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Making matcha work for hospitality

Hospitality has always been shaped by changing consumer tastes.

With new flavours, formats and trends constantly arising, operators are under pressure to keep menus fresh, relevant and commercially competitive.

The challenge is that every new trend brings operational implications. New ingredients require sourcing, new drinks require training, and new preparation methods can slow service and create inconsistencies. The question for operators is no longer whether to engage with trends, but how to do so in a way that remains commercially and operationally viable. Matcha, arguably the hottest drinks trend of the moment, is a perfect example.

The strongest operators take a different approach. They view procurement and supply chain management as strategic levers – stabilising costs, improving availability, protecting working capital and strengthening resilience. Crucially, they align sourcing, supplier governance and operating models to how value is created across their brands, venues and customer propositions.

Those that do not will often discover procurement weaknesses too late: during supply disruption, refinancing discussions or expansion plans, when flexibility is limited, and remediation becomes expensive.

In hospitality, leisure and food and drink, procurement increasingly determines performance rather than simply supporting it.

When trend becomes an expectation

A few years ago, matcha was largely associated with specialist cafés and a niche group of health-conscious consumers. Today, it has firmly entered the mainstream with the World Coffee Portal’s recent Matcha report showcasing 50% of consumers now choose matcha over coffee, and 59% opt for oat milk as their preferred milk pairing. With wellness benefits and visual insta-worthy appeal, matcha has becoming one of the most influential trends shaping beverage menus today.

The innovation-efficiency balancing act

The challenge is that innovation and efficiency do not always sit comfortably together. Introducing a new beverage category often means additional staff training, specialist equipment and more operational complexity. For businesses operating across multiple sites or high-volume environments, maintaining consistency can become even more difficult.

This is where many trends lose momentum. Customer demand may be there, but if execution is labour intensive or difficult to scale, operators can struggle to realise the opportunity. The most successful menu innovations are the ones that solve both sides of the equation. They satisfy changing customer demand while fitting seamlessly into existing operations

Making matcha work at scale

Traditional matcha preparation has a rich heritage, but it is not always practical in busy hospitality environments. Delivering consistency requires time, training and expertise, all of which can be difficult to maintain during peak trading periods.

At the same time, demand for matcha is no longer confined to specialist coffee shops. Consumers increasingly expect to find it everywhere from cafés and hotels to workplaces and train-stations and airports. This creates an opportunity for operators to think differently about implementation. Rather than viewing matcha as a specialist product requiring specialist execution, businesses can focus on solutions that make delivery simple, consistent and scalable.

This philosophy informed the development of Oatly Matcha Latte Oat Drink.

Made by blending finely ground matcha powder with delicious creamy Oatly Oat Drink, it removes many of the operational barriers associated with traditional preparation.

Designed to be served hot or cold, frothed or poured over ice, it allows operators to create multiple menu applications without additional equipment, extensive training or lengthy preparation processes. The result is a solution that supports innovation without creating unnecessary operational friction.

From trial to long-term success

The value of this approach can already be seen among operators embracing matcha. Since launching drinks made with Oatly Matcha Latte Oat Drink in February, independent hospitality operator Colicci has successfully rolled out a consistent matcha offer across its estate, making it easier to meet growing consumer interest in the category.

As Katy Manolesque, Creative Director at Colicci explains: “Oatly Matcha 1L has allowed Colicci to introduce a delicious matcha offer consistently across our London greenspace estate. Its ease of preparation means our teams can serve a high-quality matcha quickly and reliably, even from our smallest and most remote park locations, making a growing drinks trend accessible to more customers.”

Its latest limited-edition drink, the Strawberries & Green Iced Matcha, was one of the top 5 best-selling drinks at Court Café during the Wimbledon weekends, demonstrating the continued strength of consumer demand.

Importantly, the success has extended beyond seasonal specials. Colicci’s Cherry Matcha has become a permanent menu item, showing how operators can move beyond trend-chasing and build sustainable menu opportunities when execution is simple, consistent and scalable.

Looking beyond matcha

Perhaps the most important lesson from matcha is that hospitality’s future will not be defined by individual trends. It will be defined by an operator’s ability to identify which trends are maturing, understand what is driving consumer interest and respond in a commercially viable way.

The strongest businesses are unlikely to be those chasing every viral ingredient that appears on social media. Instead, they will be those that stay close to consumer behaviour, recognise when a trend is moving from novelty to expectation and understand their audience well enough to distinguish between short-term hype and long-term opportunity.

Matcha may be today’s headline ingredient, but the real competitive advantage is not spotting the next trend. It is being ready to scale it when the time is right.