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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Having launched last month across UK flights, all international easyJet customers can now enjoy selected Costa Coffee drinks across all 1,184 easyJet routes to 170 destinations in 35 countries.

To celebrate the launch, Costa Coffee’s master of coffee, Gennaro Pelliccia, surprised holidaymakers onboard an easyJet flight from London Gatwick to Rome with a special coffee experience at 30,000 feet.

Passengers were treated to complimentary goodie bags and a selection of beverages from Costa Coffee’s newly launched inflight range, from a Salted Caramel Latte to a frothy Cappuccino, which has been developed in collaboration with easyJet.

Excitement brewed onboard as Gennaro – renowned for his unmatched expertise and passion for coffee – shared his secrets and stories behind crafting the perfect cup of Costa Coffee

Gennaro Pelliccia, commented, “It was an absolute pleasure to bring the Costa Coffee experience to life in the sky. Sharing a perfect cup of coffee with passengers as they embarked on their trip to Rome was a dream come true. Our Italian heritage continues to inspire us every day to reimagine new coffee experiences for coffee fans all around the world. Collaborating with easyJet allows us to make every journey – even in the air – just that little bit more special.”

Russell Braterman, in flight retail director for easyJet, said, “We are always looking for ways to enhance the onboard experience for our millions of customers and bring them more of the choices they want when they fly with us, so we are delighted to launch this new range with Costa Coffee onboard all our flights, which makes a fantastic addition to our popular EAT DRINK range onboard.”

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Known for its house blend coffee, with tasting notes of chocolate, butterscotch and berries, Kiss the Hippo Soho celebrated the launch day with complimentary coffee and pastries on Monday 2 September between 11am-2pm as well as live music entertainment.

Located at 30 Golden Square, W1F 9LD, the new Kiss the Hippo café boasts a minimalistic modern feel. Designed by London based architects, EBBA, the coffee counter is designed to be the focal point whilst the timber lining to the walls provides a comfortable and inviting environment.

By serving premium, ethically sourced, and sustainably roasted coffee – Kiss the Hippo is committed to becoming a haven for coffee lovers in the Soho area. Serving its signature blend of house espresso, an array of single origin and decaf options, the café will also offer a range of pastries, cookies, focaccias and more.

The independent company has won the UK Barista championships three times and has a range of compostable pods and coffee bags for use at home. Kiss the Hippo has also launched a new line of merchandise to celebrate the Soho launch.

Kiss the Hippo’s brand director, Irem Aksuyek, says of the opening: “As London’s first carbon negative coffee company, we are driven by a deep commitment to excellence in every cup. At the heart of our mission is our passion for creating exceptional, handcrafted coffee experiences that reflect the vibrant energy of London. Now, we are thrilled to bring our expertly curated café experience and exquisite bean-to-cup coffee to the heart of Soho. We can’t wait to share our passion for great coffee with this iconic neighbourhood.”

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Seated on deck chairs around the back of the lively illy stand, to the backdrop of the loud music and bustling festival – and plied by illy’s zero waste soft serve ice cream and espresso martinis – I quizzed Franco on the importance and significance of regenerative agriculture and its certification.

Franco explained that illy is the first brand with the complete certification, meaning that all the steps throughout the company’s supply chain are audited and certified. Not only is illy’s Brasile Arabica Selection Coffee Regenagri certified, but so is the company itself. Therefore, any other coffee illy sells that comes from Regnagri certified farms, via a certified producer, is also covered.

When certifying farms, Regenagri looks at the full set of criteria, whether that be soil health; reduction in use of water and energy; biodiversity; use of fertilisers; intercropping; or conservation efforts. They are all measured and assessed and scored against, said Franco. Farms or businesses need a Regenagri score of 65 per cent to achieve the certification. “We look at the whole picture. Consider it like a puzzle, where each of the components has weight, and each of the components is measured and verified for improvement, and everything together gives the final result of the Regenagri certification,” said Franco. He added that, crucially, the programme requires improvement every year: “you cannot be certified Regenagri and let things stay,” he said, and this is what drives the impact of the certification.

This improvement is crucial and needs to be tangible. If a company does not improve, Regenagri requires it to submit an improvement plan to shape their strategy. Franco explains that they don’t want to immediately cut companies out that haven’t improved, because farming is more complicated than that. If improvement is not seen in the first year, they have to submit an improvement plan, which is verified the following year. If they are still not able to achieve results, they cannot stay in the programme and remain Regenagri certified. “I think it is a fair balance between helping them and giving them some urgency as well,” commented Marco.

And there is urgency for these changes, especially in coffee. “There is strong power from both sides [consumer and company] to engage with the farmers and with the suppliers, and to reward them for their efforts to do better farming, and then also the power towards consumers to convey the right message,” said Franco. He added that consumers are getting increasingly aware and knowledgeable about sustainable farming and the environment, but they need to be much more informed about regenerative farming. Brands that take on the Regenagri certification and display it on their products are part of this consumer education.

Each company that is working towards or has achieved a Regenagri certification will have entirely context specific plans. What this means, Franco explained, is that each of the criteria is assessed based on the specific context, which region, which climatic area, the type of soil where they are farming. Different areas will have different needs and priorities and the Regenagri plan can be adjusted accordingly.

I then asked about whether the new EU Deforestation Regulations (EUDR) is expected to impact Regenagri’s work in any way, or if it’s being welcomed with open arms. Franco responded that “the eligibility criteria of the Regenagri standard for farms has always included the checks to see if the applicant has been involved in deforestation or conservation; it’s been there since the beginning …, so basically the EUDR is embedded into the original standard.”

While regenerative agriculture practices are recommended to all kinds of farming, Franco explained that there is special potential in coffee. “In this case in Brazil, the reductions of carbon footprint for coffee is actually nearly double what is achieved in other arable crops.” He added that “in Brazil, I think there are approximately 50,000 hectares of farms that are certified. If you put them all together, in one year they have essentially reduced [the equivalent of] ten per cent of the carbon footprint of London.” When companies first start on their regenerative agriculture journey, there is huge room for improvement, then as they improve “the curve flattens a bit,” but the impact is great.

It is all moving in the right direction, companies and farms just need to be educated and motivated to make the change. When I asked whether Franco thought that governments should be doing more to incentivise and perhaps subsidise regenerative agriculture transitions, Franco commented, “I’m not always in favour of subsidising something; I’m more of a believer of letting the system create value by itself. Subsidising usually means creating a bubble,” he said, emphasising it is more important for a true economic system to be developed to support the regenerative supply chain, where value and impact is recognised.

Hopefully, going forward, we will see many more companies being certified by Regenagri, especially in coffee and tea where there is huge potential, as well as already existing practices that champion regenerative agriculture. Steps like this by the big coffee and tea organisations are essential at this stage to safeguard our industry.

• 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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It marks five winning years in a row for Pact Coffee, and the company’s Buenos Aires Decaf was one of only seven decaf coffees to win a two-star award this year. 

Other winners were its seasonal single-origin, Rich & Chocolatey Christmas Filter, and its Single Estate Microlot Filter, which is available in Waitrose and Whole Foods stores. 

The Great Taste Awards is recognised as the Oscars of the specialty food and drink world. The unmistakable black and gold Great Taste logo is a sign many consumers look for when buying food and drink, and it’s a stamp of excellence that is recognised by retailers and consumers alike.

Tens of thousands of products are put past the judges every year in a blind tasting, and the judge’s said Pact’s Decaf Buenos Aires “wears its decaf nature very lightly”.

Will Corby, Pact’s Director of Coffee, said: “We’re thrilled to mark five years in a row of winning Great Taste Awards, and this year is particularly special to us”. 

“We’ve stuck to our guns on decaf coffee since we began, always roasting the same standard of coffee that’s on our non-decaf menu no more than seven days before delivery. This is a marked difference from a lot of other decaf on the market, and it’s fantastic to see it awarded with the famous black and gold logo”.

The award rounds off an eventful 12 months for Pact Coffee, who have launched in Waitrose and Whole Foods and roasted their highest annual total of coffee yet over the period. 

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This latest addition to HEYTEA’s growing portfolio is the brand’s largest UK store to date, with indoor seating offering a design-led space for customers to meet and socialise over a HEYTEA. With a unique Chinese ink-inspired design within a classic British building, HEYTEA New Oxford Street creates a tea-drinking experience with a moving digital display ceiling, and quirky table settings.

Founded by a 19-year-old Neo Nie Yunchen in 2012, HEYTEA has grown from a 300-square foot tea shop in Guangdong, China to a pioneer in “New Asian Tea” with over 4,000 stores across 300 cities worldwide.

HEYTEA is known for its unique flavours and its commitment to using only fine ingredients, with no artificial flavours meaning the drinks are a healthier alternative to many traditional bubble teas. HEYTEA has also made the switch to organic milk in their milk drinks, while offering customers a free switch to a 0-calorie sweetener in their tea.

HEYTEA continues to set trends, such as its Cheese Tea, and breathe new life into traditional tea experiences. HEYTEA is accelerating its global expansion, with HEYTEA New Oxford Street being the latest step in this journey.

For more information about HEYTEA, visit heytea.com

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The coffee shop, located in the terminal’s airside departures area, has officially opened in time for the busy peak summer travel season, by SSP’s Group CEO, Patrick Coveney, UK and Ireland CEO, Kari Daniels, Starbucks EMEA president, Duncan Moir, and retail director at Heathrow, Fraser Brown. It features two separate counters to help serve busy travellers efficiently, whether they order at the till, or in advance via their phone.

“This new store at Terminal 5 is our flagship Starbucks at the country’s flagship airport,” said Kari Daniels, CEO of SSP UK & Ireland. “We know how important it is for our customers to be served promptly – especially when they have a flight to catch. The customer journey and efficiency are at the heart of our operations, and we’ve made sure that the design of this new store allows for quick and easy service for passengers on the go. We’ve also ensured the store is future proofed to manage growing customer numbers into the future.”

Duncan Moir, Starbucks EMEA president, said, “We are delighted to welcome passengers and staff to our new store in Heathrow airport. The UK remains a key market for Starbucks and this opening marks another important step in our growth and investment plans, in partnership with our long-standing licensees, including SSP. We are focused on meeting our customers where they are, bringing the iconic Starbucks Experience to more people right across the UK, whether that’s in the heart of local communities, or offering a vital rest stop while travelling”.

This store opening builds on SSP and Starbucks long-term partnership, which began 17 years ago. The first joint store opened at Heathrow in 2012 and SSP now operates four across the terminals. This store demonstrates the shared commitment to meeting customers where they are such as Terminal 5, in addition to new the store format’s innovations and designs. Meanwhile, this summer, Heathrow expects to see more records broken with an estimated 30 million passengers travelling through its terminals. The forecast comes after Heathrow served a record-breaking 81.5m passengers in the 12 months to May.

Inspired by the natural landscapes of coffee-growing regions, the new store is designed to offer an immersive experience focused on the centrally positioned bar. The layered curved ceiling nods to the mountainous terrain of the coffee farms, complemented by a natural colour scheme. There are also clear walkways to help passengers navigate their way through the store quickly and efficiently, whether ordering to take-away or drink in.

Fraser Brown, retail director at Heathrow, said: “Heathrow is proud to launch Terminal 5’s newest Starbucks location, designed with passengers in mind. In partnership with SSP and Starbucks, we have created an innovative dining experience to suit each passenger’s journey through the airport. As a record 30 million passengers are set to travel through Heathrow this summer, this latest launch demonstrates the success of our retail strategy and Heathrow’s commitment to making every journey better.”

Embracing the spirit of summer, passengers are invited to enjoy Starbucks summer menu, which is now available at Starbucks stores nationwide. This includes the brand-new Iced White Mocha with Strawberry Cream Cold Foam, Iced Caramel Latte with Crème Brulée Cream Cold Foam, Pink Coconut Starbucks Refresha drink with Matcha Cream Cold Foam, Cold Brew with Cookies and Cream, Cream Cold Foam, Iced White Chocolate Pistachio Oat Shaken Espresso. Starbucks UK proudly serves a broad range of dairy alternative options for free.

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France’s oldest tea house, Mariage Frères, opened its first maison de thé in Paris in 1854, building on the family tradition of tea importing and trading since 1660. Then, in 1984, Mariage Frères opened to the retail trade, and continued to open further locations across Paris, Japan, London and Germany. 

The Covent Garden location I visited opened in 2018, after the success of its Selfridges boutique in 2012. It is a beautiful building set over two floors for the public, consisting of a ground floor tea shop, with displays of patisseries to take away, as well as their myriad teas, and exquisite tea paraphernalia. There is also a floor above containing the tearoom, where visitors could sit and enjoy its edible offerings, accompanied of course by a vast selection of Mariage Frères teas, overlooking the shop floor below, or out onto the busy street at the front. 

Out on display, front and centre, was Mariage Frères anniversary blend, ‘Birthday in Love’, which is a handpicked Darjeeling, with additions of bergamot, rose petals and jasmine, which comes in a red, pink and gold box of 30 individual tea muslins. And, as part of their summer launches, there was also the newest addition to the Mariage Frères iced tea portfolio, many of which are themed to specific locations or cities, and so it was apt timing for the Parisian tea company to launch ‘Paris Summer.’ Housed in a large jar, the loose-leaf tea is designed to be cold brewed, and consists of green tea with yuzu, mint, green bergamot and rose petals. Also in the summer launches, were the tea infused and inspired patisseries, such as the ‘Bon Anniversaire’ cream cake and ‘Tea Ice-Cream Sandwich’, both flavoured with the ‘Paris Summer’ tea. 

In between sampling the new offerings, I spoke to Mariage Frères’ Covent Garden store manager, Benjamin Biget, about the launches and the company’s ethos. He emphasised that quality is everything, and they are entirely immovable on that fact. They negotiate directly with farmers, not just to ensure a fair price, but also to ensure the highest standard of quality, including that they are organic. If an ingredient used in one of their teas or blends is no longer available at the high standard Mariage Frères requires, then the product it is used in will just be no longer available for however long it takes, explained Biget. Mariage Frères won’t compromise by subbing in an inferior ingredient just to keep the product line available for customers. This is especially essential since many are very often ‘made to measure’ exclusively for Mariage Frères. All Mariage Frères teas and infusions are rigorously tested for compliance to strict standards of quality and organic practices, and the Mariage Frères  ‘Jardin Premier’ stamp, certifies that they meet the standard. Biget added that, while this is a very expensive process for the company, it is non-negotiable. 

This sense of fastidiousness and tradition is part of the fabric of Mariage Frères, said Biget, and transparency is everything. Little has changed in the company since it first opened its doors to the public, yet it continues as a steadfast brand associated with French elegance. Mariage Frères achieves this, explained Biget, by staying in its own “bubble,” not looking at what competitors are doing, only focusing on themselves and staying true to its purpose and way of doing things. 

Most of the news we receive at Tea & Coffee Trade Journal can be rather coffee-oriented, and I think that is because tea is so much more steeped in tradition, as evidenced by Mariage Frères and its “bubble.” The tea world seems to want to do things the way it has always done them, and doesn’t feel the need to be constantly reinventing itself the way coffee sometimes does. This mentality clearly works, with tea being the most consumed beverage in the world, second only to water, beating its coffee counterpart. Tea is associated with tradition and propriety; you only have to look at the huge popularity of afternoon tea services that places such as Mariage Frères and many prestigious London hotels provide. There is an appetite for the experience as well as the tea, and this is something that Mariage Frères felt acutely aware of on my visit. Something I will continue to ponder, over the ‘Paris Summer’ iced tea I took home with me! 

• 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 London speciality-coffee roaster was paying a minimum of GBP £1.75 per lb before this point, and this change came at the same time as Fairtrade International’s price increase, which was up from $1.40 to $1.80 per lb. 

Prior to August 2023, the Fairtrade base price didn’t cover Fairtrade’s estimated cost of production for farmers, which was, based on the 2021 harvest, $1.76.  

Now, the Fairtrade minimum price covers the estimated cost of production, and certified farmers can also benefit from Fairtrade Premiums, which are additional sums of money invested in projects to improve productivity, climate adaptation, quality, infrastructure, and community services. 

Will Corby, Pact Coffee’s director of coffee and social impact, said:

“As coffee farmers face even tougher economic conditions due to climate change, increasing production costs and inflation, this is a massive change for good, and this is down to the fantastic work of the brilliant people at Fairtrade International.”

“But it’s not compatible with our sourcing model. Fairtrade requires that farmers join cooperatives to get certified. This doesn’t work for many of the small, independent farmers we’ve forged strong, mutually beneficial relationships with over a decade, and we’re sticking by them.”

“For some of these farmers, becoming Fairtrade certified would be too costly, require leaving their farms, and, ultimately, come at the expense of quality.”

“So we’ve instead raised our minimum price to $2 per pound to cover this increase while recognising the extra $0.20 Fairtrade Premium. As always, all of this will go directly to the farmer.”

“This way, we’re encouraging the pursuit of outstanding speciality coffee, while adhering to the Fairtrade Minimum Price and, in many instances, paying significantly more.”

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Hernández’s father, Ricaurte, was the winner of the first ever Colombian Cup of Excellence and ran the farm until, tragically, he was killed by a paramilitary group while defending his farm in 2013. 

Oscar Hernández then left the Navy and returned to the farm, recruited his microbiologist sister and brother in law, and took a scientific approach to coffee which now brings widely admired natural left-of-field tasting notes.

The limited edition set contains 100g sachets of the five coffees that Hernández calls “the DNA of the farm.”

Each set comes with a booklet, detailing the innovative approach to each of the coffees, their tasting notes, and the full story behind the farm, plus a guide on how to taste speciality coffee. 

Jonny Gagel, Pact’s head roaster, said: “Roasters all over the world are queueing up for Oscar’s coffee for good reason. These are genuinely some of the most fascinating coffees I’ve tasted in a long time.” 

“There are flavours of cola, lemon, ginger, cherries, and much more. It’s an ambitious roasting project, and I can’t wait to get started.”

The set is available for pre-order from 11 April for and ships from 18 April. Customers can pre-order the set to save £5 and buy it for £24.95. 

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Situated at 24 New Row, this latest addition to the Kiss the Hippo family has welcomed guests from 28 January, offering a coffee experience in one of London’s most vibrant neighbourhoods.

The expansion follows the success of its other locations in Richmond, Kings Cross, Shoreditch, Fitzrovia, and Chelsea. The Covent Garden café is poised to be a standout destination, showcasing the brand’s commitment to sustainability, exceptional coffee, and care in everything they do.

Guests can enjoy the house blend, known for its rich notes of chocolate, butterscotch, and berries, or explore a variety of single-origin coffees. The menu features espresso-based drinks, drip coffee, chai lattes, matcha lattes, hot chocolate, and teas, all complemented by a selection of pastries and sweet treats.

The new café boasts both indoor and outdoor seating, offering a welcoming space for guests to savour their coffee while soaking in the ambience of this bustling area.

Kiss the Hippo’s ethos centres around environmental responsibility. As a carbon-negative operation, it is dedicated to sustainable practices, from sourcing organic beans to its partnership with On A Mission, contributing to reforestation efforts worldwide.

For customers who make their coffee at home, the coffee brand has compostable pods, coffee bags, equipment, a subscription service and coffee workshops such as a Latte art course and home brewing course, also available.  

The creative director at Kiss the Hippo, Maya Zara, said of the opening, “Everything we do here revolves around care – from how we meticulously source and roast our beans, to the thoughtful design of our spaces. We’re beyond excited to bring Covent Garden the most delicious and sustainable coffee, handcrafted with passion and precision.”

Visit the new site at 24 New Row, Covent Garden, London, WC2N 4LA

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Hagen (The Hagen Project), is a premium coffee brand born out of Copenhagen and founded in London.

“Hagen is focused on delivering premium specialty coffee and committed to doing that sustainably,” said Tim Schroeder, founder of The Hagen Project. “By partnering with Bellwether Coffee to roast our coffee blends in-house on the all-electric, ventless machine, we are continuing to provide our guests with the best in Danish hospitality while reducing our carbon footprint. It allows us to strengthen our brand even further with increased quality and product control, which in turn will grow our business for the future.”

“Our partnership with Hagen marks an important step in the electrification of coffee roasting, as it is the first in Europe to implement our clean technology that is revolutionising the industry,” said Ben Ireland, European managing director of Bellwether Coffee. “Hagen will pioneer electric roasting in London and prove to discerning European coffee consumers that sustainable on-site roasting with Bellwether provides the trifecta of superior taste, quality, and sustainability.”

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Launched in 2017, Redemption Roasters has recorded a 78% rise in monthly sales growth since 2019 and is currently on target to generate £8.1m in sales in the last 12 months with annual revenues forecast to exceed £25m by 2026.

With the UK branded coffee shop market valued at nearly £5bn per year and research showing London’s market for independent coffee retailers has capacity for major growth compared to other international cities, Redemption Roasters is planning to open a further 17 shops in the capital and other parts of the UK by 2026. The company is also developing a new app to boost B2C revenues by an estimated 15% and is focused on further expanding its wholesale customer base.

Redemption Roasters’ business is built around a strong social commitment. The company’s partnership with the UK Ministry of Justice provides retraining programmes aimed at reducing reoffending rates amongst prison leavers. 20% of Redemption Roasters’ current retail staff are either prison leavers or individuals deemed to be at risk of offending.

The company also operates a roastery inside HMP The Mount where resident ‘trainees’ benefit from spending extended periods out of their cells working in a positive environment alongside Redemption Roasters’ team. The company also provides coffee training inside and outside of prison with direct pathways to long-term employment. Through 14 partnerships with UK prisons to date, over 1,500 individuals have taken part in these programmes, with participant reoffending rates sitting well below half the national average.

As well as paying an average of 120% more than the Fairtrade price to their bean suppliers, Redemption Roasters is also committed to social initiatives including supporting female farmers in Brazil and helping former civil war combatants in Colombia to retrain as coffee producers. It has also funded a new cupping lab to help an indigenous tribe in Burundi enhance the quality of its coffee.

The company was founded by Max Dubiel and Ted Rosner, who met while attending St Andrews University. Prior to launching Redemption Roasters, Max worked as a strategy consultant with large consumer brands and was also a founder of Black Sheep Coffee, the UK’s fastest growing independent coffee chain. Ted, who qualified as a solicitor, worked with Wall Street firm Debevoise & Plimpton as a corporate specialist handling M&A deals.

The company’s executive team includes chairman Jonathan Heilbron, an experienced and successful brand innovator who was former CEO at shirtmaker, Thomas Pink, and is now a partner at premium consumer fund, Redrice Ventures.

To help drive its growth strategy and support further development of its social aims, Redemption Roasters has now launched a £1.2m investment round, which includes a crowdfunding campaign on Crowdcube. Further details can be found here. 

The majority of the proceeds of the investment round will go towards financing the opening of new outlets.

Commenting on the investment round, Redemption Roasters founder, Max Dubiel, said: “As a purpose-driven business that has achieved phenomenal growth, we are very excited about this next chapter in our journey. This current investment round includes a crowdfund, enabling those who share our ethos to join us on our journey.

“The proceeds will drive further growth of our brand and help us achieve even greater profitability through scale. This will also enable the business to do more to help prison leavers and further deliver on our wider social ambitions to support coffee producers throughout the world.”

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A limited edition that will launch in time for festive celebrations and Dry January, the collaboration is back for the third year. MOMO X Orbit Beers Hops Kombucha is made with Hallertau Blanc and Nelson Sauvin hops that provide tropical fruit and gooseberry flavours, rounded out with a tart kombucha. Hops have a complex flavour base, mapping citrus tones and herbal, earthy notes, which make them a match for fully fermented tart kombucha like MOMO’s. A non-alcoholic option that beer drinkers can get truly excited about, says the company.

Co-founder of MOMO Kombucha, Josh Puddle, commented, “We could think of no better partner than Orbit Beers, we’ve admired their traditional method of making European beer with a modern twist down the road in South East London for many years. This traditional approach with a flavour focused modern spin felt like a natural fit for the way we brew. This is our third limited edition special, and we are so grateful to have partnered with Orbit. Their beers can regularly be found in our brewery fridge (for when a kombucha can’t quite cut it) and Orbit supply some of our favourite pubs and restaurants in London. Thanks also to our head brewer, Matt Canham, for the creation of this delicious kombucha – it could be our best yet.”

Robert Middleton, founder of Orbit Beers added, “We’ve admired MOMO’s traditional method of brewing kombucha down the road in South London for many years and love working with and sharing recipes and ideas with their team. Our first collaborative batch was brewed in January 2021. It was so well received, winning a Great Taste Award, that we decided to brew it for the third time, in time for Dry January 2024. One of the main reasons we fell in love with kombucha (apart from the delicious taste) is the benefits for our gut microbiome.”

For every bottle sold, MOMO will contribute 10p to Save the Children’s Gaza appeal, supporting children affected by the crisis in the region.

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A total of thirty-six Highly Commended and thirteen Gold awards were presented by The Leafies judges, which include preeminent tea leaders from brands such as Fortnum & Mason, The Ritz London, Postcard Teas, Twinings, Lipton and more. A selection of Special Awards were also presented to individuals, estates, or institutions that were effecting positive change within the industry in areas such as education, community empowerment, innovation and environmental stewardship.

This winner of the Fortnum & Mason Best in Show award, and therefore the highest scoring tea of the entire competition, is Yame Tea Kumaen’s Gyokuro Saemidori, an exquisite steamed green tea produced by a tiny tea garden in a remote mountainous region in Fukuoka, Japan. Guests at the ceremony were able to sample this tea, brewed by Kazumi Nakatani who travelled from Japan, amongst twenty-five of the award-winning teas made available to taste.

Zealong Tea Estate were another notable winner of the afternoon, scooping three awards in total for its Aged Oolong, Aromatic Oolong and the UKTA Lifetime Achievement Award, recognising Zealong’s phenomenal efforts pioneering a tea culture in New Zealand and demonstrating a tireless commitment to environmental regeneration through its sustainable farming practice. Zealong CEO Gigi Crawford and International Marketing Manager Sen Kong were present at the ceremony to serve their teas and said “this award acknowledges 25 years of hard work bringing about a tea industry and culture in New Zealand by Zealong Tea Estate, we are deeply honoured and grateful to receive this award.”

The Leafies aims to connect primary tea producers with buyers and hospitality professionals and offer exposure to a global tea-focused market. A selection of winners will once again be selected for sale across Fortnum & Mason’s Rare Tea Counter, where six winning teas from last year are still currently being sold. Ottilie Cunningham, tea buyer for Fortnum & Mason, said, “An enormous thank you and huge congratulations to everyone for another successful year of The Leafies. The organisation that goes into the entire thing is immense and it is really exciting to see how much it has grown since last year’s launch.”

New for this year were categories for retailers who are selling tea online or in store and connecting tea drinkers with carefully selected high-quality teas. Triple award-winning Japanese tea shop, Chaki Co was started by three former tea producers in March this year. Dorothy’s Teas, a former UK Tea Academy student and retailer based in Cumbria, UK, won Gold in the BRITA sponsored White Tea category for her Shannon Estate Silver Needles White Tea.

The full list of winners is available on the UK Tea Academy website here.

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Alongside a leading judging panel, BRITA searched the UK for coffee shops that embodied innovation. The top ten most innovative coffee shops in the UK have been revealed as:

• Skinny Dip, Margate
• Qima, London
• Baffle Haus, Pontypool
• Batch Baby, London
• Effy Stores, Nottingham
• Formative, London
• Fika, Norwich
• Lowdown, Edinburgh
• Carbon Kopi, London
• Souli, London

The awards comes on the back of the launch of PURITY C iQ.

The launch of this new innovation was inspired by the strong link between creativity and coffee. Recent research from BRITA Professional revealed that 58% of UK adults associate coffee shops with creativity. Almost half (43%) visit a coffee shop at least once a month to inspire creativity and innovation. And 54% are drinking coffee when they feel most creative.

The research also revealed other elements that would make customers stay longer and return to coffee shops, including:

• Free refills (49%)
• Drinks offers and promotions (37%)
• Reward schemes (35%)
• Food options (28%)
• A dedicated workspace (24%)

Being the first award of its kind in the sector, BRITA Professional assembled an elite panel of coffee industry titans to help narrow down the shortlist and create the top 10 ranking:

• Ben Lewis – UK Latte Art Championship Finalist 2018, 2019, 2020
• Emma Haines – Director at Caffeina
• Lois and Michela Wilson – Founders of Saint Aymes
• Paul Whitehead – Business Account Manager at BRITA UK
• Peter Dore-Smith – Founder and Director at Kaffeine

Lois and Michela Wilson, founders of Saint Aymes and creative partners of the Grounds of Innovation campaign, commented, “A clear theme throughout the winners of the award was the sense of community that these locations foster. When you actually focus on innovation and creativity, you’re more likely to create a community, and you’re more likely to stand out.”

Tom Denning at Skinny Dip, the top ranked coffee shop, said “It just means a lot to all of us to have this industry recognition. Our shop opened its door five days before the first lockdown so it’s extremely satisfying to have navigated such a steep learning curve and to now be achieving this recognition. The creative community in Margate inspires us every day and it will continue to play a huge role in our business as we look to expand.”

Paul Whitehead, business account manager at BRITA UK, said, “Judging these awards highlighted the true breadth of creativity in coffee we have across the UK, all the way from South Wales to Scotland and everywhere in between. The winners had truly inspiring stories, both from how they operate their businesses in a thoughtful manner to how customers use their locations to boost their own creativity.”

For more information on BRITA Professional’s Grounds of Innovation campaign and further information on the winners, visit: brita.co.uk/grounds-of-innovation-winners.

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Known for their house blend coffee, with tasting notes of chocolate, butterscotch and berries, Kiss the Hippo Chelsea will open its doors on 4 November. To celebrate the launch, the first 100 customers through the door will receive a complementary coffee. The location is adding to their catalogue of London locations from their first site in Richmond through to their latest on Fitzrovia Corner.

Located at 285 Fulham Road, the new Kiss the Hippo café spans 600 square feet, boasting a minimalistic modern feel that exudes intentionality in every detail. Blending both aesthetics and performance, the state-of-the-art Kees Van Der Western Spirit Espresso Machine takes centre stage. The wider space is adorned with Kristina Dam Studio Japanese dining chairs, Audo Copenhagen Danish furniture, and lighting by Cedar and Moss.

The signature George Street Blend of house espresso is accompanied by an array of single origin and decaf options to cater to diverse preferences. The café will also offer a range of pastries, cookies, focaccia and more.

This year also marks five years since the first Kiss the Hippo café opened in Richmond which at the time also housed the coffee roastery on site. The years that followed have seen the company win the UK Barista championships three times, and open multiple locations.

Kiss the Hippo has compostable pods, coffee bags, equipment, a subscription service and coffee workshops such as a Latte art course and home brewing course, available.

The creative director at Kiss the Hippo, Maya Zara, said of the opening: “Everything we do here revolves around care – from how we meticulously source and roast our beans, to the thoughtful design of our spaces. We’re beyond excited to bring Chelsea the most delicious and sustainable coffee, handcrafted with passion and precision.”

Hannah Grievson, property director at Sloane Stanley, said: “Kiss the Hippo will be a solid addition to the Fulham Road. Not only does its unique concept appeal to consumers from a sustainability perspective, promoting itself as London’s first carbon negative coffee company, but it delivers a bespoke retail element and boasts a strong community offer, mirroring the ethos of the Chelsea neighbourhood and wider Sloane Stanley Estate. We look forward to welcoming them at the start of the month.”

Kiss the Hippo Chelsea will be open from 4th November

Visit the new site at 285 Fulham Road, London, SW10 9PZ

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Hosted in Islington’s Business Design Centre, London, it was great to see the coffee and tea industry so well represented at this scale of show compared to the other larger international events taking place at the moment. The show offered a great mix of big names such as Lavazza, Pukka and Sucafina, alongside the smaller-time roasters and newcomer businesses.

Elliot Gard, event director, commented, “One of my favourite things about Caffè Culture is bringing our fantastic industry together to share ideas, build new relationships, learn about the latest trends whilst reacquainting yourselves with old friends and colleagues for two busy days of invaluable networking.”

Alongside the 110 exhibitors, there was a speaker line up of over 40 experts, six of whom attended a panel discussing Supply Chain Sustainability. This included: Emma Haines, UK sales manager, Alegrano; Mandi Caudill, carbon project manager & lead ecologist, Falcon; Sarah Walker, sustainability officer, Origin Coffee; Catalina Gutierrez, co-founder, Cata Export; May Putman Cramer, change manager for sustainability, Sucafina; and Frank Turner, responsible sourcing manager, Taylors of Harrogate.

Catalina and Mandi begun by discussing what their respective companies’ main sustainability focus currently is. Catalina explained that pricing and nurturing connections along their supply chain is important, as stabilsing pricing creates loyalty and trust, and this not only leads to more sustainable relationships, but trust and accountability. Meanwhile Mandi revealed that Falcon currently have 20 different sustainability projects on the go, with lots of data and science driven initiatives. Its main objective is to consolidate how emissions are measured in the coffee industry, and find a common standard to hold companies to, rather than the current individualistic approaches which create a barrier for cross company comparisons and collaborations.

Emma added to this by explaining that access to finance is the main barrier for producer sustainability, alongside a lack of information and education on the issues. Communication at farm level and bringing the producers into the conversation about sustainability strategies is essential for the longevity and equality of the schemes.

Mandi agreed and commented that companies are making sustainability claims and expecting the farms to carry them out, despite the majority of emissions not even coming from the farm level of the supply chain. All of the responsibility cannot be placed solely on the farmer, especially when the vast majority of coffee farmers are living below the poverty line, pointed out Frank. For impactful sustainability practices to be implemented at origin, there needs to be a restructuring on how so much of our coffee is sourced to ensure security of farmer livelihoods.

This perspective of looking more holistically at the coffee supply chain was concurred by Sarah, who argued that we cannot just use technology as the solution, it can only delay or shift problems. She used the example of the development of bio-plastic; while a valuable innovation and substantially improved upon petroleum-based plastic, according to a study by University College London, if we were to replace all plastic we currently use with bio-plastic, in order to meet this demand there wouldn’t be enough land left to grow food. A longer term solution needs to be found. And this is the same with the coffee supply chain.

Frank asserted that we need to face up to the issues of the coffee supply chain and ask the uncomfortable questions if sustainable and long-lasting progress can be made to save the coffee industry for future generations.

• 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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There were ample exhibitors from across the speciality food and beverage sphere, from chocolate, cheese, spirits, and of course a sprinkling of speciality tea and coffee companies.

The ground floor was largely made up of more established companies, such as the English Tea Shop, a partner of the event, which, like almost all the companies exhibiting, had samples on hand for inquisitive visitors. Venturing upstairs I came across a couple of coffee roasters: Wales-based Bay Coffee Roasters had a great selection of its coffees on display, including project specific blends and roasts, and Rounton Coffee Roasters, who were sporting recent Great Taste Awards for six of its specialty coffee products, including two stars for Sparkling Water Decaf Coffee and Colombian Wilton Benitez Pink Bourbon Coffee.

It was also a pleasure to meet some of the many smaller, newer companies at the show many of which were part of The Start-Up Village, comprising companies trading under two years. QuirkyMonkey was launched only in November 2022, and came to the Speciality & Fine Food Fair to display its nootropic mushroom coffees, as well as its recently introduced mushroom hot chocolate. Darwin Fletcher, QuirkyMonkey’s founder, developed the idea for the company after discovering how nootropic drinks could support his focus throughout the day with his neurodiversity. The show presented a great opportunity for new companies, such as QuirkyMonkey, to place themselves in front of possible buyers and collaborators.

There was certainly a theme of health benefits and functionality at the show, and not just across tea and coffee. Functionality, sustainability and ethical production seem to be a necessity for specialty products, as customers are seeking more from their purchases than just a great taste; if they are going to pay that bit extra, they want the extra benefits, whether that be to their health or to the environment. Consumers want to feel that they are using their money for a good cause, and specialty producers are rising to meet this demand, with a tide of Fairtrade, organic, and B-Corp certifications flooding the packaging, and frequently more wellness claims of improved sleep or mood, calmness, better digestion and pretty much anything else you could want.

While some more budget and commercial products may still be able to get away with dodging sustainability pressures for now, as they have the price point advantage, consumers seeking more premium and specialty products do not withhold such demands from their purchasing choices. The array of projects and efforts on display at the Speciality & Fine Food Fair were a credit to this.

• 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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