Coffee Stories 5th June 2026

Introducing: Craft Matcha

Introducing: Craft Matcha

Matcha is a slow ritual. Whisked stone-milled green tea, served in a bowl, taken without rush. We waited until we found one good enough to sit next to our coffee. Craft Matcha is a first-harvest, ceremonial-grade matcha from Shizuoka, Japan.

Why Shizuoka

Shizuoka sits between the Pacific coast and the southern Japanese Alps, one of Japan's oldest and most respected tea regions. Its high-altitude gardens benefit from cool nights, mineral-rich soil and a dependable misty climate. This is the home of our first-harvest tencha.

Shade-Grown, First Harvest

Tencha is the leaf used to make matcha. In the weeks before harvest, the plants are shaded from direct sunlight. This pushes them to produce more chlorophyll and more amino acids, particularly L-theanine. That is what gives matcha its green colour, smooth texture and natural sweetness.

The first harvest, or first flush, is the youngest leaf of the year. Picked at the peak of the season, it carries the most concentrated flavour the plant will produce all year.

Stone-Milled at Low Temperature

After picking, the leaves are steamed, dried and de-veined, then stone-milled at low temperature. The milling is slow, which keeps the heat down and protects the aromatics. What is left is a fine powder with a silky texture.

How We Selected This One

We tasted a lot of matcha before landing on this lot. Flavour was the first filter. We were looking for something smooth, sweet and deeply umami, without the bitterness or grassiness that lower-grade matcha often carries.

Then came the stripe test.

Good matcha leaves a clean line in a bright green. Lower grades come out gritty, broken and dull. Ceremonial-grade is the leaf only, with veins and stems removed, then stone-milled to a fine powder. Cheaper matcha leaves the stems and veins in. They are tougher, they never grind down as small, and you feel them under your finger and see them in the line.

Our Craft Matcha left a clean, even stripe. Smoother than most ceremonial matcha we tested. That, alongside the cup, is how we knew this was the one.

Certified Organic

Craft Matcha is certified organic by the Soil Association (GB-ORG-05). No synthetic pesticides, no shortcuts. The same standard we apply to every coffee we serve.

How to Brew

Three ways to prepare Craft Matcha, drawn from the ceremonial tradition and adapted for everyday use. A bamboo whisk (chasen) gives the smoothest result, but any whisk will do.

Ceremonial (Hot)

  1. Sift 1g of Craft Matcha into a bowl.
  2. Add 50ml of hot water at 70 to 80°C.
  3. Whisk briskly in a W or M motion until smooth and frothy.
  4. Top up with 150ml hot water to taste.

Use 2g for a thicker, more concentrated cup. The water should be hot but not boiling. Anything above 80°C will draw bitterness from the leaf.

Iced Latte

  1. Sift 1 to 2g of Craft Matcha into a glass or shaker.
  2. Add 50ml of hot water (70 to 80°C) and whisk or shake into a smooth paste.
  3. Pour over ice.
  4. Top with 150 to 250ml of cold milk of your choice.

Always make the paste first. This is what stops clumping when the cold milk goes in.

Hot Latte

  1. Sift 1 to 2g of Craft Matcha into a bowl or jug.
  2. Add 50ml of hot water (70 to 80°C) and whisk into a smooth paste.
  3. Pour into a cup.
  4. Add 150 to 250ml of steamed or frothed milk of your choice.

Tips

  • Sift before whisking. Matcha clumps quickly, and sifting gives a smoother cup.
  • Whisk the paste, not the full drink. Hot water plus matcha first, then everything else.
  • Store the tin sealed and away from light. Use within a few weeks of opening to keep the colour and flavour at their best. The vivid green is part of the cup.

A 30g tin makes 15 to 30 servings.

A Micro-Lot

This is a small first-harvest release. Once it is gone, it is gone for the season.
Kiss the Hippo Craft Matcha ceremonial grade tin, first harvest tencha from Shizuoka Japan

Craft Matcha

£38.00
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