THE WAYCHÁ STORY

WayChá began through travelling across Taiwan and discovering a completely different side to tea.

During my first trips to Taiwan, I was introduced to a tea I assumed was some kind of green tea. It was unlike anything I had tasted before in the UK, cleaner, smoother and far more flavourful than the tea I was used to drinking back home. I later discovered it was actually Taiwanese oolong tea.

After revisiting Taiwan many times, I began to develop a much deeper appreciation for tea and the role it plays within Taiwanese culture. Tea there is experienced very differently compared to the UK. It is treated with care, enjoyed socially and appreciated in a far more mindful way.

I started exploring different types of tea, attending tea tasting sessions and learning more about how flavour is influenced by elevation, climate, oxidation and processing methods. I also discovered how widely tea is used throughout Taiwan beyond simply drinking it, from bubble tea and desserts to chocolates and cold brewed iced teas infused with ingredients such as yuzu, lemon and lime.

During these experiences I discovered teas such as Taiwanese Jasmine Green Tea, Dong Ding Oolong and Oriental Beauty Oolong, each with their own distinct character, flavour profile and traditional processing methods.

One thing that stood out to me was how difficult it was to find these kinds of teas back in the UK. Even when available, it was often hard to find genuinely high quality tea with the same freshness and character I had experienced in Taiwan.

At first, I simply brought tea back for myself, as well as for friends and family. After people kept asking where they could buy more of it, I started considering the idea of sharing these teas more widely in the UK.

That idea eventually became WayChá.

On later visits to Taiwan, I began speaking with local tea suppliers and visiting tea farms in the mountain regions to learn more about how the tea is grown and produced. Seeing the process firsthand gave me an even greater appreciation for the craftsmanship behind traditional tea production.

Alongside this, I slowly began building the WayChá website in my spare time, adding products and continuing to learn more about tea with each trip back to Asia.

The design and feel of WayChá was also influenced by my travels. After returning from Japan, I visited the Tate Modern in London and discovered a book focused on Japanese design and colour palettes. The simplicity and calmness of those design principles became a major inspiration for the WayChá brand and website.

I believe there is far more to tea than what is commonly experienced in the UK today. Tea can be both a mindful and relaxing experience and, historically, tea was traditionally enjoyed long before tea bags became standard.

If you would like to learn more about the tea farms, sourcing trips and experiences behind WayChá, you can read more in our How We Source Tea in Taiwan article.

WayChá continues to grow slowly and organically, with the aim of bringing more authentic, high quality teas from Asia to the UK for others to experience and enjoy.