First came the lifestyle store. Then the matcha bar. Now, the Juju Home team has opened a full-fledged cafe – with matcha front and centre.
Former menswear designer Na Di opened Juju Home in Hackney Wick this year. The store is named after her children and filled with pieces from brands like Japanese stationery label Penco; South Korean incense maker Collins; and Tokyo’s Puebco, which turns recycled materials like Indian seat covers and parachutes into functional homewares.
Juju Cha, its matcha line and bar, was conceived by Jasper Lee, Juju’s cha and cafe manager, who wanted to create a matcha for London that’s distinct from Tokyo-style matchas and the sweeter, wellness-focused blends that dominate the local market.
“It’s a little bit dirtier [and stronger] … fitted to the palates of people that live [here],” Lee says. Matcha powder and hojicha (a dark-roasted green tea that’s lower in caffeine than matcha) are sourced directly from Japan, including from a farm in Shizuoka that’s been roasting hojicha for 80 years.
The matcha counter began as a small corner set-up within Juju Home earlier this year – but it was overwhelmed after its drinks went viral. Until now, a tiny team has been pumping out 300 to 400 matchas on Saturdays and Sundays with no running water and only two small fridges, a kettle and a steamer. To meet demand, Juju’s upstairs offices have been transformed into Juju Cafe.
Choose from its “pure” menu of stripped-back drinks, which includes a strong matcha over coconut water; the signature “cloud” drinks, which come in matcha, hojicha or black sesame flavours with oat milk, brown sugar and a cloud of thick whipped cream on top; and classic matcha lattes. Everything is customisable: choose your base and milk, and add as much syrup as you want for free. Like the original bar, Juju Cafe also serves seasonal, fashion-inspired specials. The current range features a cherry matcha, cherry matcha cloud and cherry chocolate hojicha, a nod to the cherry and brownie tones trending right now in fashion campaigns.
There will also be loose-leaf Japanese teas and Juju’s first coffee: a light, fruity, almost tea-like pour-over from local roaster Nostos. Pastries are from Bloomsbury’s Fortitude Bakehouse. Expect its sticky cinnamon buns, loaf cakes, gluten-free treats and more, all served on retro silver dinner plates.
Kat Ekstrom, who also designed Juju Home, is behind the fit-out. “We’ve been minimalistic, with a blue and white colour palette, but we’ve leaned more into the industrial, the tactile,” says Lee. Take a seat around the communal silver table, stand at the leaning bar, or sink into a comfy black leather sofa. Soundtracking the cafe is a mix of old-school hip-hop, pop and UK garage.
Juju Cafe doubles as a showroom for Juju Home’s best pieces, as well as brand launches for the likes of Malin & Goetz and Earl of East – and there are plenty more ideas in the pipeline, including the introduction of tea-themed cocktails, outdoor seating and late-night events.
“I am inspired by cafes in places like Thailand and Singapore where the doors are always open,” says Lee. “It’s a community hub; everyone spends all day there … there might be rotating DJs, pop-up fashion events, a group of people coming at 10am to get matcha [before] heading off on their run, or a dog-walking club. There’s always something going on. That’s my ideal of what I want Juju Cafe to be.”
Juju Cafe
Studio 14, Block B, 14 Wyke Road, Fish Island, E3 2XD
Hours:
Mon, Wed to Fri 11am–6pm
Sat 10am–6pm
Sun midday–6pm
