Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte - does it beat Greggs?

I hate to admit it but it’s one of my favourite times of the year, so I’m more than happy to bid farewell to the sticky, humid weather.

With the changing of seasons comes autumnal décor (a lot of knitted pumpkins and leafy wreaths) and themed menus at the likes of Costa Coffee and Caffé Nero.

However, one of the most popular items that comes back year after year for coffee lovers like myself is Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte, as well as the Salted Maple & Caramel Latte and other spooky treats.

@emmateddyy Why do starbucks never announce these things haha? 🎃 #pslseason #psl #starbucksuk #newstarbucksdrink #solodateideas #solodateinspo #treatyourself #solodateseptember ♬ original sound - Emma | Travel & Lifestyle

How much sugar is in Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte?

The Daily Mail reported: “The most sugary creation is Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Coffee Frappuccino with 66.2g sugar - more than twice the daily recommended amount - while the Costa Gingerbread Latte and Cream contains the least with 14.4g sugar.”

As thrilled as I was to see it return, I soon remembered how pricey a PSL can be, so I had a look to see what other brands had brought out the sweet orange drink this year.

How does Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte compare to Greggs and Tesco’s café?

Have you tried the iced version of a Pumkpin Spice Latte? (Image: Newsquest)

The only pumpkin-flavoured beverages I could find near to where I live were from Starbucks, Greggs and Tesco’s café.

Aside from the amount of insane caffeine I was about to consume, I was embarrassingly excited when all three orders arrived on my doorstep from the likes of Uber Eats and Deliveroo, as I live a bit of a distance from the coffee shops.

I first tried the Maple Pumpkin Spiced Latte from Tesco’s café (£4.80 for one size on Uber Eats) as it was one of the last places I expected to have it and I was very satisfied, it had a good amount of pumpkin syrup with a little more sweetness from the maple flavour.

This is a drink I can get on board with as I struggle to enjoy a coffee without any syrup in it these days (thank goodness for sugar-free syrup).

Next up was the large PSL from Greggs (priced at £3.35 on Just Eat) which is a new recipe according to its website.

One PSL does look like porridge due to the cream melting (Image: Newsquest)

I was slightly disappointed with it as I didn’t think there was much flavour, although the latte itself is one of the best around and is something I often purchase.

But it’s Starbucks’ legendary creation of the PSL (£5.90 for a Grande on Uber Eats) which tops them all and left me craving for more.

As soon as I tasted it after the others there was just no comparison, as the pumpkin flavour was next level with equal amounts of sweetness and creaminess – although I never realised how orange the drink actually looks.

I was hoping this wouldn’t be the case as there is quite a price difference to Greggs and Tesco but after all, I suppose you get what you pay for.