About US
MATSU-CHA is a Japanese Teahouse founded by two Japanese tea-enthusiasts.
Sourcing Our Teas
At MATSU-CHA, we have direct partnerships with many local tea producers in Japan, who are primarily family-run businesses over many generations. Additionally, we also collaborate with a reputable tea wholesaler to offer a wider variety of premium teas. Through regular conversations, visits, and the exchange of ideas, we strive to continuously deepen our understanding of the tea industry, including its current state and the challenges for the future. Our suppliers' unwavering passion and commitment to creating exceptional tea goes beyond words; it is a privilege to partner with them and introduce their creations to our customers in Europe
Organic Farming
The majority of our teas are either certified organic or naturally grown without the use of pesticides or fertilisers. Organic and natural farming practices preserve soil health and nurture local ecosystems, aiding a more sustainable future. Compared to conventional methods, organic farming requires extra processes, hard work and skill to maintain quality results. This often comes at a slightly higher cost but we are proud to support this, as we believe in the positive impact these methods make on our environment and the wellbeing of generations to come.
There are millions of tea farmers in Japan, and many are small, family-run farms, producing unique, delicious teas in very small quantities as a lot of the process is still done by hand. To narrow down our search to find the exclusive selections for MATSU-CHA, we decided that our teas will have to align with our values, unique, sustainable and quality.
With a few exceptions, we import all our teas directly from the tea farmers in Japan. All of them are family-run and have been producing tea for many generations. We always take time to get to know our farmers and their teas. We sample them over many months to really immerse ourselves in their creation and try to choose the perfect selection to introduce to our European customers. After hearing their stories, all of our farmers' passion and dedication to growing great teas are truly impeccable, we are excited to partner with them.
Most of our teas are organic certified or naturally grown with no pesticides and fertilisers. We firmly believe in sustainability. Organic or natural farming methods enhance soil fertility and establish an optimal local ecosystem (that is sustainable for our future). There are many process and extra work that goes into establishing organic farms, hence our teas are not the most cost effective ranges, however we ensure you that everyone is fairly paid and our teas are … (not mass production).
(However, having said that, or none.) We don’t only select our farmers solely on organic status as the quality and flavour of the teas are also important to us, Many tea farmers, especially the ones in Kyoto that have been in business for generations after generations often stick to the old, traditional methods of growing, which sometimes don’t tick all the checklists of the modern organic certification. Also, some products are made in such small quantities, it can be too costly to undergo the process to obtain the organic certification. Either way, we ensure that all our delicious teas are grown with love and care, for the tea drinkers as well as nature. So you can be sure that the products you purchase are made with love and care from each farmer.