T. Buckwheat Tea: The Tea Brand Inspired By Japanese Culture

Entrepreneur Lovina launched her business, T. Buckwheat Tea – whilst she was on maternity leave during lock-down, to fill a gap in the market for buckwheat tea.

Lovina is Indian by heritage, but she was born and grew up in Kobe, Japan, so it’s no surprise that she developed her tea-taste (and her love for buckwheat tea) at a young age.

Growing up in Japan, there were colourful vending machines everywhere – that served hot and cold drinks, and various types of tea, including a key ingredient in Japanese cuisine: Buckwheat (or ‘soba’).

Fast forward to 2005, and Lovina moved to London to study Business Management at King’s College London. Next up: she mer her now husband, Derek, with whom she decided to settle in London with. In 2021 during lock-down, Lovina was on maternity leave when she had an epiphany: she was sharing a pot of buckwheat tea with her husband, and they were discussing how difficult the drink was to find in the UK.  

It suddenly dawned upon her that she should create her own brand. Her idea for a buckwheat tea range became her bulb light moment. The tea has already won a Great Taste Award, and it has been listed in various independent and major retailers across the UK.

Initially, Lovina sourced her Buckwheat tea from China, but eventually, she found the perfect match to the tea she was used to drinking in Japan.

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The supplier she now uses grows its buckwheat in the mountainous region of the Sichuan province. Ironically, the type of buckwheat it grows is ‘Japanese buckwheat’ (other varieties include Tartary, Manor, and Common buckwheat).

“It has been really exciting developing the T. Buckwheat Tea brand. I have learned so much along the way. I had no idea that buckwheat tea was so big in China and Korea. I thought that it was only found in Japan. Now, I’m helping to make it available here in the UK, which is really satisfying, especially as I love drinking it so much myself,” said Lovina.

T. Buckwheat Tea is naturally caffeine and gluten-free. The tea is made from 100% perfectly-roasted, golden buckwheat kernels that imbue it with a nutty, sweet, rich flavour – no matter how long the bag is left to steep.

A pack of T. Buckwheat Tea contains fifteen biodegradable tea bags, each of which can be used up to three times. Also, the buckwheat kernels can be saved after use, and mixed into smoothies, yoghurt, soups, and porridge – to add an extra subtle nutty flavour, as well as additional health benefits.

Find out more here: https://buckwheat-t.com