The next matcha: coffee chains bet on ube’s viral appeal

Food & BeverageAdd to myFTGet instant alerts for this topicManage your delivery channels hereRemove from myFTThe next matcha: coffee chains bet on ube’s viral appealCosta and Starbucks launch purple drinks in effort to recreate viral success of matcha among young consumers © FT montageThe next matcha: coffee chains bet on ube’s viral appeal on x (opens in a new window)The next matcha: coffee chains bet on ube’s viral appeal on facebook (opens in a new window)The next matcha: coffee chains bet on ube’s viral appeal on linkedin (opens in a new window)The next matcha: coffee chains bet on ube’s viral appeal on whatsapp (opens in a new window) Save current progress 0%The next matcha: coffee chains bet on ube’s viral appeal on x (opens in a new window)The next matcha: coffee chains bet on ube’s viral appeal on facebook (opens in a new window)The next matcha: coffee chains bet on ube’s viral appeal on linkedin (opens in a new window)The next matcha: coffee chains bet on ube’s viral appeal on whatsapp (opens in a new window) Save Stephanie Stacey in LondonPublishedApr 11 202680Print this pageUnlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.UK café chains are betting on ube, the vibrant purple yam native to the Philippines, to replicate the viral success of matcha among younger, higher-spending consumers. Costa Coffee and Starbucks, the country’s two largest coffee chains, last month launched new ranges of ube-based drinks, as they race to recreate the visual appeal that spurred the distinctive green matcha boom. The moves followed limited-edition offerings from rivals Pret A Manger and Black Sheep Coffee in 2025, as well as long-established blends at specialist Filipino cafés and restaurants across the UK.The ingredient’s purple hue has been critical to its adoption by mainstream brands seeking social media success, according to Kiti Soininen, a food and drink analyst at Mintel. “The unusual and vibrant colour is at the heart of it, just as it was in helping matcha and Dubai chocolate go viral,” she said. Nishant Bhatia, global food and beverage director at Costa, attributed strong sales of the chain’s ube range among “younger, trend-led customers” to its “visual appeal”. In its launch announcement, Starbucks highlighted ube’s “spectacular splash of colour”.An iced coconut ube coffee © Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times/Getty ImagesThe latest flavour push comes as the UK’s biggest café chains struggle to regain their grip over the nation’s caffeine intake. They have lost market share in recent years to start-up rivals such as matcha specialist Blank Street, which is in early discussions to raise $100mn or more in new funding to fuel expansion as it capitalises on demand from younger consumers. On average, matcha drinks at UK cafés cost a fifth more than standard lattes, according to hospitality data provider Meaningful Vision. Although wholesale ube powder is generally less expensive than matcha, the drinks are typically priced similarly. Prices for Starbucks’ ube vanilla velvet latte, which vary by location, start at £5.45, while Costa’s sweet ube frappé starts at £4.35.David Roberts, a hospitality sector specialist at law firm CMS, pinned some of the challenges facing several mainstream brands on a failure to keep pace with the changing tastes of the younger generation, including a growing interest in wellness and foods that look good on social media. Costa Coffee in January launched its first nationwide matcha range, months after rivals Caffè Nero and Starbucks had already jumped on a trend initially driven by smaller brands. The company showed it had “taken the lesson” by rolling out its new “Sweet Ube” range very quickly, said Scott Martin, a former executive at Costa and founder of start-up Unity Coffee.Iced matcha drinks with pumpkin crème by Starbucks. Matcha drinks have proven to be especially popular with young women © Nicole Hester/USA Today Network via ReutersThe push into ube comes as brands are “constantly looking for the next matcha,” said Lisa Harris, co-founder of food consultancy Harris and Hayes. The Japanese green-tea-based drink has grown in popularity globally over the past decade but rapid increases in consumption and a bad harvest last year are putting pressure on supply and driving up prices. “Matcha has just blown through TikTok and you can see that spillover in real life,” said Aaron Johal, managing director of a branch of Black Sheep Coffee in Dudley. “For anyone that’s 30 and below — particularly women — it’s really matcha that’s driving us.”Caffè Nero partly attributed a 5 per cent like-for-life sales increase for the six months to November to the “significant success” of its iced matcha range, which chief executive Gerry Ford said had “brought in new customers, particularly younger women”.Introducing new speciality flavours is especially important at times when consumer spending is under pressure, said Harris. British consumers’ economic optimism has fallen to the lowest level since US President Donald Trump announced his tariffs last year, as the energy shock from the Middle East conflict punctures hopes for a recovery in growth.Farmers in the Philippines harvesting ube, a purple yam native to the south-east Asian country © Ezra Acayan/Getty ImagesUbe has been a Filipino staple for centuries but interest from Britons was now accelerating rapidly, said Chris Joseph, a director at Filipino café and grill Kasa and Kin in London. Kasa and Kin uses the ingredient in everything from lattes and cheesecakes to martinis. Joseph is hopeful that mainstream brands’ adoption of ube will boost interest in his cuisine. “We were just high-fiving when we saw Starbucks and Costa launch,” he said. “I like to think it’s a roadmap to our door.”Whether ube can move beyond novelty in the UK, however, remains unclear. Johal said that a limited edition “Hocus Focus Ube Matcha Latte” at Black Sheep Coffee had “sold really well” last Halloween but he preferred to keep the product as a “special offer”. The recent launch of a bright yellow banana matcha was one of the “biggest successes ever” for Johal’s Black Sheep franchise. The brand sells more than a dozen matcha varieties and has also recently launched drinks based on the south-east Asian herb pandan. “At the moment it’s really difficult to see anything making the same impact as matcha,” said Johal. “But anything that’s viral or keeps things fresh is really important to get people back through your doors.”Reuse this content (opens in new window) CommentsJump to comments section Follow the topics in this article Retail & Consumer industry Add to myFT UK companies Add to myFT Food & Beverage Add to myFT Black Sheep Coffee Add to myFT Costa Ltd Add to myFT Latest on Food & BeverageJAB Holdings LtdPret A Manger owner books $6bn gain in 2025 from JDE Peet’s saleLexFood & BeverageJacob’s Creek should come in smaller bottlesPremium contentSpecial ReportFT High-Growth Companies Asia-PacificEU trade deal set to change India’s wine industryLexFood & BeverageFor Easter-egg makers, it is chocolate tomorrow Premium contentFood PricesEaster eggs stay pricey even as cocoa prices plungeFood & BeverageHow Nelson Peltz chalked up another corporate break-up at UnileverUK taxMuch ado about marshmallowsLexBeer and spiritsMooted Pernod-Jack Daniel’s merger should age well Premium content Follow the topics in this article Retail & Consumer industry Add to myFT UK companies Add to myFT Food & Beverage Add to myFT Black Sheep Coffee Add to myFT Costa Ltd Add to myFT Comments