We were delighted to welcome delegates from the Kyoto Prefecture Government of Japan to Edinburgh to commemorate and celebrate the 40 years of friendship between Kyoto and Edinburgh. We were part of the welcoming committee, which involved hosting a matcha tea tasting and serving up some of our teas with a Scottish twist! Erica, was able to discuss her long held ties with Japan reminiscing about her first visit discovering the art of tea ceremony and falling in love with all things tea.
As well as joining the tour of Lauriston Castle we served up our ceremonial grade matcha in the beautiful Kyoto Friendship Garden which resides in the ground. Opened in 2002, designed by Takashi Sawano the garden is a lasting symbol of our twin-city ties. If you haven’t been you must visit in the spring when the cherry trees are in full blossom.
The assembly included Vice Governor of Kyoto Prefecture, who spoke of Edinburgh’s and Kyoto’s bonds and continued partnership. To top it off we even got the Edinburgh Lord Provost, Robert Aldridge, to turn his hand to a spot of matcha whisking.
We were lucky enough to have the chance to host the whole delegation in our Tea Room afterwards for some tea & patisseries. We also hosted a whole week of Japanese tea tasting in our tea room with many customers experiencing matcha and Gyokuro green tea for the first time. The feedback was amazing and we’ve hopefully helped spark some interest in Japan and particularly Kyoto for their wonderful sights as well as their amazing tea. Thanks to the delegation many of our customers also received some complimentary Japanese goodies.
We’re planning on hosting another in-person and online Matcha Masterclass early next year. Be sure you’re signed up to our newsletter and following us on social @eteaket to be in the know!