Story
Product feature: A.M Matcha
1 April, 2025
Those who have tried A.M matcha, know just how special it is. A.M's supreme ceremonial grade green tea is as vibrant as it is delicious. Australia based, Kyushu grown, we've interviewed founder Maddie, half of the founding duo, to learn a little more about the brand.
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Maddie, matcha making in progress.02
Morning rituals.What drew you and your partner Louis to start a matcha business?
I’ve been a matcha drinker for so many years and the more I had it, the more of a matcha snob I became. I was buying it from Japan but during the pandemic it became so expensive to ship. I felt like it was really hard to source a high quality, relatively affordable matcha that also had a beautiful brand presence. For some reason Sydney was just so behind in the matcha game! So after not being able to find my perfect matcha, and getting sick of being served subpar matcha at cafes (don't get me started on muddy green matcha lattes), we decided to create our own brand that celebrates a beautiful, quality product. Louis is a big coffee drinker but in a bid to cut that third daily coffee, he got onto having matcha in the afternoons and was hooked too. We’re both graphic designers who have created other people’s brands from scratch for a long time, so creating a beautiful thing with a thoughtful, slow made ethos felt like a natural thing to do.
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Matcha sifting.How do you personally incorporate matcha into your daily routine? Do you have a favourite way to prepare or enjoy it?
I make a matcha every morning. If I don’t have one, something feels like it’s missing. My favourite way to prepare it is by making it a little stronger (2.5-3 grams), adding my favourite milk (if I can be bothered, homemade nut milk is incredible), and with a touch of maple syrup. Louis loves it as a middle of the day boost and often makes an usucha (thin tea) by just whisking the matcha with hot water. This is perfect with a little sweet treat too.
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Iced matcha.What daily rituals do you love to pair with your morning matcha?
My favourite thing is to make a matcha, sit on the couch in the morning light and have a little writing session.
Why did you choose Kyushu, Japan, as the source for your matcha? What makes this region so special?
Kyushu is a really special up-and-coming matcha producing region. It’s the furthest south of Japan’s main islands and is an absolutely otherworldly volcanic island with super fertile soil. This means the matcha has beautifully complex flavour notes and a much lighter feel compared to other regions. We work with a tea house that has been preparing matcha for over 100 years and a tea master who oversees the production, which is special and was super important to us to honour that sense of craftsmanship.
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A.M matcha.What inspiration led to the name "A.M. MATCHA”? Does it hold a special meaning?
A.M. refers to the morning, enveloping the product and the idea of the morning ritual together. We loved how minimal it felt, and that it acted as something of a time device to highlight how we ground ourselves with these small rituals each morning and the way that sets us up for the day to come. Also being designers, we’re suckers for a name that looks good and we loved the balance of letters and use of circles.
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Matcha whisking.07
Vibrant green powder.Like Provider, we know sustainability and ethical sourcing are of great importance to your business. What aspects of A.M. ensure sustainability for both the farmers and the environment?
We work with a single farm in Kyushu that is JAS certified organic, and our matcha is ground in small batches to ensure sustainable production (which also keeps it fresh and super yummy). There’s been some attention lately on the high demand for matcha because of the western world’s fairly recent obsession. We think the interest in such a ritualistic product is great, but obviously there’s a certain responsibility to make sure your product is sustainable and high quality, especially a product that has such intentionality at its core. Focusing on quality over quantity was important to us. Ceremonial grade matcha is a really incredible, considered product and while a lot of people initially baulk at the price of premium grade matcha, that price reflects the craftsmanship, dedication and time that goes into creating such a unique product.