The Global Tea Championship is designed to identify and reward the highest quality teas from around the globe. The competition features a wide range of categories, including:

Award Categories: Tea

Grand prize award for “Overall best tea”

Superior leaf award for “Best leaf appearance” in each tea type

• White
• Green
• Oolong
• Black
• Puerh

Superior liquor award for “Best cup character” in each tea type

• White
• Green
• Oolong
• Black
• Puerh

Premium award for “Best Tea” in each tea type

• White
• Green
•  Steamed
• Pan fired
• Oolong
• Long Oxidised
• Short Oxidised
• Black
•  Orthodox
• CTC
• Puerh
•  Sheng
• Shou

  Honourable mention award for the most Innovative tea

• Origin Awards
• Certificates for the best tea from each producing origin

Award Categories: Matcha

Grand prize award for “Overall best matcha”

Superior leaf award for “Best leaf appearance”

Superior liquor award  for “Best cup character”

Premium award for “Best matcha” in each tea type

• Ceremonial
• Culinary
• Honourable mention award for the most Innovative tea
• Origin awards
• Certificates for the best tea from each producing origin

Winning a Global Tea Championship award offers industry recognition and helps brands establish themselves as leaders in the competitive global tea market.

“As we open submissions for the 2025 World Tea Expo Global Tea Championship, we are reminded of the importance of recognising and celebrating the incredible diversity and quality within the global tea community,” said Tim McLucas, vice president of the hospitality group at Questex. “This competition not only honours excellence in tea production but also brings together a community of passionate professionals dedicated to advancing the tea industry. We look forward to discovering and celebrating the outstanding teas that will set the standard for quality and innovation in the coming year.”

Award winners will be announced at World Tea Expo which takes place March 24-26, 2025 in Las Vegas, NV.

For more information on submission guidelines, categories, and how to enter, click here.

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The Camellia sinensis plant, from which matcha originates, was first cultivated for use in tea in China in the 3rd century BCE, but it wasn’t until the 7th to 10th centuries that the practice of consuming the leaves in the form of matcha was first documented. Matcha, unlike the infusion process of its black and green tea sisters, is made by finely grinding the tea leaves into a powder that is mixed with hot water and consumed in its entirety. It is thought that a Japanese Buddhist monk brought matcha to Japan
sometime around the 12th century, where it was considered highly valuable and coveted and therefore necessitated a careful preparation method, and so its consumption and preparation developed into a spiritual practice by the 16th century, the whisking of powdered green tea into hot water a meditative ritual. Since matcha began as a rare and premium product, the ceremony of its preparation became
entrenched in its consumption. In modern day Japan, matcha tea ceremonies are still widely practiced, and while it is no longer reserved for the elite or ‘ruling class’, it is still deeply ritualistic with specific implements such as the bowl and bamboo whisk, and even particular whisking motions or patterns.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in Japan, the matcha latte has become extremely popular, commercialised
and readily available, and co-existing alongside its traditional consumption in the country.

Matcha Migrates West

Western countries have long since been discovering and adopting Japanese culture and cuisine, and matcha is no different, with it seeing a marked rise, particularly in the US. Future Market Insights (FMI) reports that the matcha market in 2023 was worth USD $2.7 billion and is expected to reach $7.1 billion by 2033 — a CAGR of 10.2 percent. FMI attributes this growth to the interest in its health benefits, use in skincare and culinary applications such as confectionery. The latter of which is driving
its popularity in the Indian market, according to Fact MR , while the health benefits are driving the market in the US.

Japanese tea company, Ippodo, was founded in 1717, “when the [matcha] tea ceremony had begun to be enjoyed by other elites like warrior families and high-class townsfolk,” said Tomoko Honda, head of global operations, Ippodo. In 2001,Ippodo began selling its matcha overseas as the number of international visitors to its Kyoto shop had begun to increase.

The growing interest in matcha was also noted by Germany-based tea supplier, Wollenhaupt, which had previously only been including matcha in its catalogue as a ‘marginal phenomenon’, said Marco Sinram, head of tea trading and sustainability, Wollenhaupt, but recognised that demand was developing ‘dynamically’, and therefore now offer three different types of matcha to its customers.

“Ten years ago, very few people had heard of matcha and now the market is absolutely exploding. So many new matcha brands have popped up in the last couple of years and you can find matcha on menus in more cafés and restaurants. The UK is now following in the steps of places like New York and Los Angeles with matcha bars popping up across the country,” said Katherine Swift, founder and CEO
of OMGTea, a UK-based specialist matcha green tea company.

One such place is Blank Street coffee chain, which began in Brooklyn, New York, in August 2020, and now has locations across New York; Boston, Massachusetts; Washington, DC; and in 2022 debuted in London. While Blank Street serves an array of café and coffee shop offerings, some of its most distinguishable and popular products are its matcha beverages.

When Blank Street launched in London in Summer 2022 ,matcha wasn’t a widely accessible drink. There were limited places to get matcha on the high street, but most of those places offered either expensive or low-quality matcha. We wanted to disrupt the market by launching exciting flavour combinations that made a niche category into one that is more fun and accessible for everyone,” explained Ignacio Llado, UK managing director at Blank Street. “In Spring of 2023 we launched our Blueberry Matcha, joining the classic Matcha Latte on our menu. This drink was the first of its kind in London, and […] immediately caused a huge buzz, with TikTok and word of mouth helping it to quickly climb to become a Blank Street best seller.”

Matcha’s vibrant green colour affords it a social-media-ready aesthetic for consumers, fuelling its popularity among influencers and the younger generation. Blank Street has recognised this in its marketing strategy, making use of clear cups and contrasting colours to bring its matcha drinks to life.

While many of the high-street iterations of matcha lattes and frappés may be heavy on sugar or cream, matcha itself is considered a remarkable health food, with this being another, perhaps the largest, draw to the product for consumers. “Matcha aligns well with overall wellness trends and appeals to those looking for more specific benefits such as a healthier alternative to coffee or energy drinks, detox,
increased antioxidant intake, weight management, etc,” said Swift.

A Healthy Shade of Green

The way in which the Camellia sinensis plant is grown in order to produce matcha, allows for the accumulation of catechins, (−)-epigallocatechin-3 -gallate (EGCG) in particular is most abundant in matcha. It is these catechins that provide high antioxidant properties and give matcha its reputation as a health drink. It has been found that “regular consumption of matcha may have a positive effect on both physical and mental health,” according to the report Health Benefits and Chemical Composition of Matcha and Green Tea: A Review by Joanna Kochman, Karolina Jakubczyk, Justyna Antoniewicz, Honorata Mruk, and Katarzyna Janda, published on PubMed Central.

It is the health benefits of these antioxidants found in matcha that encouraged Swift to establish OMGTea. She began researching its benefits after her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, then both she and her mother began routinely drinking matcha green tea. Five years later, Swift launched OMGTea, and a year after that she founded The Healthy Life Foundation, a charity that funds research into age-related diseases, including cancer.

Swift emphasised, however, that the quality of the matcha consumed is essential to reaping its health
benefits. While matcha is generally considered a premium product, there are more affordable blends
available; these are the kind often used as ingredients in confectionery or desserts where the matcha taste need not be so refined. Matcha can be tested for its quality by examining the colour and texture, as well as the taste. She explained that they quality check their matcha regularly using the ‘finger/stroke test’, whereby matcha powder is placed on a white piece of paper and, using a finger, is pulled across the page to observe its colour and texture alongside others. The brighter the green colour, the higher quality the matcha, also the particle size of high-grade matcha ought to be between five and ten microns, as fine as baby powder, said Swift.

This essential colour and texture gauge all comes from the farming process, which has specific methods to ensure these attributes. “For around three weeks before harvest, shades are put over the tea fields to block out the sunlight, which increases the amount of flavourful, umami-rich components in the tea leaves. After the leaves are harvested in the beginning of May, the leaves are steamed, cooled and dried, baked, and sorted. […] The leaves are then ground with stone mills to produce the fine powder called matcha,” explained Honda. Shading the tea leaves is a traditional characteristic of matcha production, and is a method invented centuries ago in Kyoto, Uji, Japan, and is now widespread, she noted.

It is the shading that boosts the leaves nutrient levels, causing an overproduction of chlorophyll, contributing to its bright green colour, added Swift. The stone mills are also what produce the silky, fine texture of quality matcha, whereas lower grades are cut and blended using steel, which, she noted, reduces the flavour and bio availability of the matcha’s nutrients.

The location where the matcha is grown is also crucial to its quality and flavour. There are specific areas that are known for their matcha production, such Uji, Japan, “one of the most renowned regions for matcha growing in the world,” said Llado, and it is around this area that Wollenhaupt, Blank Street and Ippodo source their matcha. The region of Kagoshima, Japan, is also particularly suited to matcha production, benefitting from its volcanic soil and climate, commented Swift, and is where OMGTea sources its products.

Sustaining Production

With such specific regions and fastidious productions techniques, are matcha’s producers prepared to meet the surging global demand from the product, not just domestically in Japan, but as far away as the US and UK? Sinram explained that, while Wollenhaupt believes that the highest and most authentic quality of matcha can be found only in Japan, it is possible to source it from other producing countries,
depending on the requirements of the customer.

Meanwhile, Swift noted that in the Kagoshima region, practices are being undertaken to increase production in order to meet demand, “Farmers in Kagoshima have been adopting advanced agricultural techniques to enhance matcha. These innovations help increase yield and improve the quality of the tea leaves. Some tea farms are converting or expanding their fields specifically for the cultivation of tencha, the raw material used to make matcha. Local government initiatives and support for the tea industry have also played a role in encouraging the growth of matcha production in the region.”

Honda added that as global climates change, areas that are suitable for production are shifting and will continue to shift. “Areas where tea can be grown will likely change or expand as well, whether inside or outside of Japan. We are not sure what the future will bring, but it is key to plan for and adapt to changes.”

This growth in demand has created a broad market for matcha with varying requirements and uses. Where it has historically and traditionally been an exceptionally premium and ceremony-bound product, it is now a commercialised and accessible product for many consumers, posing the question of how far it can be removed from its origins and cultural significance? “While it’s great that matcha is going more mainstream, we want to make sure that it still feels special and comes with the holistic experience that has been central to Blank Street since we first launched,” noted Llado.

So where perhaps the ceremonial aspect of matcha may no longer be a necessity, it still can add something to the experience of consumers, if they engage with it, encouraging more mindful consumption, said Swift.

Honda added that, while consumers may not know of its ceremonial or spiritual origins, “during the tea ceremony and in Japanese society in general, when drinking matcha it is considered important to feel gratitude for the person who made the matcha for you and for those who produced it. We think it would be wonderful if that sentiment grew alongside the increasing popularity of matcha worldwide.” Therefore, its marketing is crucial, to not only offer consumers a brightly coloured health drink, but also a moment of reflection on both the beverage and the process that went into every sip.

• Kathryn Brand is an associate editor with T&CTJ, while still writing for several of Bell’s
  other magazines. She joined Bell Publishing at the beginning of 2022 after graduating from
  the University of East Anglia with a degree in English Literature and Creative Writing.

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Blank Street has continued to build a strong base of customers since opening in the UK in 2022 with its innovative and delicious offerings such as the viral Blueberry Matcha and staples such as cold brew, the classic flat white.

Mancunians will be able to head to the new store to get their coffee (or matcha) fix, and they’ll also be able to try out the new summer menu which includes Blank Street’s most refreshing offerings yet. The new summer menu sees Blank Street move away from the classic milky base of their matcha lattes and experiment with new flavours and lighter textures. Providing a burst of juicy fruits combined with refreshing sparkling bases, the drinks are an instant hit of sunshine, regardless of Great Britain’s weather.

The new menu includes Mango Passionfruit Matcha, Watermelon Matcha Spritz and Yuzu Matcha Spritz. Remaining on Blank Street’s summer menu is the best selling white chocolate matcha, which saw the brand’s classic ceremonial matcha blend combined with white chocolate oat milk, and instantly became one of the brands most popular drinks.

“We’ve been met with such a warm reception in Manchester already and have been so excited to hear that Mancunians want more locations from us,” said Ignacio Llado, UK managing director at Blank Street. “We’re so proud to announce that our third store in the city will be at the iconic Trafford Centre, where we’re excited to hopefully be fueling shopping trips and hangouts with friends with our famous matchas and classic cold brew.”

Blank Street Trafford Centre is located at Cafe Outside 40 Regent Crescent, The Trafford Centre, Barton Dock Road, Trafford Park, Manchester, M17 8AR.

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Aiya Matcha is committed to providing quality Matcha products. Whether a culinary aficionado igniting creativity in the kitchen or a seeker of solace amid chaotic daily routines, Aiya Matcha’s Whole Foods Market lineup offers a product to suit every palate and purpose.

• Organic Ceremonial Grade Matcha: Aiya’s blend of spring harvest tea leaves, offering natural sweetness with earthy undertones for an authentic experience, says the company.
• Organic Culinary Grade Matcha: Boasting a robust tea flavour that shines through in every recipe, from beverages to baked goods.
• Matcha To Go: Crafted for on-the-go consumption of Ceremonial Matcha.
• Sweetened Matcha To Go: Antioxidant-rich Japanese Matcha and cane sugar, packaged for a latte at the consumer’s convenience.
• Sweetened Roasted Matcha To Go: Aiya’s newest product, delicately roasted to capture a rich aroma.

“Our nationwide launch into Whole Foods Market marks a significant milestone for Aiya Matcha as we continue our mission to make premium Matcha accessible to all,” said Fumi Sugita, president of Aiya Matcha. “We are particularly excited to introduce our Sweetened Roasted Matcha To Go to Whole Foods Market customers, offering a new way to enjoy Matcha.”

Introduced just last year, Sweetened Roasted Matcha To Go is crafted from slowly roasted Matcha green tea. Compared with the smooth, earthy flavour of traditional Matcha, roasted Matcha has a robust flavour and smoky aroma, rounded off with a chocolatey finish. It’s a unique twist on a familiar flavour, says the company.

Sweetened Roasted Matcha To Go is available exclusively at Whole Foods Market stores through 5 July and directly to consumer doorsteps via aiya-america.com and Amazon.com.

Aiya Matcha is available now in select Whole Foods Market stores nationwide. For Aiya Matcha sales inquiries, contact retail@aiya-america.com and for more information, visit aiya-america.com.

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The new products, launched in time for summer, have been crafted with an on-the-go lifestyle in mind.

Kirsty Pavely, marketing controller, UCC comments: “As the company who brought the world’s first ever canned coffee to market [in Japan], we are delighted to be able to bring the product to the UK for the first time – and just in time for summer. Our ready-to-drink range has been crafted with the same passion and dedication that has made Ueshima Coffee Company a beloved brand in Japan and beyond. We’re thrilled that some of our newly launched products – Iced Latte and Iced Matcha Latte – have already been so well received with 71% of customers we surveyed agreeing that the products stand out versus our competitors. We’ve seen a strong demand for our at-home coffee range, and we hope to replicate this success with this latest NPD.”

Both Ueshima’s Iced Latte and Iced Matcha Latte are packaged in 100% recyclable cans, further strengthening Ueshima’s existing commitment to sustainable practices.

Both drinks have been made with premium quality ingredients, and are low in both sugar and calories. The Iced Latte has 75 calories and 10g sugar per can, while the Iced Latte has 86 calories and 11g sugar per can. Ueshima’s Iced Latte and Iced Matcha Latte will be available from ueshimacoffeecompany.com, retailing at GB £2.

Since its launch into the UK market in 2021, Ueshima Coffee Company has built partnerships with operators including Waitrose & Partners, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Ocado, Harvey Nichols, Sticks’n’Sushi, Harrods, Japan Centre, Shoryu, Oakman Inns and Compass, to name a few, and has opened the Ueshima Coffee Company Coffee Bar at Ichiba Westfield London.

Ueshima Coffee Company is a brand owned and operated by UCC, which delivers a total coffee solution for foodservice, hospitality and retail operators.

For more information visit: ueshimacoffeecompany.com/pages/wholesale.

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Many consider matcha, like other natural tea and botanical infusions, to be beneficial to health when consumed, and as such this can be used as a draw for consumers. One such company is UK-based OMGTea, a specialist matcha green tea company.

Its founder, Katherine Swift, firmly believes “regular consumption of quality matcha is a simple way to do something positive for your health and wellbeing that will have both short and long-term benefits.”

Swift commented: “This is the season in Japan, known as ‘Ichibancha’, when the very best Japanese green tea is harvested. But many people in the UK don’t yet realise just how special these precious, top quality tea leaves can be.

“For example, matcha green tea has been drunk by Buddhist monks for centuries and is known to help to still and focus the mind – it is regarded as a drink of meditation. This practice is now widespread in Japan which is one of the healthiest countries in the world and is renowned for its longevity.

“Samurai traditionally consumed matcha before battle, whereas Buddhist monks drank it for relaxation and to achieve a sense of Zen. In today’s fast-paced world, many individuals facing challenges at work and home could benefit from tapping into their inner samurai or Zen. A good cup of matcha is a great way to start.”

In support of this philosophy, OMGTea runs a ‘Matcha Challenge’ every January/February, where participants consume quality matcha every day for 21 days. At the end of which they complete a survey, answering questions about their health and wellbeing, the results of which are used to assess the impact of daily matcha consumption on the participants lives.

Out of 126 respondents, 46% consumed their matcha in tea form, 64% as a latte, and 5% in a smoothie. Of this group, 88% experienced an increase in energy, likely supported by the on average 70mg of caffeine a cup of matcha contains, more than green tea but less than coffee. Accordingly, 83% said they also noted an improvement in their focus, and a further 52% felt when they were exercising that they could do more than usual, and 77% felt more “present in the moment.”

As well as improving energy and focus, the survey also found that it promoted healthier living and wellness in its participants; 98% said drinking matcha regularly made them feel like they wanted to live a healthier lifestyle, 55% found it helped curb cravings and snacking, and 46% noticed a clearer or brighter complexion to their skin.

While this was a small brand-led survey, it certainly indicates that benefits can be had from consuming matcha regularly. Katherine Swift emphasised, however, that the quality is very important to reap the most benefits from matcha.

“The quality of matcha can significantly influence its health impact due to variations in the levels of nutrients, antioxidants and L-theanine. High quality matcha contains more catechins, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which is a powerful antioxidant.

“Premium or high grade matcha typically comes from the first harvest younger leaves and has a higher chlorophyll content than lower grades. High chlorophyll is what gives quality matcha its bright green colour and acts as a natural detoxifier.

“Higher grade matcha also has more L-theanine. L-theanine is an amino acid that reduces stress and promotes relaxation, whilst also helping to improve focus and cognitive function. Essentially it is the L-theanine that gives you that Zen feeling when you drink quality matcha.”

So if consumers are wanting to try matcha and incorporate it into their daily lives, Swift shared some tips for starting out.

1. As mentioned, quality is essential. Colour and texture are the best ways to assess the quality of the matcha.
2. Look for the origin – “Matcha means powdered leaf in Japanese and authentic matcha is Japanese origin only. The Japanese have been producing quality matcha for more than 800 years, with the skills for doing so passed down from generation to generation.”
3. You get what you pay for when it comes to matcha. Anything cheaper than £20-£45 for a 30 gram tin of high grade matcha will likely be in the lower quality range. Cheaper matcha will be more bitter, less palatable and less “healthful,” explained Swift.

Where this price point may be off putting or inaccessible for many consumers, Swift does say that benefits can still be had from lower grade matcha, especially when blended into lattes or smoothies to hold up to the stronger flavour.

With wellness trends continuing to be on the rise since Covid-19, matcha is becoming less of a niche segment and more into the mainstream market, with trendy concoctions such as matcha lattes and alcoholic drinks becoming more prevalent, especially attractive due to the product’s distinctive shade of green.

• Kathryn Brand, associate editor, Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.
  Keep in touch via email: kathryn@bellpublishing.com Twitter: @TCTradeJournal or LinkedIn: Tea & Coffee Trade Journal

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The global green tea market is steadily growing these days thanks to maintaining stable consumption and its favourable image as a healthy drink.

Since the end of the pandemic, consumption of green tea has significantly increased with the best dynamics being observed in its major consuming regions, among which are primarily Asian and African nations.

Matthew Barry, insight manager, food and beverage at Euromonitor International said that presently, green tea is the second-most important segment of the global tea market, with most consumption occurring in either East Asia or North Africa. “In both of these areas, green tea has a very strong historical tradition associated with it, and it represents a large portion of overall tea consumption. China by itself is roughly half the global market, followed by Morocco, Indonesia, and Japan,” he explained.

“Outside of those two regions green tea has a presence virtually everywhere, but it is very unusual to see it rise much beyond a fifth of the total tea market. In the rest of the world there is not much of a historical tradition of green tea drinking so it tends to appeal mostly to wellness-oriented minorities of tea drinkers.”

China & Japan: green tea behemoths

China and Japan traditionally have been the largest producers and suppliers of green tea on a global scale. The level of their domestic consumption has declined in recent years but it has been compensated for by the increase in exports overseas.

In the case of China, since the beginning of the 2000s, the country has significantly increased its green tea exports, which are currently valued in the range of USD $1.3 to $1.4 billion annually. According to earlier data from the 2022 China Tea Import and Export Trade Analysis Report, among the major green tea-producing and exporting provinces in China, Zhejiang Province ranks first with an export volume of 147,000 tonnes and a value of $451.22 million, along with Fujian Province and Anhui Province.

As for the domestic market, according to China Tea Circulation Association data, sales of green tea in China in 2022-2023 were equivalent to 1.2-1.3 million tonnes annually, accounting for 58.1 percent of the total sales. In terms of the other teas China produces:

✦ Black tea – 314,800 tonnes, accounting for 14.3 percent;
✦ Dark tea – 313,800 tonnes, accounting for 14.2 percent;
✦ Oolong tea – 200 tonnes, accounting for 10 percent;
✦ White tea – 62,500 tonnes, accounting for 2.8 percent; and
✦ Yellow tea – 12,300 tonnes, accounting for 0.6 percent.

Japan’s green tea sector has also been experiencing a renaissance. Due to the impact of the Japanese food boom and increasing health consciousness, the amount of Japanese tea exports has more than doubled over the past ten years. According to Japanese Ministry of Finance Trade Statistics data, the demand for powdered tea, including matcha, has increased, and exports in 2023 reached a record high of approximately 21.9 billion yen (approximately $132.6 million). The bulk of exports goes to the United States, which accounts for about 34 percent of the total export volume, most of it is matcha, while leaf tea is popular in the European Union and Taiwan. The Ministry reports that organically grown tea accounts for nearly 80 percent of exports to the European Union and United Kingdom, the bulk of which is green tea.

The Ministry also noted that the current popularity of Japanese green tea in the US is also reflected by the fact that many Silicon Valley companies even offer Japanese green tea as a work conditioning drink in their employee welfare programmes.

Traditionally, most Japanese green tea is produced and grown in the Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan’s leading tea-producing area and its Shizuoka City is known as the ‘town of tea’.

The Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is creating conditions for a further increase of exports of Japanese green tea internationally. By 2025, the export value of Japanese green tea should reach 31.2 billion yen (about $197 million), compared with about 25 billion yen (about $158.8 million) in 2023. This is part of the existing state strategy to increase the overall export value of Japan’s agricultural products to over 2 trillion yen in 2025 (circa $12.63 billion) and 5 trillion yen (circa $31.57 billion) in 2030.

Consumption grows in Africa

In recent years, the African region has become one of the major consumers of green tea. For example, Morocco, located in Northern Africa, currently ranks as the world’s sixth largest tea consumer. Green tea accounts for the bulk of tea consumed in the country and it is supplied by China, which leads in terms of tea exports to the region, well ahead of its major rivals.

Harvesting in West Java. Image: Barbara Dufrene

Official statistics of the Moroccan Association of Tea and Coffee Producers (AMITC), report that the kingdom alone accounts for nearly 25 percent of the overall volume of global exports of China green tea, including 46 percent of the ‘Gunpowder’ variety and 54 percent of the ‘Chunmee’ variety.

According to AMITC data, with an annual average of 82,000 tonnes, Morocco is considered one of the world’s leading importers of tea, most of is green tea varieties. Per capita consumption of green tea in the country is estimated at 1.85 kilos per year. AMITC plans to launch production of its own green tea brand as efforts to grow tea started in the 1970s in the Larache region of the country.

In general, green tea consumption in the North African region and in countries in the Sahara region such as Mauritania, Mali, Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso, Senegal, and Ivory Coast has significantly increased in recent years, and the growth is ongoing.

Most analysts expect that with the emergence of Northern Africa as one of the world’s major green tea-consuming hubs, the level of competition for its market among global producers will be heightened in years to come.

In addition to China and Japan, the African region is also under the radar of another major regional player — Indonesia.

Indonesia: growing production

In accordance with the Indonesian Tea Statistics Report from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the national tea production in the country varied in the range of 120,000-130,000 tonnes annually during the period of 2022-2023 with the possibility of an increase this year.

In geographical terms, West Java is the largest tea producer in Indonesia with a volume of 66.87 percent of total national production in 2023. Currently, tea is planted on an area of 108.75 hectares in Indonesia with an average productivity of 1.6 tonnes/hectares/year. Most of these areas are green tea. However, according to local experts, the capacity of Indonesia’s green tea processing industry is still limited.

Despite maintaining a high popularity, most analysts do not expect a sharp growth in demand for green tea in Indonesia, over the next several years. Per EM’s Barry, “we are anticipating a slight decline in global green tea consumption [between] 2024 and 2025 of around 1 percent in retail volume terms. That is primarily coming from declining consumption in China and Japan, both of which are very mature markets and facing challenging demographics.”

New green tea markets

In addition to the African nations, a major impetus for a further growth of green tea and its consumption is expected to be provided by India, as well as Turkey and some Arabian nations to a lesser extent.
“The standout in green tea consumption growth is absolutely India, which has been seeing consistent double-digit consumption increases for some time. There is little reason to expect that to slow down.

India is already of course a massive consumer of tea, but health and wellness trends have shifted an increasing number of Indian consumers towards green over the black tea that has historically dominated in India,” Barry explained. “A couple of other big historically black-drinking markets are also seeing similar shifts, such as Turkey and Saudi Arabia.” He said black tea is not seriously threatened in any of these countries but there is an increasing number of occasions shifting to green.

The green tea segment has always been of interest to global players, many of which have significantly expanded their presence in recent years.

An example is US-based Harney & Sons Teas, which has continued to increase its green tea offerings, most notably introducing additional specialty Japanese teas. Emeric Harney, a spokesperson for the company, said that one of its new green teas is called Wazuka Guricha and comes from the Wazuka Valley, the other Asanoka Sencha from the Miyakazi prefecture.

Harney believes the US will provide some major opportunities for growth in the coming years. “America will continue to grow its green tea consumption in 2024. We still find that our export markets show a tempered interest in green teas.”

The US market will remain a priority for another major player – The Republic of Tea. Kristina Tucker, minister of enlightenment and commerce at The Republic of Tea, said the brand continues to see demand for innovative green tea blends. “Our organic Double Green Matcha in tea bags consistently grows year over year since its launch in 2007. Demand for matcha is growing fast again as well as our green teas with a wellness benefit, such as our organic SuperGreen Brain Boost tea.”
Currently, The Republic of Tea offers over 50 varieties of green tea, and “we plan to continue to innovate new blends for green tea lovers. As our focus is on the American tea drinker, we certainly anticipate continued strong demand for green teas in the USA.”

• Eugene Gerden is an international freelance writer who specialises in covering the global coffee, tea and agricultural industries. He works for several industry titles and may be reached at gerden.eug@gmail.com.

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Crafted for busy bees and Matcha enthusiasts alike, the new Sugar Free Sweetened Matcha To Go packs all the flavour and tranquility of a traditional Matcha latte into a convenient, pocket-sized package. Blended with the finest culinary-grade Matcha and natural sweetness courtesy of stevia, each sip delivers a burst of vibrant flavour and a wave of serenity, without sugar or artificial additives. Whether preferred hot or cold, Sugar Free Sweetened Matcha To Go is ideal for crafting lattes or adding to smoothies and other blended drinks. No sifting or whisking is required, just add dairy or non-dairy milk and ‘let the matcha magic unfold’.

“At Aiya, we’ve always been committed to expanding the accessibility of premium matcha to consumers across the globe,” says Fumi Sugita, president of Torrance, California-based Aiya Matcha. “Curated in response to a significant rise in sugar-free demand, our new Sugar Free Sweetened Matcha To Go is the perfect guilt-free solution for people of all ages seeking a convenient moment of calm amidst the chaos of everyday life.”

The exponential growth of the sugar-free category is the driving factor behind Aiya Matcha’s latest innovation as it’s expected to reach $65.31 billion by 2029. With a surge in demand for low-sugar, low calorie options, Aiya Matcha’s new offering not only embraces dietary preferences but also reflects the brand’s commitment to meeting evolving consumer needs.

Sugar Free Sweetened Matcha To Go joins Aiya Matcha’s existing single-serving convenience line which includes Matcha To Go, Sweetened Matcha To Go and Sweetened Roasted Matcha To Go.
Sold in packs of ten, Sugar Free Sweetened Matcha To Go is available for a limited-time SRP of USD $15.99 direct to consumers’ doorsteps via aiya-america.com and Amazon.

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Matchado – Unsweetened Yame Matcha offers several benefits and versatile uses:

• Abundant in antioxidants: Matcha is renowned for its high antioxidant content, particularly catechins like epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). These antioxidants help protect the body against harmful free radicals, which may contribute to various health issues.
• Enhances energy and focus: Matchado contains a moderate amount of caffeine, which provides a gentle and sustained energy boost without the jitters often associated with coffee. Additionally, it contains L-theanine, an amino acid that promotes relaxation and mental clarity, leading to increased focus and concentration.
• Supports metabolism and weight management: Studies suggest that matcha can boost metabolism and promote fat oxidation, potentially aiding in weight management. However, it is important to note that matcha should be part of a balanced lifestyle that includes a healthy diet and regular exercise.
• Promotes relaxation and reduces stress: Matchado’s L-theanine content induces a sense of calmness and relaxation without causing drowsiness. This combination of L-theanine and caffeine creates a unique state of alert relaxation, making matcha a popular choice for meditation and stress reduction.
• Versatile culinary ingredient: Ideal for various culinary creations. It adds a vibrant green hue and a distinct flavour to beverages like lattes, smoothies, and iced teas. Additionally, it can be incorporated into baked goods, providing a delightful twist to cakes, cookies, and desserts.

The high-quality Matchado – Unsweetened Yame Matcha, is sourced from the Yame region and known for its exceptional matcha production. The organic nature of Matchado ensures that the tea leaves are cultivated without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, maintaining the purity and integrity of the product.

To prepare matcha, traditionally a bamboo whisk called a chasen is used to whisk the powder with hot water until frothy. However, matcha can also be prepared using a spoon.

Matchado – Unsweetened Yame Matcha offers a range of potential health benefits, including antioxidant support, enhanced energy and focus, metabolism support, relaxation, and versatile culinary applications. By incorporating this high-quality matcha into your daily routine, you can enjoy its delightful flavour while reaping its potential health benefits.

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Yet The Tea Group is striving to elevate the tea experience further, as it demonstrated at its National Tea Day event at the Dorchester Hotel, London. The event was a luxurious and informative showcase of teas from all over the world, and even some closer to home. Díaz Ayub, managing director at The Tea Group, noted that specialty tea has been taking a backseat from specialty coffee in recent years, despite tea being the second most consumed beverage globally, after water.

The menu for The Tea Group’s National Tea Day event. Image: Kathryn Brand

Each tea presented at the event was paired with a dish with the intention of enhancing the flavour notes of the drink, with some pairings forming natural companions, while others were certainly more unusual and bold. Jersey Fine Tea’s British-grown green tea, paired with tuna tartare with a tobiko caviar and yuzu, was the former. The salty and citrus flavours of the dish balanced with the fragrant and mild green tea, which was pleasantly not bitter, unlike so many green teas I have tried before. We were told that this was a combination of the fact that Jersey Fine Tea only pick the top leaves of the plant to use in its teas, and also knowing how to brew green tea correctly, which is at a lower temperature of about 80-85°C, to refrain from burning the delicate tea leaves and creating that astringent flavour often associated with green tea.

The event was a fantastic opportunity not only to showcase some amazing tea growers and producers, but also to showcase the ritual, tradition and ceremony behind certain teas. One such example was a Japanese matcha ceremony, from Chill Tea Tokyo, whereby the matcha was mixed with a small amount of hot, but not boiling, water, and stirred with a special bamboo whisk until frothy, to promote creaminess in the flavour, before more water was added to make the final drink. The Tea Group demonstrated to the guests, most of whom were representing luxury London hotels, with each tea how it should be served to guests, in order to maximise not only the flavour, but the whole experience of teatime, validating the premium value that such specialty teas demand.

While the UK, and much of the world, is going though economic challenges and cost of living crises, people are still seeking out small moments of luxury where they can, and afternoon tea is more popular than ever, both in the UK and the US, said Díaz Ayub. Therefore, an opportunity is presented to maximise people’s desire for a little luxury and offer them an entire experience with their teatime. Since the pandemic, consumers are increasingly interested in teas, with so many willing to branch out from their standard cup of builders to something that will promote wellness, digestion, or mental health through botanical and herbal blends. This provides hospitality companies with an eager audience to really promote specialty tea to their guests, and enter a category that needn’t just be reserved for coffee.

• Kathryn Brand, associate editor, Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.
  Keep in touch via email: kathryn@bellpublishing.com
  Twitter: @TCTradeJournal or LinkedIn: Tea & Coffee Trade Journal

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• Matcha Green Tea Energy– Pear Ginger: This all-natural energy drink contains juicy pear with a satisfying zing of ginger
• Matcha Green Tea Energy – Apple Raspberry (Great Taste Award winner): Fresh-pressed green apples mixed with tart raspberries
• Matcha Green Tea Energy – Pineapple Yuzu: PerfectTed has blended citrusy yuzu with pineapple for a refreshing experience

Founders Marisa, Teddie & Levi met at Ivy League college, University of Pennsylvania, and they all worked in finance upon graduating; demanding jobs and long hours meant they became reliant on coffee and energy drinks. But after the highs, came the jitters, anxiety and crashing lows, particularly for Marisa who manages ADHD and anxiety. They needed more from their pick-me-ups, so they turned to the superfood matcha, a powdered green tea offering longer-lasting, anxiety-reducing energy. They were obsessed. Wanting people to feel as great as they did, Teddie, Levi and Marisa created the most convenient way to consume matcha.

Teddie was Head Boy at school in London, a college athlete at UPenn, on track to go into pro football when he forwent a spot at Harvard Law to pursue his start-up dream, and so, his nickname, “Perfect Ted”, was the natural moniker for the friends’ new business.

PerfectTed was created with a mission to transform the energy industry with delicious drinks, using simple, 100% natural ingredients with no additives, preservatives, or added sugar, just all-natural energy. Powered by organic, ceremonial grade matcha, an antioxidant-rich, Japanese matcha green tea, PerfectTed contains 80mg caffeine (equivalent to a Red Bull or small cup of coffee) and a more enduring and stable energy source.

Caffeine from green tea lasts 4-6 hours, versus 1-2 hours from coffee or other energy drinks; the l-theanine in matcha regulates the absorption of caffeine into the body, helping to avoid the jitters and post-caffeine crash, it also stimulates the production of serotonin, dopamine and alpha brain waves, which help you feel less anxious and more relaxed; matcha is rich in antioxidants, and has one of the highest concentrations of any plant-based food (50x that of spinach); the combination of l-theanine and caffeine is scientifically proven to improve focus.

Tesco buyer, Libby Lee, says, “We’re proud to announce the launch of PerfectTed Matcha Energy Drinks at Tesco in our Meal Deal and as a Multipack. We’re excited to partner with PerfectTed in growing the natural energy category with a range of delicious drinks that put functionality and health first.”

Marisa Poster adds, “PerfectTed is disrupting the high-growth energy drink market with an approachable brand and products that outperform on health, functionality, and flavour. We are thrilled to make matcha’s superfood properties and longer-lasting energy more accessible in Tesco’s iconic Meal Deal and in multipacks.”

PerfectTed is the exclusive matcha partner for leading hospitality brands (such as Joe & The Juice, Blank St Coffee and 92 Degrees) to help bring matcha lattes to their menus, quickly becoming the UK’s largest matcha brand as well as one of the UK’s fastest growing drinks brands. The team source their single origin, organic, ceremonial grade matcha from Uji, Japan; this premium quality matcha has a sweet, umami flavour and bright green hue unlike poorer substitutes which can be bitter, grassy and insoluble. Find 30g pouches of matcha powder on the PerfectTed website (from £16), alongside a Matcha Starter Kit (£35), complete with 30g pouch, electric whisk, and stainless steel scoop.

PerfectTed offers the next generation in energy, with healthier, better-tasting, functional drinks, powered by matcha green tea; find it now at Holland & Barrett, Planet Organic, Zapp, Selfridges, M&S Mai Sushi Counters, Dunnes, major tech & finance offices, and find it in the Meal Deal fridges and drinks aisles of Tesco from February 2023.

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Tea and coffee have been competing for throat-share in the West for many decades and consumption patterns continue to shift. Markets are becoming more global, new generations opt for wider choices, diversification has become key to growth and social and economic sustainability are today an intrinsic part of the list of goals. There is a desire for specialty teas to move towards a more unified platform, but the path to do so is a challenging one.

In the late 1980s, tea was the leading caffeinated hot brew in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Russia, whilst coffee was the king of the morning in North America and the rest of Europe. The multinational brands were dominating with mostly blended black teas in tea bags, and the premium segment comprised the spring leaves harvested from a few world-famous origin areas, located mainly in India and Sri Lanka. When China came back to the market in 1982, with Deng Xiao Ping restoring private ownership and encouraging foreign trade, the market was shaken up with a wealth of new cups arriving in the West, all unknown and unheard of. These countless varieties of specialty teas, coming in different colours and many different shapes and grades generated a keen need for learning more about them to assess these cups and to understand their high prices.

Importing, trading, retailing & brewing premium cups

In the wake of China’s opening access to its ‘ten thousand teas’, the big issues were how to provide product knowledge for the suppliers/retailers on one side and for the consumers on the other side, how to ensure accurate information and how to manage authenticity concerning origin, process, botanical cultivar, and harvesting period etc.

Green teas were the first to puzzle the Western palates, followed by white teas, oolong and puer teas. All these cups were new and exciting with striking leaves to brew them. After generations of tea buyers, tasters and blenders having been trained in-house by the traditional tea majors and family companies the new specialty teas brought along a fully new challenge.

The big question of how and where to find complete and accurate product knowledge became a key issue in the late 1990s, with many operators doing their own sourcing travels to origin to learn about the product on the spot. Several highly renowned companies were founded during this period by passionate tea explorers and tea travellers, such as the French companies Mariage Frères, Palais des Thés, Jardins de Gaïa, and Cha Yuan; the Canadian company Camellia Sinensis; the British Fine Tea Merchants and Postcard Tea; and the Americans Seven Cups and Rishi Tea, to name a few. These well-known and fully acknowledged tea pioneers have paved the way for many more new operators, attracted by the novelty of this fascinating, exotic and high added value niche market.

Education, teaching and training

To profitably market the new cups, the urgent need for education occurred rapidly and was picked up in various forms according to national market patterns. It was in North America that the first nationwide initiatives were taken to provide accurate knowledge about these new specialty teas to the tea professionals. The Tea Association of the USA founded the Specialty Tea Institute (STI) in 2001, and the Tea & Herbal Association of Canada (THAC) launched the Tea Sommelier Certification Programme in 2006. These educational structures, vetted by the two countries’ domestic tea industry, provide fully endorsed curricula, thus ensuring that the tea professionals will acquire in depth knowledge about specialty teas.

Image: Newby Teas

Peter Goggi, president of the Tea Association of the USA, underlined the importance of the statutory tea associations, which can offer nationwide legitimation and endorsement, which is a significant competitive advantage compared to other self-proclaimed tea schools and tea training educators. STI offers certified education, which leads to graduation, giving tea professionals the status of accreditation by the Tea Association of the USA. THAC’s Tea Sommelier Certification Programme applies similar rules and offers a wide range of educational courses with certifying exams, open to tea professionals and to tea lovers.

In Europe, the tea-sourcing pioneers and specialty tea company founders acquired their tea knowledge on the ground, a learning which is not easy to access by many, hence the need to provide teaching and training to all the other tea professionals at home to prevent mis-and dis-information, and to introduce all the new cups in an attractive and fully competent way. With the national Tea Industry Federations being run by the tea majors, there was no interest to invest in specialty tea education in the early times. Therefore, the private sector followed up and the first tea school in Europe was launched by Palais des Thés in Paris, France in 1999, with the teaching open to all, however without any exams, certification or graduation. Since that time most of the French specialty tea companies have launched their own tea training lectures and tasting sessions and many tea drinkers flock there happily, to learn more about these delicious cups.

With the same objective to introduce tea training and tea education for tea professionals and to open the tea drinkers’ minds to the new and enlarged universe of the ten thousand cups (from China), renowned tea pioneer and tea author, Jane Pettigrew, launched the UK Tea Academy in London (UKTA) in 2016. In Italy, the tea expert, Gabriella Lombardi established the ProTea Academy in Milan in 2016, offering tea education and tea training to tea professionals as well as to tea lovers.

There are company tea courses and private tea schools also in Spain, Denmark, Czech Republic, and Poland, etc., all with the aim to allow the customers to learn more about the many fine cups on the market to foster consumption.

It is important to note that very sophisticated training and education is also sometimes made available by origin country operators, which have established their tea houses in the West, such as Thés de Chine in Paris, and others who come from Taiwan, Japan and Korea, where tea is not only a fragrant cup but intimately linked to ancient cultural traditions.

With the desire to share their own professional experience with tea lovers to foster an in-depth knowledge of these fine cups, many valuable tea books have been authored by well-known tea pioneers since the early years of the new millennium, a further useful tool for spreading tea knowledge in Europe and North America.

Exploring new cups from the Far East

In the early years of the new millennium, black tea producers in Darjeeling, Malawi, Rwanda, and Sri Lanka, etc., became so fascinated with China’s silver needles that they launched their own white teas to display their abilities and skills. White teas were arriving from many new origins at that time, always beautiful, whilst not always brewing to expectation. Responding to a need for ‘good order with basic processing steps properly defined,’ an ISO-tea technical report, ISO/TR 12591 White Tea Definitions, was published in December 2013, after several years of discussions, which defined and enshrined terms and definitions for these beautiful teas. Finally, the white tea-frenzy calmed down as production costs were huge for the untraditional white teas, and today, most of them come from China as before.

Spring harvest from Sikkim Temi Tea

With highly proactive promotion by Japanese major Ito En, matcha was introduced to North America over the last few years, and it has created a true craze for premium green tea powder in the USA and is now gradually gaining ground in Europe too. As some producers in Korea and China were keen to join the matcha-boom, there arose again a need for having some agreed basic rules for the sake of ‘good order’, hence the ISO sub-committee on tea convened a Matcha Tea working group in 2018 and a technical report, which lays down basic rules and requirements, published as ISO/TR 21380:2022 Matcha Tea in April 2022.

There is no end to this yet, since one also finds today puer tea made in Malawi and Laos and elsewhere and Oolong tea from India and Indonesia, therefore two new working groups have been organised by ISO-Tea to continue drafting basic definitions and terms to complete the framework of ISO standards for the new tea categories.

The international level

In 2013, Ramaz Chanturiya, CEO of the Russia Tea & Coffee Federation launched the Tea Masters Cup with the focus on promoting specialty teas with the end consumers through highly educated and knowledgeable tea professionals in the Russian tea market. Highly successful domestically, he then introduced this benchmarking scheme on an international level, embedded in a high-profile event, Tea Masters Cup International (TMCI), in 2015. Up to the Covid disruption, there have been four TMCI competitions in Turkey, Korea, China and Vietnam.

In 2015, the first Teas of the World contest was run by AVPA, a not-for-profit agency, based in Paris, France, with the purpose of promoting terroir food products, such as edible oils, coffee, chocolate and tea. The concept targets the promotion of fine teas, submitted by the producing companies at origin, for a quality assessment carried out by professional tea tasters and tea experts, and awarded with medals for commercial purpose, attracting the media, Western retailers and customers. The fifth contest took place in July 2022 and the number of samples submitted has increased hugely since inception.

Premium sencha cups from different cultivars

In 2018, the European Specialty Tea Association (ESTA), was launched in the UK, with the purpose to create a European-wide platform for the promotion of specialty teas. The plan follows the lines of the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE), founded in 1998, and unified within SCA in 2017, with a structure of national chapters and accredited tea Certifiers who train, educate and assess.

Outlook for the post-Covid times

With the unending stress generated by the sanitary crisis, tea is becoming the sought-after soothing, relaxing and restoring cup, attracting many new consumers. However, the premium and specialty teas continue to require educated retailers and tea professionals, hence the need to maintain the ongoing efforts for more training, authentic and qualified storytelling and improved competence for brewing practices.

Despite many attempts, there is not yet any fully agreed definition nor an approved set of criteria required for a tea to belong to the category specialty tea, although origin, cultivar, harvesting period, and manufacturing process are most likely to figure somewhere on the list. The market share of specialty teas varies greatly throughout the Western consumer countries, which impacts the degree of consumer awareness and the growth potential. It may well take some more years of training, educating and promoting before reaching comparable market patterns to build a federating platform on European level with the support of the national federations for tea and herbal infusions.

• Barbara Dufrêne is the former Secretary General of the European Tea Committee and editor of La Nouvelle du Thé. She may be reached at: b-dufrêne@orange.fr.

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“In addition to being an extraordinary gift, the Holiday Starter Kit is the result of our quest for the perfect matcha latte,” explained Eijiro Tsukada, co-founder & CEO of Cuzen. “Given the overwhelming popularity of matcha lattes, we are especially excited to introduce our new Latte Blend of matcha leaves, which were specifically selected to create a bright and robust cup of matcha that could stand up to the addition of dairy or plant-based milk. Additionally, our latte cups from Humble Ceramics are hand pressed in the Japanese wabi-sabi style and provide the perfect vessel for sipping.”

The Holiday Starter Kit can be purchased at www.cuzenmatcha.com starting at $369. Existing Cuzen Matcha Maker owners can also purchase the new Latte Blend tea leaves to use in their existing machines for $17 for 20g and $44 for 60g. Cuzen offers a 10% commission to media via SkimLinks.

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Based in Japan, ITO EN has been producing authentic, flavourful and highly nutritious tea for more than 50 years. The company has a longstanding tradition of honouring tea’s cultural heritage, producing great tasting, sustainable tea and matcha powder with unmatched health properties. US consumers may be most familiar with ITO EN’s brands including Tea’s Tea, Matcha Love and Oi Ocha.

Taiyo is the leader in the fast-growing field of green tea, having more than 50 years of experience focused on green tea research, nutritional product development and manufacturing technology. ITO EN’s ceremonial matcha adds to Taiyo’s existing portfolio of culinary organic matcha powder and ceremonial organic matcha powder.

“Taiyo is proud to partner with ITO EN, which rounds out our overall green tea portfolio. It is exciting to blend our B2B strengths with ITO EN’s consumer-facing expertise,” says Scott Smith, vice president of Taiyo International. Taiyo’s portfolio also includes Suntheanine, a pure form of L-theanine, and Sunphenon and Teavigo standardised green tea extracts.

“We value the history and the authenticity of Japanese green tea including matcha. We have been able to sustain those values with high quality tea products utilising our expertise in production and product development. We are very pleased to partner with Taiyo International, having expertise in the North American food and supplement markets. It will enable us to explore new product offerings to American consumers in addition to our product lineup of beverage, tea bags, and tea powder,” says Naritoshi Tomisawa, head of International Business of ITO EN, LTD. Japan.

Matcha powder is made of high-grade green tea leaves cultivated with special care. The market for this distinctively rich-flavoured ingredient with the beautiful green colour has evolved quickly. Consumers have become more familiar with matcha thanks in part to its use by high-end coffee retailers as well as elite specialty brands.

“Consumers are becoming much more sophisticated in their appreciation of the true taste, colour and aroma of matcha,” confirms Smith. “The timing of this partnership between Taiyo and ITO EN is ideal due to the growing demand for the flavour of authentic organic matcha as well as its health benefits.” Matcha powder is also a wholesome nutritious ingredient. When treated with care, Matcha is a rich source of polyphenols, vitamins, minerals, fibers, chlorophyll and L-theanine.

“As the market becomes better educated about high quality matcha, it is important that formulators have trusted suppliers who can deliver a premium ingredient and can provide valuable advice on how to position it. This is where Taiyo excels,” says Smith. “There is such a rich history associated with matcha, in addition to its tremendous health benefits. Understanding and educating people about this history is essential to bringing high-end products to store shelves.”

Authentic, organic ceremonial Japanese matcha is also suitable for beverages, dairy products, protein powder, baked goods and supplements.

All Taiyo green tea and matcha powder ingredients, including those sourced from ITO EN, are produced using time-honored water infusion and milling processes, and are in compliance with strict solvent and pesticide regulations. Stringent quality control standards are in place from farm to market. Both grades of matcha ingredients are certified organic, Kosher, NGPV, FSSC 22000 certified and Informed Ingredient certified.

“Our strict adherence to using only high-quality starting materials and safe processing standards is our guarantee that end-consumers will consistently have the benefit of nutritious, authentic products,” explains Smith.

For additional information, visit www.TaiyoInternational.com.

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The new matcha LOVE ENERGY + line is an innovative green tea and matcha blend with functional ingredients that benefit the body and mind with Soothe, Immunity and Focus. Each variety contains 50mg of natural caffeine for a gentle energy boost and is powered by green tea and matcha’s unique properties. The drinks contain Catechin Antioxidants, Vitamin C and L-Theanine, an amino acid known to provide a state of “calm alertness”, while supporting mental clarity and wakeful relaxation.

“As we see more consumers seeking plant-powered energy products to help navigate their health and wellness during these times” says Rob Smith, vice president of sales. “Our matcha LOVE ENERGY + couldn’t be more timely in helping consumers customise their daily wellness routines. With so many unhealthy energy drinks on the market, we are excited to deliver a clean and natural energy with functional benefits.”

Packaged in a colourful recyclable 8.2fl oz steel can, the three flavours are:

Matcha LOVE ENERGY + Soothe: Japanese Matcha, Honey & Ginger: Soothes the body and mind with a balanced combination of honey, ginger and calming L-Theanine.

Matcha LOVE ENERGY + Immunity: Japanese matcha, Acerola and Yuzu:Maintains defenses with a powerful blend of the superfruit acerola, matcha and vitamin C.

Matcha LOVE ENERGY + Focus: Japanese matcha, Blueberry & Ginseng:Matcha and L-theanine partner with ginseng for an empowering, focused blend.

Made with 100% Japanese matcha and delivering a balanced boost of energy, matcha LOVE ENERGY + takes the stress out of managing a daily wellness routine and helps consumers “stay grounded.”

ITO EN is known for its tea expertise and commitment to sustainable practices to include an award-winning tea leaf recycling programme creating eco-products and tea farming practices. Recognised as one of 50 Companies Changing the World in FORTUNE, the company was awarded the “Sustainability Award” at the North America Tea Conference and “Best Industry Innovation Leader” at the World Tea Expo 2017.

Matcha LOVE ENERGY + will be available in specialty and natural food stores, grocery and supermarkets nationwide. Products will also be available at online retail stores at a SRP of $2.49 per can.

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Additionally, Starbucks has announced that its iced teas will now be made unsweetened as part of the standard recipe (starting at 0g sugar and 0 calories for black, green and passion teas). Customers will be able to select the level of sweetness by adjusting the pumps of cane sugar at no additional charge. To customise the level of sweetness when ordering iced tea beverages in the Starbucks app, customers can select “sweeteners” within the beverage recipe page.

Starbucks first offered an Anniversary Blend in 1996 in celebration of the company’s 25^th anniversary, and since then it has become an annual favourite. This year the celebration continues with Starbucks 50^th anniversary with this bold blend sourced exclusively from Indonesia. In addition to being available for purchase as a whole bean coffee, Anniversary Blend will be offered as the dark roast brew in most Starbucks stores from 8-14 March.

Finally, Starbucks is also introducing two new at-home coffees, available for a limited time only in the spring at grocery stores nationwide. Starbucks Honey & Madagascar Vanilla Flavored Coffee combines the flavours of subtly sweet honey and rich Madagascar vanilla, and Starbucks Spring Day Blend is a unique blend of black coffee from Africa and Latin America, with notes of rich cocoa and lush dried fruits.

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The Matcha Lattes feature high-quality Matcha green tea powder, produced in the Nishio region of Aichi prefecture, Japan, where Matcha has been grown for  800 years. Dunkin’s Matcha Lattes can be served hot, iced or frozen and blended with guests’ choice of milk.

According to Paul Racicot, director of Global Culinary Innovation at Dunkin’ Brands, “Whether you’re an avid Matcha Latte drinker or are trying it for the first time, guests can expect an authentic, quality experience with Dunkin’s Matcha Lattes. We’re excited to offer millions of Americans a delicious new way to run on Dunkin’ that perfectly matches the iconic brightness and energy that they know and love from our brand.”

Dunkin’ is also launching a new Protein Muffin, which offers 16 grams of protein and features blueberries, cranberries, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. The Protein Muffin will be available for a limited time at participating Dunkin’ restaurants, also from 26 February.

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• Central Perk Medium Roast – with a nutty aroma and a sweet, smooth finish
• Central Perk Dark Roast – Rich, aromatic coffee with sweet, chocolate undertones
• Central Perk Tea – Freshly steeped black tea blended with citrus

In addition to the Central Perk coffee and tea products, on July 31, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf will also launch limited edition Friends-themed specialty beverages named after the show’s characters. Guests can enjoy the following new specialty drinks through August 27:

• The Joey (Mango Cold Brew Tea) – The sweet, juicy flavor of mango pairs with a fruity cold brew tea
• The Monica (Midnight Mocha Cold Brew) – Rich, dark chocolate syrup combined with 20-hour steeped cold brew
• The Rachel (Matcha Latte) – A lightly sweetened blend of ceremonial grade matcha with vanilla powder and milk.
• The Ross (Classic Flat White) – Freshly pulled espresso shots finished with lightly aerated milk
• The Chandler (Caramel Coconut Latte) – A blend of coconut and toasted caramel infused with espresso
• The Phoebe (Cookies and Cream Ice Blended) – Creamy vanilla, a splash of espresso and chocolate cookie pieces

As part of the Friends-themed celebration, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf will also offer a limited time Buy-One-Get-One-Free (BOGOF) special starting on August 4, National FRIENDship Day. For one week, guests that buy one Friends-themed beverage will receive one free Friends-themed drink to share with a friend.

For more information, please visit www.coffeebean.com.

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Caribou’s cold press offerings include:

• Cold Press Shandy – cold press coffee with lemonade
• Cold Press Mule – cold press iced coffee, ginger ale and stone fruit flavor create Caribou’s version of the virgin Moscow mule.

Caribou’s square-shaped, coconut bubbles are also now 100% clean label, with no artificial colors or sweeteners:

• Coconut Mango Black Tea – mango black tea with coconut flavor served over ice and bubbles.
• Raspberry Green Tea – A tropical green tea with raspberry flavor and milk served over ice and bubbles.
• Matcha Tea Cooler with Bubbles – Matcha powder, vanilla, half & half and Caribou’s shake mix are blended together and served over bubbles, lightly flavored with coffee.

Caribou’s nitrogen infused options now available in 150+ Caribou Coffee stores:

• Nitro Black: Caribou Blend cold press coffee infused with nitrogen
• Draft Mocha Nitro: Nitro cold press combined with milk and chocolate.
• Nitro High Rise: Nitro cold press combined with milk and caramel; topped with espresso whipped cream.

“We continue to see a demand for new cold coffee and tea offerings – not only in the morning but also in the afternoon,” said Jenifer Hagness, vice president of marketing and product innovation at Caribou Coffee. “We’re excited to re-launch a couple of returning favorites, and three brand new iced beverages to fuel and cool your summer adventures. We know our guests are going to love them!”

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The Global Tea Championship is an independent competition, judged by tea professionals, to distinguish the highest quality and best tasting teas commercially available globally. Teas are judged blind and scored based on the analysis of dry leaf, liquor color, aroma, flavor, mouth-feel and overall harmony.

“We couldn’t be more excited and honored to bring home four medals for our single-serve hot teas,” said Gerard Bastiaanse, senior vice president of marketing for Farmer Brothers. “At Farmer Brothers, we pride ourselves on bringing a passion for the extraordinary in everything we do. Our tea line is an integral part of our beverage programs. We will continue to craft new blends for our customers in order to provide extraordinary experiences and help drive growth within the foodservice industry.”

Farmer Brothers took home honors for:

• Artisan Collection by Farmer Brothers English Breakfast (Gold Medal)
• Artisan Collection by Farmer Brothers Sencha with Matcha (Bronze Medal)
• Artisan Collection by Farmer Brothers Mint Mosaic (Bronze Medal)
• Farmer Brothers Orange Bliss (Bronze Medal)

For more information about Farmer Brothers and its award-winning teas, coffee and cold brew filter packs, visit farmerbros.com.

About Farmer Brothers

Founded in 1912, Farmer Bros. Co. is a national coffee roaster, wholesaler and distributor of coffee, tea and culinary products. The company’s product lines include organic, direct trade and sustainably produced coffee. The company’s primary brands include Farmer Brothers, Artisan Collection by Farmer Brothers, Superior, Metropolitan, Cain’s, McGarvey, China Mist, Boyds and West Coast Coffee.

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