Creating CommuniTEA Through Thea Matcha

My name is Ruth, a local business guru and aspiring journalist. Today’s story celebrates two cousins who have spent the past decade pioneering matcha in the New Zealand market and building a community around discovering and loving it.

Enna Ye, co-owner of Thea Matcha, and I first met at a beautiful café overlooking the Auckland waterfront. We sipped on matcha stocked by Thea and began our conversation, which was cut short and later finished via video call a few weeks later.

Vibrant matcha Kyoto and Mie powder and a refreshing iced lychee matcha drink come together for a unique and invigorating treat.

Enna grew up with immigrant parents, and as a first-generation Chinese Kiwi she learned the value of hard work early. Watching her parents showed her the importance of getting a job, becoming independent, and earning her own money rather than relying on family.

Raised in South Auckland and attending private school, she experienced both privilege and challenge. She shared that navigating bullying and racism “toughened me a bit.”

Before starting Thea Matcha, Enna spent time in corporate and slowly realised she didn’t want someone else dictating her work life. “I have tried several businesses and they have failed with friends, didn’t work out but this one with Thea with my cousin May, I think that we just worked, we just clicked really well together. That was the best thing really to happen.”

I think it’s a feeling many of us relate to today, wanting to build something of our own, shaped by the grounding and grit life has already taught us.

Featuring Thea Matcha Whisks and Refreshing Iced Matcha, ensuring a smooth and rich experience.

Enna has always been someone who loves to create and put ideas into action. At the beginning of 2015, May approached both her sister and Enna wanting to start a matcha café. At the time, Enna was working alongside a friend to start another business. Neither idea worked out, but the spark stayed. So Enna went away and began researching the matcha landscape in New Zealand.

It’s hard to imagine now, when matcha is on nearly every café menu, that back then you’d find it only as powdered green tea in a small tin at a Japanese store. Things have changed so much in ten years.

Enna began exploring different matcha varieties and reaching out to contacts. Connecting with her brother in Japan, and with help from his wife, she was introduced to Japanese businesses so she knew who to speak with. From there, Enna brought May in and shared everything she had discovered. Excited, she said, “Let’s do it. There is nothing like this in New Zealand.”

Lush Japanese tea fields where Thea sources their matcha, showcased alongside a traditional bamboo whisk, embodying the artistry and tradition of matcha tea preparation.

Many of us associate matcha with Japanese tea culture, where the art of cultivating and stone-grinding green tea leaves into powder was perfected. Yet true tea originated in China, and tea traditions have evolved across cultures. Enna’s entry into the matcha world wasn’t from a health perspective but genuine enjoyment. “When you’re 18 you don’t really like coffee, you like tea but we had green tea frappuccino's from Starbucks so it kind of started from there. Green tea Kit Kats and matcha and green tea desserts were really popular in Japan and China.”

Her first visit to Japan was at 13, travelling with her brother. With family ties there, embracing matcha felt natural. “I guess with my connections to Japan and having family like my brother living there it was just a really natural step.”

Tea has always made me think of connection. At a recent women’s camp, everyone had a cup in hand. When I went to make tea, the lady beside me was making matcha and happily shared her powder. Another friend runs a local matcha cart that has built a beautiful community around it. These everyday moments show how matcha brings people together, and that is exactly what Thea Matcha is about.

For Enna, community is at the heart of their brand. “We would love to be a household name for matcha… so that it’s not just about the product but cultivating a community.”

Recently, Thea hosted a matcha throw-down competition based on creativity and connection, a perfect example of how they bring people together.

Attendees at the Thea Matcha Throwdown celebrate with prizes and showcase a beautiful matcha, while a captivated audience gathers to witness the event. Photo Credit: Abigail Dell'Avo.

When talking about favourite drinks, Enna shared one of their own creations: lychee matcha. She explained that it’s a simple drink they often sample to people who are new to matcha, and the reactions are always the same. People are surprised and curious. Many have never tried lychee and often don’t think about matcha beyond a latte. It encourages people to try matcha in a different way by being creative. “Lychee matcha is one of my favourites. It’s light, it’s refreshing, and we love it.”

It’s a reminder that something as small as a drink can spark imagination and connection. Because at its heart, Thea Matcha isn’t just a beverage, it’s about the people who gather around it.

When I asked Enna how she views success, her answer was refreshingly grounded. For her, success is broad and deeply personal. It is the feeling of genuine happiness that comes from accomplishing something, no matter how small. From a business perspective, she never imagined Thea would be where it is today. The fact that so many cafés now work with them feels like a real marker of success, even as a small business.

She also shared that one of the strongest markers of success for her is customer word of mouth. Knowing that people are talking about Thea Matcha and choosing to buy their product still feels incredible.

May speaking at the Matcha Throwdown, Lychee matcha, Enna taste testing a matcha made by a contestant, Photo Credit: Abigail Dell'Avo.

On a personal level, her definition of success is even simpler. Her daughter is the thing that brings her the most joy, and to Enna, that is success in its truest form.

Enna’s favourite matcha in their collection is Premium Mie. It is beautiful green, first harvest, and has a well-balanced flavour that works perfectly in lattes. “It has sweeter notes compared to our Kyoto ones that have a bit more of an umami to it.”

One of her favourite parts of the job is working alongside May and meeting incredible people. Enna mentioned that “Opening doors to new opportunities is an exciting thing too.”

What keeps her going is the creative process itself. She loves developing a product from scratch and turning an idea into something physical. Seeing the final product in someone’s house is something she finds incredibly rewarding.

A lively journey from Japan's lush tea fields to the exquisite matcha in your cup, highlighting Thea Matcha's commitment to quality and tradition.

Her advice for anyone starting a small business? Stay passionate, be yourself, remain resilient, learn to make hard decisions, and don’t say yes to everything.

And finally, don’t quit your day job too early. “People get caught up in the romantic side of things… Having a job also gives you the ability to learn and earn.” Enna shared that working alone after the pandemic felt isolating and unmotivating at times. Having a main job provided support, structure, and community while Thea grew.

Ten years on, Thea Matcha continues to expand its community throughout Aotearoa — one cup, one conversation, one connection at a time.