Have we hit peak matcha? The sheer pace of innovation would seem to suggest so.
In the past 24 hours alone, no fewer than three matcha launches have been announced. Both Oatly and Alpro have added new matcha lines to their plant-based portfolios. And Forest Feast has announced a tie-up with PerfectTed, the challenger brand that arguably kick-started the trend, to create matcha chocolate almonds.
Even Costa, which was criticised for being slow to jump on the matcha trend compared with rivals, has got on board. At the start of the year, the coffee shop chain unveiled a three-strong lineup.
Several factors have propelled matcha from a niche Japanese ceremonial tea to a mainstream trend. First, there’s its rich, distinctive green hue, which seems to make it instantly Instagrammable. Second, its antioxidant properties – along with the promise of a slower, more sustained energy release than coffee – play to wider health trends. Third, its famed umami qualities are versatile enough to work across a range of flavours and formats. Matcha is regularly combined with vanilla, blueberry and – as seen in the Oatly launch – strawberry. The flavour can also work in bakery and confectionery. Matcha chocolate is now a regular sight, and was one of the key trends singled out by The Grocer at Spanish food and drink trade show Alimentaria.
Those same forces could prove pivotal for another emerging trend: ube. Already, the purple-hued Filipino yam is becoming a fixture on mainstream coffee shop menus. Costa Coffee brought out a purple-hued Sweet Ube Frappe and a Sweet Ube Hot Chocolate in March. Meanwhile, Starbucks has launched a four-strong ube range for spring.
They build on the success of independent outlets such as Panadera, a Filipino cafe in Soho and Marylebone that caused a stir on TikTok and Instagram with its purple drinks last year. Pret a Manger was also an early adopter with its Ube Brûlée Iced Latte last summer.
The signs suggest ube could be poised for success. The bright purple colour gives it as much Instagram potential as matcha. The yam’s natural sweetness could make it a healthier choice (even if many of the launches to date have added sugar and syrups). And just like matcha, ube lends itself to plenty of options beyond drinks. The likes of Kasa & Kin and Pasion Bakery in London make a range of ube-based sweet treats and cakes.
So if last summer was green, could this one shape up to be about the colour purple?
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