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With matcha prices at an all-time high due to the combination of a diminished harvest and increased global demand, its purveyors at Summer Fancy Food show put on a brave face on the future of what one Keicha representative called “green gold.” Keicha is a global bulk supplier based out of Huntington Beach, Calif, and boasts the largest matcha production capacities in Japan, with exclusive partner factories in the key tencha-growing regions of Kagoshima and Kyoto. The rep told us that co’s crop was at 80% capacity after the last coupla yrs increased total global output from 2 mil kilos to 5 mil, with Starbucks now accounting for 2 mil on its own. While Keicha’s biz is largely B2B, its products ultimately retail from between $200-$300/kg for ceremonial grade (drinking quality). It offers global bulk sales direct from Japan, as well as private-label products, and all its products are certified organic in US. At Aiya, which was founded in 1885 and bills itself as the world’s largest manufacturer of matcha powder, the current belief is that matcha had cemented itself as a coffee shop staple, acct exec James Oliveira told us. Even at the most dedicated java spots, James said, a customer would expect a chai latte to be available, a status he believed matcha has now reached. James admitted it’s been “hard to keep up” with demand and pointed us to two videos by YouTuber @tezumitea that explain the root of the global shortage that he likes to refer questioners to. This isn’t the first matcha price shock, he said, citing the video: in 1985, Häagen-Dazs introduced a green tea flavor, sending prices up 150% the following yr, a record that stood for 40 yrs until 2025, when prices rose 170%. Per onewithtea.com, the price increases have continued into 2026, with prices up 60% in April’s first auction. On Aiya’s website, a 100 g bag of ceremonial grade matcha currently retails for $70.40. The co has distrib relationships with UNFI, KeHe, US Foods and Sysco, among others.Matchaful represents a more recent and high-end entry, albeit one that preceded the recent health boom. Hannah Habes founded the company in 2016 after a high-stress lifestyle forced a change in diet and eating habits. Co offers matcha varieties in 30 g and 100 g packages, retailing from $40-55 and $79-$119, respectively. Distributed thru Rainforest and Foundation Foods, Matchaful has a supplementary line of grain-free matcha granola. Like many purveyors, Hannah told us she’s had to limit new wholesale partners due to the shortage but has otherwise ridden out the storm thus far thru her relationship with a sustainably operated, 4th-gen tea farm in Shizuoka Prefecture. Matchaful has 6 dedicated cafes in NYC with bestsellers ranging from $4.50 to $11 and up. All of co’s single-origin matcha is ground-to-order and delivered within 3 mos of grinding to prevent oxidation.Another co looking to make waves in the matcha space, albeit quite differently, is Maine-based Chuh, founded by Andrew Schundler after he quit coffee a few yrs back. He eventually created a line of canned matcha lattes to split the difference between “sugar-loaded soda or highly caffeinated energy drinks,” per co’s website. Avail in 4 flavors – Blueberry, Spiced Vanilla, Lavender and Creme Brulee – Chuh, pronounced like the second half of “matcha,” comes in 11.5-oz sleek cans with an MSRP of $4.99 each. Each entry has between 6 g and 9 g added sugar, zero and 2 g fat and 2 g and 5 g protein and features a base of organic oat milk, organic cane sugar and organic ceremonial matcha sourced from Japan and China, the latter of which has helped it navigate the squeeze.Chuh is non-GMO, gluten-free and shelf-stable for 12 mos and features between 100 and 110 cals per container. Cans feature Kitsune the fox, a figure from Japanese folklore “who’s all about good vibes and a little mischief.” The brand sold 30K cans last yr, primarily in Maine with some retail presence in NH and Mass. It’s available to retailers nationwide via Faire. It currently distributes thru Brickyard Brands, NESF and Schooner’s and is set to launch soon in SoCal via HiTouch Libations.

FANCY FOOD SHOW: Matcha Purveyors Navigate Supply Squeeze to Sate Now-Solid Consumer Base; Chuh RTD Builds from Maine Base

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