Editorial note:Everything we recommend, we've actually tried. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our honest, hands-on review of JENKI matcha, covering their ceremonial powder, latte blend, canned drinks, and London matcha bars. Find out how this UK-founded brand stacks up against Ippodo and PerfectTed.
Matcha Guide is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. Our reviews are editorially independent, every product on this page has been personally tested by our team.
JENKI Is the Best Premium Matcha Brand Founded in the UK
If you want Japanese-quality matcha from a brand that actually understands the British market, JENKI is the one to buy. Founded in London and sourcing from Uji and Kagoshima, they have built a range that covers everything from traditional ceremonial preparation to oat milk lattes and grab-and-go cans, and they do all of it well.
Quick Summary
| Product | Price | Our Rating | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| JENKI Ceremonial Grade | £28.00 (30g) | ★★★★★ | Traditional preparation, daily drinking |
| JENKI Latte Grade | £22.00 (40g) | ★★★★☆ | Matcha lattes, iced drinks |
| JENKI Sparkling Matcha (RTD) | £2.80 per can | ★★★★☆ | On-the-go, afternoon pick-me-up |
| JENKI Chasen (Bamboo Whisk) | £18.00 | ★★★★☆ | Beginners building a kit |
Weekly matcha updates
New recipes and buying tips once a week.
Brand Background: Who Are JENKI?
JENKI was founded in London in 2019 by a team obsessed with bringing proper matcha culture to the UK, not the sugar-laden "matcha-flavoured" nonsense that dominates high-street coffee chains. The name itself is a nod to the Japanese concept of authentic, uncompromising quality.
What sets JENKI apart from most UK matcha retailers is direct sourcing. Their ceremonial grade comes from Uji in Kyoto Prefecture, arguably the most prestigious matcha-growing region in Japan. Their latte grade is sourced from Kagoshima, on Japan's southern tip, where volcanic soil and a subtropical climate produce a bolder, more robust flavour profile that holds its own against milk.
They are not a white-label operation slapping a pretty logo on generic powder. JENKI works directly with tea farms, and it shows in the cup.
Detailed Product Reviews
JENKI Ceremonial Grade Matcha: ★★★★★
Price: £28.00 for 30g | Servings: ~15 bowls | Cost per serving: ~£1.87
This is the flagship, and it is genuinely excellent. The powder is a vivid, almost electric green, the kind of colour that tells you immediately you are dealing with properly shade-grown, stone-milled tencha. The texture is silky fine with no grittiness whatsoever.
Whisked with 70ml of 80°C water using their chasen, the result is a thick, creamy bowl with a persistent froth. The flavour opens with a clean vegetal sweetness, think fresh edamame and cut grass, followed by a pronounced umami depth that lingers. There is almost no bitterness, which speaks to high-quality shading and careful processing.
Tested against Ippodo Ummon-no-mukashi, the JENKI is remarkably close in quality — slightly less complex on the finish but arguably more approachable for people new to straight matcha. At roughly £10 less per tin than Ippodo's equivalent, that is a compelling trade-off.
Verdict: The best ceremonial matcha you can buy from a UK-founded brand. Full stop.
JENKI Latte Grade Matcha: ★★★★☆
Price: £22.00 for 40g | Servings: ~20 lattes | Cost per serving: ~£1.10
Here is where the Kagoshima sourcing pays off. This powder is slightly deeper in colour, a rich forest green rather than the neon vibrancy of the ceremonial grade, and the flavour is noticeably bolder and more astringent. Drunk straight, it is perfectly fine but a touch one-dimensional compared to the ceremonial.
Mixed into a latte with 200ml of oat milk, though, it absolutely sings. The robust flavour cuts through the milk cleanly, giving you a drink that actually tastes of matcha rather than vaguely green milk. Tested with Oatly Barista, Minor Figures, and whole dairy, it performed well with all three, though oat milk produced the best balance.
At £1.10 per latte, it undercuts any decent London coffee shop by a mile, and it is better than most of them too.
Verdict: Properly punchy latte matcha. If you are making matcha lattes at home, this is the one to buy.
JENKI Sparkling Matcha (RTD Cans): ★★★★☆
Price: ~£2.80 per 250ml can (available in multipacks)
JENKI offers ready-to-drink sparkling matcha in a few variants, including an unsweetened original and a yuzu version.
The original is clean, lightly carbonated, and genuinely refreshing, it tastes like matcha, not like a soft drink pretending to be healthy. The yuzu version adds a citrus brightness that works surprisingly well, though it does contain a small amount of sugar.
Compared to PerfectTed's sparkling cans, the JENKI versions taste more authentically of matcha. PerfectTed leans harder into the energy-drink angle with added adaptogens and a sweeter profile. If you want matcha flavour first and foremost, JENKI wins. If you want something closer to a Redbull replacement, PerfectTed might suit you better.
Verdict: The best matcha RTD in the UK if you actually like the taste of matcha.
JENKI Chasen (Bamboo Whisk): ★★★★☆
Price: £18.00
A solid 80-prong bamboo chasen. It is not going to compete with a handcrafted Takayama whisk costing £40+, but for daily use it is well made and does the job properly. The prongs are evenly shaped and flexible enough to produce good crema without feeling flimsy.
If you are buying your first matcha setup, grabbing this alongside the ceremonial tin is the sensible move.
Verdict: Good quality, fairly priced. Not exceptional, but absolutely fit for purpose.
The JENKI Matcha Bar Experience
JENKI operates matcha bars in London, with locations across the city including Shoreditch, Coal Drops Yard (King's Cross), Canary Wharf, Battersea Power Station, and Liverpool Street.
The Shoreditch location is the most polished, a compact, beautifully designed space that takes obvious cues from Japanese minimalism without feeling pastiche. The menu runs from traditional koicha and usucha to matcha soft serve, hojicha lattes, and seasonal specials.
The standout is the ceremonial matcha, prepared properly with a chasen in front of you. At £4.50 a bowl, it is one of the best-value premium matcha experiences in London. Their matcha soft serve (around £5.50) is also exceptional, intensely flavoured and not overly sweet.
Service across all three locations has been consistently knowledgeable and unpretentious. If you are curious about matcha but have never had it prepared traditionally, a JENKI bar is the best place in London to start.
How JENKI Compares
| JENKI | Ippodo | PerfectTed | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | London, 2019 | Kyoto, 1717 | London, 2020 |
| Sourcing | Uji + Kagoshima | Uji | Kagoshima |
| Ceremonial (30g) | £28.00 | £36.00–£42.00 | N/A (no ceremonial) |
| Latte grade | £22.00 (40g) | ~£25.00 (40g) | £24.95 (40g) |
| RTD cans | ✅ | ✗ | ✅ |
| UK physical stores | ✅ (3 London bars) | ✗ | ✗ (retail only) |
| Best for | All-round premium UK matcha | Purist traditional matcha | RTD and energy-focused |
The short version: Ippodo has three centuries of heritage and an edge in sheer ceremonial complexity. But JENKI offers 85–90% of that quality at a meaningfully lower price, with the added benefit of UK-based customer service, faster shipping, and a full product ecosystem. PerfectTed is a different proposition entirely, a wellness and energy brand that uses matcha, rather than a matcha brand.
Where to Buy JENKI Matcha
- JENKI website, full range, free UK shipping over £30, subscriptions available with 10% discount
- Amazon UK, select products, sometimes at a slight markup
- Selfridges, stocked in the food hall
- JENKI matcha bars, Soho, Coal Drops Yard, Broadway Market (buy retail tins in-store)
For the best price, buy direct. The subscription option is worth it if you are drinking daily.
How We Tested
Every JENKI product in this review was purchased at full retail price and tested over a period of three months. Ceremonial matcha was prepared using a traditional chasen and chawan at 80°C. Latte grade was tested with three different milks at varying ratios. RTD cans were tasted blind alongside PerfectTed, Tenzing, and supermarket own-brand alternatives. We visited each London bar location at least twice.
Buying Advice
- If you drink matcha traditionally: Get the Ceremonial Grade. It is genuinely worth the premium over the latte grade.
- If you only make lattes: The Latte Grade is the better buy, bolder flavour, larger tin, lower price per serving.
- If you are brand new to matcha: Buy the Ceremonial Grade and the chasen together. Start with the real thing.
- If you want something for the office or commute: The sparkling cans are the most convenient matcha option in the UK right now.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is JENKI matcha ceremonial grade?
Yes. Their flagship product is a ceremonial grade matcha sourced from Uji, Kyoto. It is made from shade-grown tencha leaves that are stone-milled in Japan. It is suitable for traditional preparation (usucha and koicha) and is comparable in quality to well-known Japanese brands like Ippodo and Marukyu Koyamaen.
Where can I buy JENKI matcha?
Direct from their website (jenkimatcha.com), Amazon UK, Selfridges, and in person at their three London matcha bars in Soho, Coal Drops Yard, and Broadway Market. The website offers the full range and the best prices, especially with the 10% subscription discount.
How does JENKI compare to Ippodo?
Very favourably. Ippodo's top-tier ceremonial grades (Ummon-no-mukashi, Horai-no-mukashi) are still the gold standard, with slightly more complexity and depth on the finish. But JENKI's ceremonial matcha sits comfortably alongside Ippodo's mid-range offerings at a noticeably lower price. For most people, including daily drinkers, JENKI offers better value.
Is JENKI matcha good for lattes?
Excellent for lattes. Their dedicated Latte Grade is specifically sourced from Kagoshima for a bolder flavour that cuts through milk without getting lost. It is one of the best latte-grade matchas available in the UK.
Where are JENKI matcha bars in London?
JENKI has three London locations: Soho (their flagship), Coal Drops Yard at King's Cross, and Broadway Market in Hackney. All three serve traditional and modern matcha drinks, soft serve, and sell retail products. The Soho bar is the best all-round experience.
Final Verdict
JENKI is the best premium matcha brand founded in the UK, and it is not particularly close. They source properly, their products taste genuinely good across the entire range, their pricing is fair, and their London bars are worth visiting in their own right.
If you are after the absolute pinnacle of ceremonial matcha, Ippodo and the historic Kyoto houses still hold the crown. But for a brand that serves the full spectrum of matcha drinking, from a quiet morning bowl to a weekday latte to a can grabbed on the way to the Tube, nobody in the UK does it better than JENKI.
Our pick: Start with the Ceremonial Grade (30g) and go from there.
Weekly matcha updates
Recipes, buying tips, and honest reviews.