The Matcha Yaad

Celebrating female-founded brands you'll want to know.

Since November 2025, we've been spotlighting the next generation of female-founded consumer brands and celebrating female entrepreneurship, showing that building a business is a real, viable career path for women from all walks of life, regardless of background, age, culture, or circumstance.

We started Mindful Brand to support women in succeeding in business - not just through what we do, but also in how we shop. We believe in a future where more seven-figure consumer brands are built by women, and we're committed to helping make that vision a reality.

Deciding which businesses to support is a personal choice.

If, like us, you prefer to champion female-owned brands, we hope you enjoy this series.

Today, we’re featuring The Matcha Yaad, founded by Monique Farquharson in 2024 in the UK.

About the Brand

The Matcha Yaad is a cultural matcha brand redefining wellness by bringing together the ritual and craftsmanship of Japanese matcha with the vibrancy of Caribbean culture. The range spans ceremonial matcha, flavoured matchas (Peach, Strawberry, Chocolate), and the award-winning ready-to-drink Ginger Refresher.

The brand is for curious, health-conscious consumers who want the benefits and ritual of matcha without compromising on flavour, quality or culture - particularly those new to matcha, and existing matcha lovers looking for something different.

The Matcha Yaad doesn't ask people to choose between heritage and modernity - it's matcha done properly. Its flavoured matcha is infused directly into the tea leaf rather than mixed with fruit powders and sugar, for a matcha that's flavour-forward, innovative and easy to enjoy.

Meet the Founder

Monique is a Jamaican-born entrepreneur, strategist and food, drink and wellness advocate based in the UK. Before founding The Matcha Yaad, she built an international career in customer strategy and optimisation with major global businesses, and launched her first matcha business in Jamaica.

She holds an MBA from Aston University, where she was named AMBA & BGA Global MBA Student of the Year 2022, and was later named International alum of the year 2026 by the PIEoneer Awards.

How She Started

Monique first discovered matcha at university in Jamaica, looking for an alternative to coffee. Her first sip was grassy and bitter, leaving her wondering why anyone enjoyed it.

Rather than giving up, she became curious. Experimenting with matcha in baking and combining it with Jamaican flavours, she began to understand its versatility and developed a passion for it.

That curiosity took her from Jamaica to Japan, where she spent almost two years learning about matcha and building relationships with matcha producers. That experience particularly in Uji and Okinawa shaped the foundations of The Matcha Yaad.

She created the brand to challenge the idea that matcha has to be intimidating, overly traditional or difficult to enjoy, bringing Japanese ritual with Caribbean creativity.

What She Learned

Monique has learned to trust her instincts, stay curious and be willing to change direction when the evidence calls for it.

Her first idea did not have to be her final idea. What matters is continuing to learn, adapting quickly and remembering why she started.

Where to shop

The Matcha Yaad is available to buy at thematchayaad.com, Holland & Barrett Marketplace and Amazon, as well as through a growing network of independent retailers and farm shops across the UK, including Black Farmer Farmshop (Brixton & White City), Forage at Coppice Birmingham, Rough Hill Farmshop Reddich, Laura's Larder and other independent food and lifestyle retailers.

Instagram: @thematchayaad

TikTok: @thematchayaad

LinkedIn: The Matcha Yaad

Support brands built by women. Don’t just say it. Shop it. Stock it. Fund it.