Popular in the U.K., rivaling champagne! Non-alcoholic sparkling tea "SAICHO"

It is now commonplace for restaurants and bars in the UK to offer a wide variety of non-alcoholic drinks as alternatives to wine and cocktails. One sparkling tea brand that is gaining particular popularity is SAICHO. It is also attracting attention as an ingredient in cocktails and mocktails. What is the secret behind its popularity?

writer：Miyuki Sakamoto（ロンドン在住）

Founding couple Natalie (left) and Charlie (right).

The trigger is that alcohol is not an option.

Charlie and Natalie, the founding couple of SAICHO, met in a PhD course in food science at university.

Despite both having a strong interest in food and drink, Natalie was born with a natural aversion to alcohol.

Natalie was often disappointed when she saw Charlie enjoying food and wine pairings at restaurants.

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Natalie's habit of drinking tea was ingrained in her from an early age.

From floral to fruity, nutty to smoky, the taste of each tea varies depending on its origin and production method.

Because of its depth, tea is often used as a food pairing instead of champagne or wine in Hong Kong.

With her tea culture as inspiration, the two will start SAICHO in 2019.

They spent two years traveling around the world to identify tea plantations and tea leaves, and selected the three types of tea leaves currently being commercialized, Darjeeling, Hojicha, and Jasmine, from hundreds of samples.