find things to do with. We also have a massive giant papier-mâché dog from the Museum of Modern Oats made out of the new Look Book Vol 4 that we really don’t know what to do with, any ideas? Cannot confirm if house trained or not. 

Exhibit with a newspaper dog sculpture and a kiddie pool in front of a fireplace, with a green sign reading "The Oatly Embassy" above.
People in line at a passport control labeled "Oatly Embassy" with an employee behind a counter, and a man drinking a red beverage.

What other people wrote

FAQ (In case the answers weren’t obvious enough)

What was the Oatly Embassy?

A three-day immersive brand experience by Oatly at The Lavery, 4–5 Cromwell Place, South Kensington, London. It was inaugurated on 22nd October 2026 and open to the public on 23rd–24th October, to launch the Future of Taste Report 2026 and Look Book Vol. 4.

Can I still visit?

Sadly the Oatly Embassy is now closed. But you can still read about the trends in the Future of Taste Report 2026 or try making the drinks from the Look Book Vol. 4.

Will there be another one?

At this time we can neither confirm nor deny. We remain hopeful that bilateral relations with another edition will continue….

Can I still use my Oatly passport to get free oat-based beverages? 

The free oat-based beverage giveaway is now over and the passport is no longer valid. However, the Neighbourhood Guide is sill extremely useful to discover great cafés across London. The passport is also a perfect momento of ‘that time Oatly opened an Embassy in London and you were there’. Show it off to your friends or stick it on your fridge.  

A woman in a brown suit stands beside an inflatable pool with a carton inside, observed by a seated man. A blue painting hangs on the wall.
Oatly Passport

Handshake protocol at
The Oatly Embassy:

01 Stand immediately when the ambassador enters.  02 Make eye contact for approximately 1.8 seconds, then whisper: “That’s enough.”  03 Extend your hand halfway, then pause. This establishes that you are not desperate for the handshake.  04 When they take your hand, important: shake once. Not twice. Once. It’s a diplomatic handshake, not shaking a pack of Oatly.  05 Say: “Your Excellency. It’s an honour to finally put a face to the bilateral relationship.”  But don’t explain further.  06 Release their hand.  07 Do a tiny nod, as if you were trying to scroll your phone with your nose.  08 Handshake complete. Now walk away.  You are ready to enter the Oatly Embassy. Congratulations.

The Oatly Passport Neighbourhood Guide  
Complementary Drink T&Cs:

NOTE: for reference only, the giveaway is now over. 

  • Offer valid on eligible oat-based beverages only.
  • Offer valid from 22nd to 29th October 2026 inclusive.
  • Offer valid only at the 21 participating cafés featured in the physical Neighbourhood Guide as part of the Oatly Passport. Venues featured only in the online Google Maps guide are not included in this offer.
  • Offer valid only at the specific participating café locations listed in the Neighbourhood Guide. Where a participating café has multiple locations, the offer applies only at the address specified in the Guide.
  • A valid Oatly Passport must be presented when ordering to redeem the offer.
  • Each Oatly Passport can be used to claim one complimentary beverage at each participating café during the offer period. The offer can only be redeemed once per café.
  • Offer is subject to availability.
  • Participating cafés reserve the right to withdraw the offer where reasonably necessary. 
Green circular logo with a building illustration and text "The Oatly Embassy, Taste Beyond Borders."
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© 2026 THE OATLY EMBASSY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.