Organisers providing a caffeine-free option
Offer a clearly named alternative alongside caffeinated drinks. A powdered mulberry-leaf product can be prepared in a latte-style drink, but should not be labelled as conventional matcha.
Who needs which drink?
The choice depends on whether attendees need no caffeine, want conventional matcha, or need clear information about the finished drink.
Buyers choosing green-tea matcha
Check the tea ingredient and the supplier’s caffeine information before describing a drink as decaf. Conventional powdered green-tea matcha contains caffeine.
Caterers preparing the finished drinks
Keep ingredient and allergen information for the powder and every addition, including milk, plant drinks, syrups and garnishes. The Food Standards Agency says catering businesses must provide allergen information for both prepacked and non-prepacked food and drink.
What should you check before ordering?
Set the caffeine requirement first, then check the ingredient, serving information and recipe that attendees will actually receive.
Caffeine-free matcha-style powder
Choose when: the drinks station needs an option explicitly labelled caffeine-free.
Trade-off: Clearspring’s Kuwa Matcha is mulberry leaf rather than green tea, so its menu name must make that distinction clear.
Conventional green-tea matcha
Choose when: a caffeinated powdered green-tea drink meets the catering brief.
Trade-off: it cannot fill the caffeine-free slot; check the chosen product and serving size before communicating caffeine amounts.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Caffeine status | Read the current pack’s caffeine claim and ingredient list. Do not treat a green powder or a matcha grade as evidence that it is decaffeinated. | I need a drink explicitly identified as caffeine-free for attendees who avoid caffeine, rather than an assumed low-caffeine option. |
| Caffeinated servings | For conventional matcha, check the caffeine amount against the supplier’s stated quantity of powder and the portion you plan to serve. Clearspring cites approximately 32 mg per 1 g of dry powder for its Premium Grade Matcha; that figure is specific to its product. | If I serve green-tea matcha, I want to name it as caffeinated and give attendees information relevant to the actual recipe. |
| Preparation and menu wording | Check how the powder is prepared for the planned drinks and trial the intended recipe. Describe a mulberry-leaf drink as a matcha-style alternative, not green-tea matcha. | For a staffed or self-service station, I want each drink name to distinguish the caffeine-free alternative from conventional matcha. |
| Finished-drink ingredients | Keep ingredient and allergen details for each powder, milk, plant drink, syrup and garnish used. Check the information for every served variation, not just the base powder. | I need attendees to be able to identify what is in the drink they choose. The Food Standards Agency says allergen information must be provided for prepacked and non-prepacked drinks in catering. |
What could cause confusion at the drinks station?
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Calling every matcha-style powder decaf green tea
Clearspring lists Kuwa Matcha as 100% organic Japanese mulberry leaf powder, while its conventional matcha is green-tea powder. Treating the two as identical obscures both the ingredient and the caffeine distinction.
Name both clearly on the menu, such as “caffeine-free mulberry-leaf matcha-style latte” and “caffeinated green-tea matcha latte”.
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Using grade terms to judge caffeine
“Premium” and “ceremonial” do not mean decaf. JING includes its Organic Matcha Ceremonial Grade in its high-caffeine tea collection.
Use the selected supplier’s caffeine information and your intended serving size instead of relying on the grade name.
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Checking the powder but not the completed drink
Milk, plant drinks, syrups and garnishes change the ingredients and may change the allergens in the drink served to attendees.
Keep ingredient and allergen information for each finished recipe, including variations prepared at the station.
Brand and retailer references
These product lines illustrate different drinks and shopping routes; a brand’s broader range does not establish that a particular product is caffeine-free.
Clearspring
Offers both mulberry-leaf Kuwa Matcha and conventional green-tea matcha.
- Clearspring describes Kuwa Matcha as naturally caffeine-free and lists 100% organic Japanese mulberry leaf powder as its ingredient.
- Its Premium Grade Matcha is green-tea powder; Clearspring cites approximately 32 mg caffeine per 1 g of dry powder for that product.
JING
A reference for conventional matcha when a caffeinated drink is acceptable.
- JING lists its Organic Matcha Ceremonial Grade in its high-caffeine tea collection.
- JING’s guidance says true matcha contains caffeine, so this product should not be presented as the caffeine-free choice.
teapigs
Has a matcha collection that buyers can consider for a conventional tea shortlist.
- Check the selected product’s ingredients and caffeine statement before describing any teapigs matcha drink as decaf.
Waitrose
Lists conventional matcha powder and single-serve matcha sachet formats.
- The listed formats give caterers different ways to plan individual drink preparation.
- Check the chosen pack’s ingredients and caffeine statement; a single-serve format does not mean caffeine-free.
Joybuy product options
This roasted matcha option is relevant when the catering plan allows caffeine; it should not fill a caffeine-free drinks slot.
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OMGTea Organic Hojicha Roasted Matcha 30g
For a conference station serving roasted matcha where caffeine is acceptable, check the current pack’s caffeine information against the amount used in each drink. The named tin contains 30g; confirm the planned serving size and finished-drink ingredients before ordering for the event.
Questions about matcha and conference service
Is conventional matcha decaf?
No. Conventional matcha is powdered green tea and contains caffeine. Clearspring cites approximately 32 mg per 1 g of dry powder for its Premium Grade Matcha; check the chosen product and serving size rather than applying that figure to every matcha.
Can Clearspring Kuwa Matcha fill a caffeine-free drinks slot?
It can be considered when the brief calls for a caffeine-free green powdered drink: Clearspring describes it as naturally caffeine-free and lists 100% organic Japanese mulberry leaf powder as its ingredient. Call it a mulberry-leaf matcha-style drink, not conventional green-tea matcha.
How should caffeine be communicated to attendees?
Identify conventional matcha as caffeinated and check the selected product’s information against the portion served. The NHS advises pregnant people not to exceed 200 mg of caffeine a day, so do not imply that an unspecified matcha serving is caffeine-free or suitable for everyone.
What allergen information is needed for conference drinks?
The Food Standards Agency says catering businesses must provide allergen information for both prepacked and non-prepacked food and drink. Keep details for the powder and every addition to each finished drink, including milk, plant drinks, syrups and garnishes, available to attendees.