🍵Japanese Diaries I Part 2 - The Connection: Suki Meets Japan

One Cup of Porridge: 20,000 Bright Starts

A warm, fortified cup of porridge helps children on the tea gardens start their school day ready to learn. SUKI TEA is aiming to provide 20,000 cups this year—and you can help us get there.

£416.0 Total of 8320.0 cups of porridge

Target: 20000 cups (42%)

Select Amount:

£0.50 makes 10 cups

RECOMMENDED £1.00 makes 20 cups

£5.00 makes 100 cups

About the Campaign:

Kids don’t usually drink tea but they’re at the heart of where it begins.
When someone enjoys a cup of tea, it’s easy to forget the families and children growing up in the tea gardens where those leaves are picked. Tea Kids puts the focus back on them, helping customers play a part in supporting the next generation in these communities. Each donation helps provide fortified cups of porridge for children growing up on tea estates giving them the nourishment they need to learn, play, and thrive.

We’re proud to announce project TEA KIDS, our charitable initiative focused on providing fortified nourishment towards a better future, helping children in tea-growing communities for a fairer world. We are committed to making the UN Sustainable Development Goals a reality.

SDG1nopoverty #SDG2zerohunger #SDG3 goodhealthandwellbeing #SDG4qualityeducation #SDG5genderequality

Let us introduce you to the heart-warming One Cup of Porridge project and how choosing SUKI does better for the tea community.

The One Cup of Porridge Project:

‘Every child is born with a curiosity about the world around them, but they need the right balance of support to help them learn and to grow. Above all, children need roots of learning in place so that they can thrive and flourish’ - Annie.

Every time you choose SUKI TEA you are helping us donate to Tea KidsTM ‘One Cup of Porridge’ program, providing pre-school tea kid children with a fortified cup of porridge, 'breakfast in a cup', in a safe and nutritious learning environment. And in turn, enabling their parents to work, especially mothers, knowing their children are in a place where their ‘roots’ of learning can happily, and safely, grow. To date, our donations have provided over 100,000 cups.

One Cup of Porridge project is based in Rwanda, one of our most esteemed tea gardens we regularly source from. Through this initiative, we support local organisations in tea-growing regions to provide 'breakfast in a cup' to children in a pre-school environment. This vital nutrition helps support healthy development and fuels their dreams. The TEA KIDS goal is to expand projects like One Cup further afield to other tea gardens and growing regions that we have worked closely with for decades in our sourcing.

In tea-growing areas, communities face socio-economic challenges, and children often bear the brunt of food insecurity. By supporting TEA KIDS and the One Cup of Porridge project, we directly address this issue. Together, we strive to make a positive impact, ensuring that children have access to a nutritious meal, fuelling their potential for a brighter future.

Choosing SUKI Does Better:

When you choose SUKI TEA, you actively contribute to the well-being of the tea community. By supporting our brand, you join us in our commitment to ethical sourcing, fairly traded goods, and sustainability. We work directly with tea farmers, ensuring fair wages and supporting environmentally friendly practices. With SUKI, you make a conscious choice that does better for the tea whole community.

Empowering Tea Farmers:

SUKI TEA believes in empowering tea farmers and promoting social progress. Through fair trade practices, we build strong, sustainable partnerships, fostering long-term relationships based on mutual respect. By choosing SUKI, you become part of this journey, positively impacting the lives of tea farmers and their families. Together, we can create a more equitable tea industry.

We operate day to day aspiring to grow a community dedicated to making a difference. Your simple act of enjoying a cup of tea transcends boundaries, creating positive change and supporting the well-being of children in tea-growing communities. Together, let's raise our cups and spread the message of a brighter and more equitable future for all.

Thanks, maybe next time

🍵JAPANESE DIARIES I PART 2 - THE CONNECTION: SUKI MEETS JAPAN

Some friendships start with a handshake, others with a cup of tea.

When we first brought Suki to Japan in 2008, I didn’t know what to expect. We were a small Belfast tea company suddenly standing on the floor at Hankyu Umeda in Osaka, surrounded by precise displays, elegant packaging, and curious customers who already knew more about tea than I ever could.

That week changed everything.

It wasn’t just a business launch, it was the start of a genuine partnership with Yumeori, one built on trust, patience, and a shared belief that good things take time.

Since then, every visit has felt less like a trade trip and more like reconnecting with old friends. There’s always tea first, then conversation. It’s never rushed, always respectful. It’s a rhythm I’ve come to love.

Meet ESTA in Japan

From Belfast to Osaka. A journey of flavour, culture, and connection.

Last week, ESTA board member Oscar Woolley, co-founder of Suki Tea Makers, hosted a seminar on “The Art of Tea” at Hankyu Umeda in Osaka.

The event brought together Japanese tea professionals, long time Suki Tea lovers, and hospitality leaders to explore how tea can bridge cultures. Pairing British tea traditions with Japanese craftsmanship and introducing the work of ESTA in Japan.

Through stories, tastings, and food pairings, the session explored the ritual of tea as both art and hospitality connecting taste, smell, sound, and sight to create harmony.

“Tea is universal and I’m not saying we were teaching the Japanese how to drink tea… that would be like showing the sea how to be wet! I was there to share and connect…we discussed Matcha a fair bit!” - Oscar Woolley

What struck me again this time was how constant that spirit remains. Japan still approaches collaboration like craft: carefully, thoughtfully, with pride in every detail. It reminds me why we built Suki the way we did, to value people and process as much as product.

Seventeen years on, the bond feels stronger than ever. Different languages, same values. This years focus was centred around creativity and connection - finding new ways to express the craft of tea while honouring the traditions that inspired it.

Next up: how those values show up in the everyday ritual in the Art of Tea seminars.

#OscarInOsaka #JapaneseDiaries #SUKITea #MatchaRising #ArtOfTea #CraftAndCulture #JapanConnection #ESTA #EuropeanSpecialityTeaAssociation #TeaCulture

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