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An annual report has found a 133% increase in matcha orders in businesses, with customers aged under 35 driving the demand
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Food — Isabella Lee
It was “love at first sip” when Donna Win had her first matcha latte in Japan in 2019. The 27-year-old small business owner and co-founder of the Matcha Club in Sydney had never been a coffee fan – it gives her “the shakes” – but had always enjoyed the flavour of green tea. When she tried the vividly coloured drink, “it was like, wow, this is the real deal”.
Returning to Sydney, she was dismayed by how few cafes were serving matcha. Now, less than a decade later, it’s become a “staple” on Australian cafe menus. To try the new matcha flooding the city, Win and her sister started a social club in 2024, bringing together matcha enthusiasts to cafe hop around town.
The going rate for an iced matcha latte is about $8 – about $2 more than a standard milk coffee – and young Australians are undeterred by the price. An annual report on Australian coffee habits and spending by ordering platform Hey You and Westpac DataX found there has been a 133% increase in matcha orders year-on-year, with customers aged under 35 driving this demand.
The Japanese beverage, traditionally served unsweetened, without milk and prepared in an involved tea ceremony, is now firmly in the mainstream. It’s the internet’s current beverage fixation, with over 5m videos under the #matcha hashtag on TikTok, that has translated to real life with the glowing green beverage dominating local coffee shops and international chains.
Its boom in popularity has caused a strain on production and supply in Japan . The wholesale price of tencha, the loose leaves used to make matcha, grown in Kyoto has risen by 69% over the past year , from a 2025 high of 8,235 yen (A$82) a kilogram, to an average price of 13,972 yen (A$122).
Sarah Xu’s love affair with matcha started last year, and replaced her daily oat latte in the process. The thirtysomething head of operations enjoys having a more “mild start” to her mornings and says she feels matcha has health benefits when compared to coffee. (Matcha is high in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory substances, though it contains a compound that can affect the body’s ability to absorb medication .) She adds various supplements like cacao, for focus, or keratin for muscle recovery to her matcha. She thinks growing health-consciousness is a reason for the drink’s popularity.
Win says the people she’s met through her social club also want to avoid the “coffee crash”, where a standard serve of matcha contains roughly 70mg of caffeine compared to the 80 to 100mg found in coffee.
Jade Gillis, a 24-year-old hospitality worker, is neither a coffee nor tea drinker, but matcha has struck a chord. She has it three to four times a week which she says “brightens my day”. Both she and Win agree matcha is particularly photogenic. “The green is really beautiful,” says Win. Adds Gillis: “Unfortunately, it is a bit of an aesthetic.” She says that matcha has become wrapped up in a specific type of lifestyle that is removed from its origins – the “matcha girlies” are doing their pilates and have “farmer’s market bags filled with greens.”
All three women believe matcha has transcended trend status. As Win points out, “McDonald’s has matcha”.
Matcha latte typically contains milk and sugar, but traditional matcha is made with only ground matcha and water.
Taka Kaneko, founder of Edomatcha and a certified Japanese tea instructor, says those new to matcha can just use a spoon to mix. But to achieve a smooth and velvety texture, he says a chansen – a bamboo whisk- is vital. These can range from $30 to $80.
To make one bowl of matcha Kaneko mixes 1.5 to 2 grams of matcha into 60 to 80ml of hot water, at 70 to 80C. He then whisks this in an “M” shape, slowly at first and then vigorously to create large bubbles.
Getting the water ratio wrong is a common mistake from first-timers, he says. Too little powder will make the drink watery, while too much makes it thick and astringent. The choice of matcha is also integral. He says instead of labels like “ceremonial grade” or “culinary grade”, look out for a “first harvested” label – as this indicates the matcha was picked in its prime.
Returning to Sydney, she was dismayed by how few cafes were serving matcha. Now, less than a decade later, it’s become a “staple” on Australian cafe menus. To try the new matcha flooding the city, Win and her sister started a social club in 2024, bringing together matcha enthusiasts to cafe hop around town.
This report is published with credit to theguardian.com. Full available text from the wire is above. Read on theguardian.com →
Source: theguardian.com · Isabella Lee. Published 25 Aug 2026, 04:01 am.
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