Saicho sparkling tea: giving fine wine pairings a run for their money
In an era when fine dining customers are more conscious about their drinking choices, the co-founder of British-Hong Kong brand Saicho tells db why sparkling tea is making its way onto so many Michelin-starred menus.
If you thought that wine was the only worthy pairing for a Michelin-star meal, think again.
Saicho, a sparkling tea brand based in both Hong Kong and the UK, is changing the narrative around what to drink in fine dining restaurants, securing listings for its non-alcoholic range in some of the most iconic venues in the world.
Saicho sparkling teas are available in 15 countries and served in more than 70 Michelin-starred restaurants worldwide.
The list of venues spans from Hong Kong and the UK, its home markets, to the UAE, Canada, China, Singapore and the Netherlands. London’s Core by Clare Smyth and Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, Hong Kong’s 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo – Bombana and Librije in the Netherlands are just some of the three-Michelin-starred venues which stock Saicho’s teas.
Getting their labels into fine dining restaurants like these is a vital part of the team behind Saicho’s strategy for elevating the brand. “When a Michelin-starred sommelier chooses to list Saicho alongside their carefully curated wine selection, it sends a powerful message about our product’s quality and place in the fine dining ecosystem,” says co-founder Charlie Winkworth-Smith.
“On-trade venues, particularly high-end restaurants and luxury hotels, serve as critical taste-makers and masters of quality in the drinks world,” he says.
In highlighting the quality of non-alcoholic options, Saicho is riding the wave of a “fundamental shift in how consumers define luxury in the drinks space”, Winkworth-Smith explains.
Indeed, the concepts of ‘luxury’ and ‘alcohol-free’ are by no means mutually exclusive – a fact that consumers are embracing more and more. “Today’s discerning diners are increasingly seeking experiences that are sophisticated, complex, and thoughtfully crafted – regardless of alcohol content. This isn’t simply about abstinence; it’s about choice and inclusion,” he says.
According to Winkworth-Smith, the willingness to spend more on alcohol-free options comes down to a few different factors: “first, there’s growing recognition that premium non-alcoholic options require the same level of craftsmanship and quality ingredients as their alcoholic counterparts. Second, consumers are increasingly health-conscious but unwilling to compromise on experience – they want the ceremony and sophistication of fine dining paired with drinks that enhance rather than diminish their wellbeing. And third, there’s a cultural shift where status is increasingly defined by discernment rather than indulgence.”
As such, fine dining restaurants are the perfect setting to cement Saicho’s identity as a premium alcohol-free offering.
Sparkling tea shares a lot in common with wine when it comes to pairing capabilities. “What makes sparkling tea particularly effective as an alternative to fine wine in luxury dining settings is its natural complexity and food-friendly characteristics. Fine teas, like fine wines, express terroir, vintage variation, and respond to skilled production techniques. They offer the same depth of flavour, the same potential for pairing, and crucially, the same ability to enhance a meal rather than just accompany it,” he explains.
When it comes to communicating this to consumers, on-trade settings are essential for sending the right message. “Their endorsement provides a level of validation that retail simply cannot match,” he says.
“Most consumers don’t actively seek out premium non-alcoholic options in retail environments because they haven’t yet experienced how transformative they can be within a proper gastronomic context. When someone first experiences Saicho as part of a thoughtfully constructed tasting menu or food pairing, it fundamentally changes their perception of what a non-alcoholic option can be,” he explains.
“Additionally, the on-trade environment allows for proper service – correct glassware, temperature, and expert guidance – all of which significantly enhance the appreciation of our product’s subtleties. This ceremonial aspect of service is crucial for premium positioning and simply can’t be replicated in a retail environment.”
Saicho’s collaborations include a partnership with London’s two-Michelin-starred Da Terra, a Latin American-European Fusion restaurant which features Saicho’s Darjeeling sparkling tea paired with a smoked pigeon breast dish, accompanied by beetroot purée and cocoa nibs.
Contemporary Japanese restaurant Kioku by Endo at Raffles London also offers Saicho’s Hojicha sparkling tea with miso-marinated black cod and pickled daikon.
Saicho has also collaborated with modern British tasting restaurant Counter 71 which showcases Saicho Jasmine paired with a barbecued Langoustine with yuzu and lemon drop chilli buerre blanc.
Harry Cooper, general manager and head sommelier of Counter 71, says Saicho is helping the restaurant fulfill an expectation now somewhat commonplace among customers. “A curated, premium low and no drinks service is now almost an expectation in luxury hospitality,” he says, “and Saicho has been a primary partner with us in developing our alcohol-free offerings”.
He praises the brand for developing “an optimum 0% gastronomic drinks offering, which very much compliments our menu and is also so incredibly versatile”.
Cooper adds: “The tannins & varietal aromatics they have harnessed shout premium from the first sip; with balance, necessary body and multiple layers of complexities that a guest would look for in a good wine.”
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