Pippa Johnson, Owner of Cucumber Fields Yoga. Retreat and Cafe

My big brother first introduced me to green tea around my early teens, and we would make a daily cup of “Gunpowder loose leaf tea” that now seems quite a potent, strong flavour to become a first time fan of. But I had a passion for health foods even then and I enjoyed the ritual of the brewing it and the bond it gave me with my brother as we researched its powerful benefits that seemed fairly unknown of back then.

Over the years, as green teas have of course become increasingly popular I have tried many various pure green teas, flavoured infusions and of course the now rather famous Matcha teas and powders. I added the powder to smoothies and yogurts and people thought I was a bit mad with my funny coloured diet but I knew there was method in the madness!

Matcha finally making headway in the UK

I was so excited to see coffee shops introduce Matcha Lattes and more people becoming tuned into it. I am a yoga teacher of 10 years now and in 2020 I co-founded a beautiful yoga and wellness studio in Hertfordshire called Cucumber Fields (called so as we are located on "Cucumber Lane" and are surrounded by views of countryside fields as well as our own apple orchard and animal paddocks for our studio pets of alpacas, goats, miniature donkeys and chickens!)

When we were creating Cucumber Fields, one of my priorities was to include a health cafe where people could extend there their visit a while to connect with each other and enjoy a bit of downtime after class. Our tag line became “A Space To Breathe” as we invite our guests to take their time when they visit to nourish fully their body, mind and soul in all forms - cake consumption included!

Our Pantry cafe offers a variety of coffees, Blendsmiths drinks, smoothies, energy balls, healthy treats and some definitely not-so-healthy-but-very-delicious treats, all made on site by own incredible baker Joanna.

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Little Pots Of Magic

When I researching companies to collaborate with for the cafe, I was so excited to discover Blendsmiths Drinkmakers in my hunt for Matcha and Turmeric Latte suppliers - I reached out straight away and received a prompt reply from the friendliest, most humble small team of people who seemed equally as excited to collaborate. Since day one we have been serving the Turmeric Blend, Chai Blend, Hot Chocolate Blends, Beetroot Blend and Match Blend that has rapidly picked up in popularity.

 When I saw Blendsmiths were launching the pure Japanese Ceremonial Grade Matcha powder I emailed them straight away for a wholesale order to offer to our members at Cucumber Fields. I have to honestly say that Blendsmiths do not fail to impress me… of all the years I have been drinking green teas and matcha powders THIS is by far my all time favourite!

It seems many of the members at Cucumber Fields are also excited to see this in The Pantry for them to enjoy at home - we selling these pretty little pots of magic pretty swiftly!

The vibrant green powder has a beautifully balanced flavour; leafy and fresh in taste rather than tangy, bitter or overly potent as some can be. I have gifted a few tins to friends who are usually coffee addicts (as I was too before this matcha arrived!) and I cannot believe the difference it has made to my mind. I don’t get much sleep at all and have quite a lot of stress in my day to day personal world (who doesn’t!?) but despite this, I seem to feel SO much clearer in my focus and calmer in my mood when I drink this instead of coffee.

I'm not jittery or dehydrated or feeling over stimulated. I still feel alert without feeling wired, I get the comfort of a hot drink without the bloat or sleeplessness. I just feel…better. I honestly think it’s helped me lose a bit of weight too - maybe it’s other factors in the mix as well but I do seem to be consuming a lot of this Matcha - 1 to 4 cups a day (and down to just 1 caffeinated coffee a day now).

I prefer to have mine steamed with a bit of almond milk and topped up with half water. Sometimes I add a bit of stevia to sweeten it too but this powder doesn’t really need much as it’s already delicious. Others have it steamed in with their milk of choice as a latte, others whisk it with only water as a pure-tea ritual. The health benefits of Matcha are endless. It’s a real feeling of holistic nourishment to drink it.

Thank you, Blendsmiths. Next order coming in soon!
Pippa