Matcha Union is a London brand founded in 2020 by Louisa Birkhahn, working directly with growers in Uji, Shizuoka and Yame. The name refers to the union of tradition and modern ritual.
Its range pairs cultivar-named matcha with flavoured versions and matcha chocolate, shipped worldwide from warehouses in the UK, Germany and the UAE.
Matcha Union is a London-registered brand founded in 2020 by Louisa Birkhahn, selling matcha as a wellness ritual — the language is calm energy, connection and community rather than connoisseurship.
Despite that framing, its two core teas carry real sourcing detail: it names the cultivar and flush for both, from a first-harvest Okumidori from Uji to a Samidori and Yabukita premium from Shizuoka. Its flavoured matchas and matcha chocolate are sold without that detail.
Matcha Union names the cultivar and flush behind its two core unflavoured teas, which is useful sourcing detail for a brand positioned on wellness rather than tea expertise. Its flavoured matchas, refill and chocolates do not carry equivalent cultivar information.
Matcha
- Ceremonial Grade 30 g — organic first-harvest Okumidori from Uji, Kyoto.
- Premium Grade 100 g — Samidori and Yabukita, first and second flush, from Shizuoka.
- Strawberry Matcha and Vanilla Matcha — flavoured versions for lattes and iced drinks.
- Matcha Refill — for reusing tins.
Matcha chocolate
- Matcha White Chocolate and Matcha Dark Chocolate, also sold as a bundle — a genuinely uncommon product line for a matcha brand.
Sets, tools and merchandise
A Matcha Ceremony Set, Ritual Set, Matcha Kit, whisk and whisk-holder sets, an easy-pour bowl, a Japanese tea bowl, a Sakura bowl and a perfect matcha scoop; plus a matcha e-book, tote bags, glassware, socks, a cap and a collaboration bracelet.
Matcha Union works with three named Japanese regions and publishes the cultivar for its two core teas.
Uji, Kyoto
Uji supplies the organic Ceremonial Grade, made from first-harvest Okumidori — a late-harvesting cultivar valued for deep green colour and a smooth, naturally sweet profile with restrained astringency.
Shizuoka
Shizuoka supplies the Premium Grade, a blend of Samidori and Yabukita across first and second flush. Samidori is a classic matcha cultivar; Yabukita is Japan's most widely planted variety. Second-flush leaf brings more body and a firmer edge, which suits a larger 100 g tin used for lattes.
Yame, Fukuoka
Yame is named as a region the brand works with directly, though no specific product is attributed to it.
Matcha Union Limited was incorporated in the United Kingdom in 2020, with a trading address at 31 Kentish Town Road in London. Louisa Birkhahn is the sole director and the person with significant control, and the brand presents her as its founder.
Alserkal Avenue previously listed the launch of The Edit Matcha Bar x Matcha Union at The Edit concept store in Dubai. This documents a collaboration, not a Matcha Union-owned bar, and its current operating status has not been confirmed. The brand states that orders are fulfilled from warehouses in the UK, Germany and the UAE.
One caveat: the site's “as seen in” wall shows Forbes, Financial Times and Vanity Fair logos as static images with no outbound links, and those placements could not be independently located.
It names them for both core teas, which is rare for a wellness-positioned brand. The organic Ceremonial Grade 30 g is first-harvest Okumidori from Uji, Kyoto. The Premium Grade 100 g is a blend of Samidori and Yabukita from Shizuoka, across first and second flush. Yame in Fukuoka is named as a third partner region without a specific product attributed to it.
Yes — Matcha White Chocolate and Matcha Dark Chocolate, sold individually and as a bundle. It is a genuinely uncommon line for a matcha brand, most of which stop at powders and tools, and it fits the brand's broader lifestyle range alongside glassware, tote bags and a collaboration bracelet.
Louisa Birkhahn, who is the sole director and person with significant control of Matcha Union Limited, incorporated in the UK in 2020 (company number 12571525). The trading address is 31 Kentish Town Road, London. Press from 2021 also named Yureeka Yasuda as a co-founder, but she is not recorded at Companies House and no longer appears on the site.
No current permanent Matcha Union shop has been confirmed. Alserkal Avenue documented the launch of The Edit Matcha Bar x Matcha Union at The Edit concept store in Dubai, but this was a collaboration rather than a wholly owned Matcha Union bar, and its current operating status is unverified. The London address is a trading office rather than a public shop.