Tag: Matcha

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The matcha boom outpaces Japan’s tea farms: Meiji drops its Super Cup Matcha ice cream

Global demand for matcha is growing faster than Japan’s tea farms can keep up. According to figures cited by Seoul Economic Daily from Japanese media, Japan’s matcha exports reached ¥72.1 billion in 2025, double the previous year, and in the first five months of 2026 they had already exceeded the same period last year.

Meanwhile, the main tea-growing area has shrunk to about 25,400 hectares, and some projections point to a decline of more than 80% by 2050. Around 40% of fields have bushes older than 30 years, and a new planting takes 3-4 years to reach its first harvest. Farmers are ageing and hesitate to invest, unsure how long the boom will last.

One visible effect: Meiji stopped selling its Essel Super Cup Matcha ice cream in August, on the market since 2002, because it could no longer secure enough raw material. Some producers are still investing: exporter Hamadasaen has opened a plant with a capacity of 200 tonnes a year.

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Source: Seoul Economic Daily

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Korean Matcha from Hadong Breaks into Latin America and Tops $1 Million in Exports

The Hadong region of South Korea, known for its green tea growing tradition, has reached a symbolic milestone: cumulative exports of matcha raw material and products have passed one million dollars, according to the Korean institute IPET, which funded the programme together with the Ministry of Agriculture.

The key to this success is a dual variable shading technology. Shading the plants before harvest, normally used only for the first harvest, was extended to the second and third harvests, whose leaves had previously been of little value. As a result, farmers have gained quality raw material for matcha and a new source of income.

The main market is Mexico. Hadong’s exports to Latin America rose from 3.12 tonnes in 2022 to 16.7 tonnes in 2025, and their value from $51,000 to $347,000. The products were adapted to Mexican labelling rules, and an agreement with a distributor in Paraguay opens the way to other countries in the region.

Source: Seoul Economic Daily

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Brim, a Coffee Brand From 1961, Returns as Coffee and Matcha Gummies

Brim, an American coffee brand with more than six decades of history, is relaunching in an unusual form. Brim Coffee Holdings is preparing to launch Brim Coffee & Matcha Gummies on 1 November, to be sold on Amazon and on the brand’s website.

The brand was introduced in 1961 by General Foods, and many American consumers remember the slogan “Fill it to the Rim with Brim”. In 2018, Brim returned as a line of coffee-brewing equipment. Now the relaunch is led by founder Mark Thomann, and the old slogan is being replaced by “Coffee Without the Cup”.

The news fits a visible trend in the industry: turning coffee and matcha into functional formats that are easy to consume on the go. Gummies, capsules and ready-to-drink beverages increasingly aim to win over consumers who have no time for a classic brewing ritual.

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Source: Daily Coffee News

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Costa Coffee Returns to Profit, Driven by Matcha and Iced Drinks

Costa Coffee, the UK chain owned by The Coca-Cola Company, is back in profit. According to its latest accounts, the company reported an operating profit of around £20 million for 2025, after a £13.5 million loss the previous year, while revenue grew about 5% to roughly £1.3 billion.

Interestingly, the recovery is not mainly down to classic coffee: Costa credits the growth to sales of matcha, iced drinks and fresh pastries, especially among younger customers. The chain says it has the highest matcha sales among UK coffee shops and its best growth in visits in a decade. Refurbishments also played a role: 1,200 of its 1,700 company-owned cafés have been remodelled.

The results come after Coca-Cola dropped its plan to sell the chain in January. Costa has more than 4,000 cafés worldwide and plans around 50 more openings in the UK.

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Source: Comunicaffe

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PerfectTed Launches Instant Matcha Latte, Ready in 30 Seconds

PerfectTed, the British matcha brand founded in 2021, launched a range of instant matcha latte powders on 29 September in two flavours: Original and Vanilla. The products combine ceremonial-grade matcha with oat milk and are made with water alone, hot or cold, without a bamboo whisk or any other tools.

The technical challenge was solubility: matcha powder does not naturally dissolve in water, so the recipe was reformulated to blend evenly with a simple stir. Each box contains six individual sachets and costs £3.85 at Sainsbury’s in the UK.

The launch comes amid growing demand for matcha in convenient formats. According to co-founder Marisa Poster, the new products are a direct response to that demand. PerfectTed, known as one of the most successful investments in Dragons’ Den history, is sold in more than 35,000 stores across over 50 countries.

Source: Retail Times

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The Matcha Yaad lands a Holland & Barrett listing with four matcha products

The Matcha Yaad, an independent business from Birmingham, has secured a listing with UK health and wellness retailer Holland & Barrett. Four products are heading to the shelves: Gokou Matcha, Chocolate Matcha, Strawberry Matcha and Peach Matcha.

According to the company, the products are sugar-free, gluten-free, additive-free and vegan, and free from all 14 major allergens. Founder Monique “Mo” Farquharson spent two years in Japan training under a tea master and was the first recipient of Aston University’s Enterprise Scholarship.

The brand began as Jamaica’s first dedicated matcha brand before expanding to the UK. Farquharson described the listing as recognition from one of the most trusted retailers in its field, and next steps include further grocery chains, farm shops and independent stores.

The story underlines sustained interest in matcha across European markets, where small producers are increasingly finding space in major chains.

Source: Tea & Coffee Trade Journal

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Black Sheep Coffee Brings Hojicha to Its Autumn Menu, Alongside a Pumpkin Spice Matcha Latte

Coffee chain Black Sheep Coffee, founded in the UK and operating more than 130 locations worldwide, has unveiled its autumn menu, and the headline addition is not coffee but tea: hojicha, Japan’s roasted green tea with a nutty, lightly smoky taste, joins the line-up for the first time.

Hojicha is offered as a plain latte, hot or iced, as a Vanilla Hojicha Latte and in a salted caramel and macadamia version. The same combinations are available on a matcha base, so customers pick their preferred tea as the foundation. Pumpkin season is marked by a Pumpkin Spice Matcha Latte, alongside the classic Pumpkin Spice Latte and a cold brew version with cold foam, while a masala chai rounds out the menu.

Co-founder Eirik Holth explained that the brand wanted to bring pumpkin flavours back while also offering something new, with hojicha feeling right for autumn. The launch is focused on the chain’s U.S. locations, where the menu has been available since September for a limited time.

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Source: Tea & Coffee Trade Journal

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Jenki opens a matcha bar in Soho and targets 11 London sites by the end of 2026

Jenki, the matcha brand founded in 2020 by Claudia and Otto Boyer, opened a new bar on September 3 at 100 Berwick Street in London’s Soho. The site was designed by KAI Interiors as a nod to Japan’s tea fields: wood flooring with curves mimicking planting rows, natural clay walls, timber, natural fibres and suspended fabric “sails” that echo the shading of tea bushes before harvest.

At the centre of the space is a station where first-harvest matcha, sourced directly from Japan, is whisked in full view. The bar also includes a retail area with matcha powder, preparation tools and a lifestyle collection.

The opening is part of an accelerated expansion plan: from its six existing sites (Selfridges, Spitalfields, Covent Garden, Borough Market, Canary Wharf and Battersea Power Station), Jenki wants to reach 11 in London by year-end, with Liverpool Street, St Paul’s, Fitzrovia and Marylebone on the list, and from 2027 it is looking at other UK cities. The company says this would make it Europe’s largest dedicated matcha bar operator.

Source: The Grocer

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Pukka enters the premium matcha market with three new products

British tea brand Pukka is entering the loose-powder matcha segment with three new products: Ceremonial Matcha, Matcha Vanilla Chai and Matcha Tulsi Lemon.

All three are built on organic ceremonial-grade matcha and contain no added sugar. The Vanilla Chai version combines matcha with vanilla, cinnamon and ginger, while Tulsi Lemon adds holy basil, lemon essential oil and powdered spearmint, rosemary and lemon myrtle leaf.

The company says it is the only matcha range in British grocery retail certified both Organic and Fair for Life. The flavoured versions are already available through Amazon, Holland & Barrett, Ocado and a range of health food stores, with the full line-up rolling out further from October 2026.

The launch targets one of the fastest-moving segments in green tea, driven by consumer demand for wellness-oriented drinks. See what Mister Tabaco has in stock.

Source: Tea & Coffee Trade Journal

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Record tea harvest in Japan: Shizuoka retakes the lead and the Uji market hits an all-time high

Figures released by Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture show a marked increase in first-flush tea production in 2026. Shizuoka Prefecture has retaken the top spot with 10,700 tonnes of crude tea, up 32% year on year, while Kagoshima, the 2025 leader, rose 14% to 9,610 tonnes. Together with Mie, Kyoto and Saitama, output from the main prefectures reached 24,100 tonnes, a 21% gain, even though the harvested area edged down to 22,000 hectares.

Kyoto’s Uji market recorded transactions worth 12.94 billion yen between 24 April and 31 July, beating the previous record of 9.63 billion. Tencha volume — the leaf ground into matcha — hit 595 tonnes, the highest since the market opened in 1974, and the average price of machine-harvested tencha climbed to 17,250 yen per kilogram.

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Source: Global Japanese Tea Association