Saicho

Founding. Saicho is a producer of single-origin sparkling teas established in the United Kingdom by Charlie Winkworth-Smith and Natalie Winkworth-Smith (née Chiu). The couple met while pursuing doctorates in food science at the University of Nottingham, and the brand's product came together after roughly two years of sampling, sourcing and experimentation. Accounts of the founding year vary across sources: several place the launch in December 2019 or 2020, while a June 2025 business report gives a founding date of 2023.^[1],[2]

The name. The brand name references Saicho, a Japanese Buddhist monk credited with bringing tea to Japan from China; one July 2025 source dates that event to 805.^[3]

Early listings and funding. Saicho's first Hong Kong listing was secured at The Peninsula hotel by Natalie's brother Philip during the UK's first COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, and the brand launched in Hong Kong in 2021 with its Jasmine, Darjeeling and Hojicha sparkling teas. In June 2025 Saicho secured a £1.5 million seed funding round, led by a £500,000 investment from the West Midlands Co-Investment Fund.^[4],[5]

Location. Saicho is described as based in both Hong Kong and the UK, with a June 2025 source locating the company in Solihull. Production is carried out in the UK through a manufacturing partner in Shropshire, and the teas are bottled in the UK.^[3],[5]

Reeze Choi — Brand Ambassador. Reeze Choi joined Saicho as Brand Ambassador in April 2025 and holds the title of China's Best Sommelier 2025. He is a Master Sommelier candidate, has served as Star Wine List's Hong Kong Ambassador since 2019, and finished third in the 2023 ASI Best Sommelier of the World competition, making him the first Chinese candidate to reach its finals.^[1]

Gastronomic positioning. Saicho positions its sparkling teas as sophisticated, non-alcoholic alternatives to wine and champagne, designed specifically for food pairing and for non-drinkers' fine dining experiences. During development, the founders decided against blending in herbs, spices and fruit juices, choosing instead to let the complex and delicate flavours of exceptional single-origin teas come through.^[4],[6]

Packaging design. Saicho's bottle design features a bird representing the national bird of each tea's country of origin, alongside flora and fauna native to that country, stencilling evoking tea crates, and gold foiling inspired by Japanese tea caddies.^[3]

Packaging sustainability. According to Saicho, its 750ml bottle weighs approximately 550g — compared with a standard Champagne bottle at 800–900g — and is made from 70% recycled glass, with packaging elsewhere described as incorporating up to 80% recycled materials.^[1],[3]

Rare Tea Collection. The Rare Tea Collection is a line of rare and extraordinary single-origin teas launched in November 2021. Its first offering was Eight Immortals, an Eight Immortals Dan Cong oolong. The second offering, Sixty Stone Mountain, was released on 22 October 2024 in a limited run of 1,288 bottles, each uniquely numbered and encased in a gift box.^[7]

Formats and classification. Saicho's teas are non-alcoholic, single-origin sparkling teas. Retail formats include The Saicho Collection (one 750ml bottle each of Jasmine, Hojicha and Darjeeling) and the Saicho Mini Collection (24 x 200ml bottles, eight each of Jasmine, Hojicha and Darjeeling).^[8],[9]

Production standards. Saicho sparkling teas contain no alcohol, no preservatives, no artificial colours, no added sulphites and no added artificial sweeteners; they are vegan-friendly, low-calorie, and certified Halal by the Halal Certification Organisation (HCO).^[10],[11]

Darjeeling. A black sparkling tea handpicked in summer for its muscatel character, showing bergamot oil, pink grapefruit, sandalwood and saffron on the nose, and mandarin, ginger and wood spice with gentle, dry tannins and crisp acidity on the palate. It contains 9mg of caffeine per serving (75kJ/18kcal). It pairs with charcuterie, chicken tagine, lasagne, grilled meats, roast vegetables and chocolate, where it is said to taste malty and caramelly.

Hojicha. A roasted green tea originating in Kyoto in the 1920s as a way of using leftover leaves, stems, stalks and twigs, showing rich wood, blackcurrant leaf and orange blossom on the nose, and nori seaweed, roasted hazelnut and delicate smoke with dry, woody tannins and a roasted umami richness on the palate. It contains 7mg of caffeine per serving. It pairs with sushi, mushroom risotto, pork, mushrooms, parmesan, roasted tomatoes, roasted nuts and asparagus.

The Art of Pairing. Saicho launched 'The Art of Pairing', a collaborative series with culinary innovators exploring the relationship between its single-origin sparkling teas and top cuisine. Hong Kong's Noi restaurant is part of this series.^[12]

Restaurant pairings. At Restaurant A Wong, Saicho's Jasmine and Darjeeling teas complement contemporary Cantonese cuisine. At London's two-Michelin-starred Da Terra, the Darjeeling is paired with a smoked pigeon breast dish accompanied by beetroot purée and cocoa nibs, while the Hojicha features on Da Terra's dedicated non-alcoholic pairing menu. At Counter 71, the Jasmine is paired with barbecued langoustine and a yuzu and lemon drop chilli beurre blanc. At Kioku by Endo at Raffles London, the Hojicha is offered with miso-marinated black cod and pickled daikon. The Darjeeling is a signature offering at The Peninsula hotel alongside its pastry selection.^[13]

Rare Tea sourcing. Charlie Winkworth-Smith first sampled Lin Junjie's tea in September 2023 at the Great Taste Golden Forks ceremony in the UK, where Lin was presenting his honey-flavour black tea; the resulting Sixty Stone Mountain release uses leaves from Lin's Junjie Lin Tea Garden in Hualien County, Taiwan.^[2]

Sommelier community and advocacy. Saicho is a sponsor of the UK's Top 100 Sommelier Awards and sponsored the Top 100 Sommeliers Innovation Award 2024. In November 2020 the company signed a letter to the House of Commons Speaker, alongside Club Soda and other alcohol-free drink brands, calling for more alcohol-free options on the Parliamentary Estate.^[13],[14]

Awards and category recognition. Saicho is described across sources as an award-winning sparkling tea brand, and its teas are featured in the world's Top 50 Bars & Restaurants. In its 'Biggest No and Low Trends' report, The Drinks Business named sparkling tea the number one trend for 2025.^[13],[15]