Tencha (originally under another name) was founded in the summer of 2019. We are a London based boutique retailer dedicated to bringing authentic Japanese tea experiences to the UK. 

Our mission is to create a space where our customers can trust that they are buying the best Japanese teas and tea ware, crafted by genuine Japanese artisans. Traceability is extremely important to us at Tencha, we always tell you where your tea is from and who has produced it. We believe the artisans creating our curated selection of teas and tea accessories are the real stars of the show and we aim to showcase their work and celebrate the many generations, years and hours of hard work they have put in to creating each and every leaf, cup or piece of art.

We are proud members of the Global Japanese Tea Association, Check out the Global Japanese Tea Association YouTube channel here 

Why Tencha? 

Tencha leaves are the high quality shaded tea leaves that are used to create matcha. These leaves are cultivated in a similar way to gyokuro. They must be shaded for at least 4 weeks to develop the beautiful umami balanced flavour. The leaves are steamed, cooled, dried, de-stemmed and deveined before they can be ground into the green gold we know and love.

Tencha when spelt with the Kanji 碾茶 literally translates to ground tea. We have chosen the kanjji 天茶 for our name. 天 meaning heavenly and 茶 tea. We hope this reflects our love and respect for this wonderful plant and for the hardworking farmers who produce our favourite drink.

 

 

 

If you would like to learn more about Japanese tea and culture why not check out the GJTA events and courses.