Important! Top UK coffee chains ranked by how strong their matcha actually is

Matcha, the green powder organically grown in the foothills of Japan, is taking the world by storm, one brew at a time. The fluorescent drink is now going mainstream and becoming a beacon of health, so at least this trend is good for us, right?

But now, with so many coffee chains starting to offer their variant of the beverage, it is hard to know which one makes it the strongest and which makes it the weakest.

So as a connoisseur, here is a compiled list of the strongest and weakest matcha, so that you know where to head to find the coffee chain that fits your matcha needs, desires and taste buds.

6. Costa Coffee

No hate to Costa, but there are so many other things it does better. From coolers to frappes, I have never thought about going to Costa for a matcha.

5. Pret A Manger

Coming in fifth place is Pret A Manger. This coffee chain is new to the matcha scene, and its spin on the beverage is recognised to be a pale green colour and of watery consistency. The lighter colour suggests that not much powder has been used, and the consistency is due to the ratio of matcha to milk being lower, giving the matcha a weaker flavour.

4. Blank Street Coffee

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A viral sensation, known for its aesthetically pleasing drinks, is Blank Street Coffee. A chain I thought would make it higher on this list. But the matcha here is profound for its striking combinations (like its Banana Bread Matcha) and dominates its menu boards. However, behind the flamboyant beverages, the matcha taste is masked by too much sweetness from the flavoured syrups and becomes diluted as a result of this, so the taste is not as strong as one might of hoped.

3. Starbucks

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Ahh, a classic. Starbucks has claimed the middle spot for its matcha game. It does not offer any speciality matcha like other chains (however, sometimes it can have seasonal specials), it does offer the classic matcha, and that’s perfect for those who want it simple. If you’re someone who is still sceptical about the taste of matcha, Starbucks is the place to head for.

Its green drinks are milder in flavour and have a hint of sweetness, and mostly blend well with milk, which offers a nice balance between strong and weak. Apparently a Tall uses two scoops of matcha, which is 57.2 mg caffeine.

2. Black Sheep Coffee

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A slightly niche chain which has been gaining lots of popularity lately over itd options of matcha drinks available is Black Sheep Coffee, which has won second place on this list. This coffee shop has a wide range of matcha beverages to try, from Blueberry Matcha to Passionfruit Lemonade Matcha, offering a bigger selection so more people can enjoy.

Black Sheep Coffee uses ceremonial-grade matcha, and this can be noticed as flavours are stronger and more prominent. However, this chain doesn’t score the number one spot as only some of the matcha drinks are full of flavour, some are too sweet to taste the matcha – sometimes adding more is not always best.

1. Caffè Nero

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Hitting the number one spot on this list is: What we found surprising: Caffè Nero! Its relatively new to the matcha bandwagon, but has earned its spot as having the strongest matcha.

Cafe Nero matcha tastes strong as it uses a higher-grade supply of matcha, whilst using a more traditional balance and way of creating the drinks. Its matcha is not masked with sweetness like the previous dessert-style matchas and has a magnificent, green colour – and we all know that means this matcha is legit.

Featured image via Canva