Everything you need to know about House Matcha

Matcha is a fine Japanese green tea powder made from whole, ground leaves, known for its rich, umami flavour, vibrant green colour, and unique energy-boosting properties. The young leaves of the first harvest of the year are shaded for 3-4 weeks before they're picked to bring out sweetness in the resulting cup. After harvesting, the leaves are steamed, then dried and sorted to remove stems and veins. What remains is called tencha - the raw material used to make matcha. Tencha is then slowly ground into a fine powder. 

The centrepiece of a Japanese tea ceremony (chado), matcha is traditionally prepared using a bamboo matcha whisk and then drunk from a 'chawan' or tea bowl, allowing you to sip the tea while also taking in its fresh aroma. The fine green powder is whisked into hot water to create a vibrant, frothy suspension of tea. That means that unlike with other teas where you discard the leaf and consume just the liquor, with matcha you are consuming both.

While matcha has deep roots in Japanese tea culture, it’s the matcha latte - hot or iced - that’s become the most popular way for consumers to enjoy it in the UK. There's something about the combination of this green tea and creamy milk that has thirsty customers obsessed. Good & Proper House Matcha has been crafted to shine in milk in foodservice environments and to recreate your favourite takeaway matcha latte at home. 

WHO IS HIROSHI KOBAYASHI?

Kobayashi-san has dedicated decades to the craft of Japanese tea - in fact, he is one of only 13 people in Japan to hold the top 10-Dan tea master rank. His particular expertise lies in his discerning selection process, choosing only the best shade-grown leaves from the spring harvest. Committed to traditional methods, he oversees every batch, ensuring the leaves are properly shaded before harvest to develop their vibrant colour and distinctive flavour. They are then skilfully blended, exclusively for Good & Proper. 

WHAT IS GOOD & PROPER HOUSE MATCHA? 

This House Matcha, the first in our new range, was developed specifically to shine with milk. That meant looking at more than just colour - while a vibrant green is a sign of good quality, we look closely too at flavour, balance, texture and grind size, ensuring it reflects the quality our customers have come to expect. We also consider farming practices, choosing producers who meet UK/EU standards and share our values.

Available in 100g pouches, all first orders of Good & Proper’s House Matcha blend will receive a complimentary Matcha Tin For Life - allowing you to store your matcha air-tight and away from sunlight, keeping it fresher for longer.

'CEREMONIAL GRADE' MATCHA

Working directly with a tea master of Kobayashi-san's calibre means we can offer not only outstanding matcha, but also the kind of supply chain transparency that's increasingly hard to come by - especially as global demand for this particular tea soars and marketing claims become harder to trust.

If you've recently started drinking matcha, you might have come across the term “ceremonial grade matcha” - a westernised buzzword that is being slapped on everything, regardless of quality or origin. The problem is, “ceremonial grade matcha” means nothing. It’s an unregulated, marketing term with no consistent definition and no guarantee of quality, flavour, or provenance.

As we launch our new range of matcha products, we think it’s time to move away from vague labels and focus on what really matters - how it’s made, how it’s brewed, and how it tastes. 

CAFFEINE AND HOUSE MATCHA

Like all true teas, matcha contains caffeine - but in higher amounts, since you're consuming the whole leaf. What sets it apart is its high concentration of L-theanine, an amino acid that works alongside caffeine to promote a feeling of calm, focused energy. Rather than the sharp spike and crash that some people experience with coffee, matcha delivers a smoother, longer-lasting lift and a sense of calm alertness. 

HOW BEST TO ENJOY HOUSE MATCHA 

It's been a long time coming, but we believe we've landed on something truly delicious. A beautifully balanced matcha - smooth, vibrant and delicately sweet, with a clean umami finish. Here is our go-to recipe for the drink everyone is talking about. A smooth creamy matcha latte made with our new House Matcha.