Matcha is everywhere. But in 2020 it wasn’t, and caffeine-wired husband-and-wife duo Claudia and Otto Boyer craved an alternative to their jitter-inducing coffee hits. But “matcha was always an afterthought on a menu”, says Claudia. The couple wanted to bring really good matcha to London, so they flew to Japan to source the best, meet the makers, and hone their craft. Jenki started with just three drinks at market stalls before a permanent store opened in Spitalfields in 2021. In 2022, Selfridges came knocking and a Jenki concession opened in its food hall. Now, the Boyers are bringing their daily green ritual to Canary Wharf – it’s their fifth store, following outposts in Borough Market and Covent Garden. It’s an area that’s been on their radar for some time.
“Canary Wharf is often seen as a distant city,” says Claudia, “but in reality, it’s a vibrant community and matcha fits perfectly into that routine.”
The new Jenki offers calm away from the Canary Wharf chaos. The space is designed by London’s Studio Rain Wu (The Salad Project, Arome). Floor-to-ceiling glass wraps around the cafe, giving passers-by a full view of the bar and the whisking process. Earth-toned surfaces inspired by tea fields and the sky are made from an upcycled, sustainable, UK-made material by Smile Plastics.
The menu features crowd favourites like the Flat Green (a matcha take on the flat white, with less milk for an extra-concentrated matcha flavour) and the ginger and turmeric matcha latte. There are also seasonal specials like spiced peach and brown sugar cold-foam matcha or hojicha drinks. Jenki doesn’t used artificial syrups and everything is whisked to order. It’s also doing baked goods, including its recently launched banana bread, an instant hit.
But the star of the show is its limited run of single-cultivar, ceremonial-grade Saekari matcha. “If Uji, the matcha synonymous with Jenki, is nutty and sweet, Saekari is more delicate and floral,” Claudia says. Try it in-store before you buy online.
As for the name, Jenki? It’s from the Japanese word “genki”, meaning full of life.
Jenki Canary Wharf
Unit 92, Lower Mall, Jubilee, E14 5NY
Hours:
Mon to Fri 7am–8pm
Sat 8am–8pm
Sun 8am–7pm
