Two years ago, before we started our brand, we were just matcha lovers with little to no experience in selling matcha to the public. We simply loved consuming, understanding and celebrating our love for the product. However, our love for matcha was not just about combining it with other syrups or flavours, nor just posting about how bright it looks. We were deeply interested in the product itself.
Through developing an interest in matcha, we came to discover that there is so much more to it than first meets the eye. Nicha (Haru Matcha co-founder), being from Thailand and having spent time in Japan exploring matcha through matcha tasting workshops and tea ceremonies, had developed a deep appreciation for matcha cultivation, ceremony and ritual. As well as an interest in Japanese tea more broadly.
In the west, most people have heard of wine tastings where they taste a range of different wines. Paying attention to different tasting notes and flavours which come out of the wine. We love the respect which is given to wine in a high quality bar, restaurant or experience. But wine is not the only drink product which can be treated with such reverence. In Japan as in France, farmers have dedicated hours to every element of the cultivation and production process. We wanted to bring out a high level of respect and interest in the depth and quality of good matcha. By creating a space where people can explore the depth of this wonderful product. In our experiences, we use tasting wheel to compare against different flavour types and pair matcha with different types of sweets
The expansion of the matcha scene over the past few years motivated this further, as we wanted to differentiate ourselves from just matcha as something to look pretty in a drink to deep appreciation for matcha and Japanese tea culture. We have since spent time in Japan, to learn more about the history of tea ceremony, to speak with different farmers from different regions about what they believe about matcha production. We started with creating this bespoke tasting experience and creating a matcha product with all the key information and indicators of quality front and centre of our brand.
Now, through the matcha appreciation club, we want to do more. That’s why we are supplying all matcha appreciation club members with tasting guides and tasting cards to capture their impression of matcha tasting notes, expanding out our matcha tasting experience with events tailored for club members and creating merchandise to help people in this community of people who love matcha appreciation.
As much as possible, we are including benefits as complementary within the matcha appreciation club when you buy our matcha on subscription.
By creating this club, we hope to encourage people to slow down and discover the many layers of matcha, rather than seeing it as just another drink trend. It is about forming a deeper connection with what you consume and recognising the history, culture, and craftsmanship behind it.
We see the Matcha Appreciation Club as more than a subscription. It is a community built around curiosity, mindfulness, and shared experiences.
As we continue our journey, we will keep learning from the masters of Japanese tea and from our own community. Together, we can elevate the way matcha is appreciated in the West, turning it from something pretty in a cup into something truly meaningful and deep.
You can check out more about the matcha appreciation club here