Editorial Policy
Our commitment to honest, independent matcha coverage.
How we test products
Every product we recommend has been tested by our editorial team. We buy products at full retail price unless a sample is provided, in which case this is always disclosed. Our ratings are based on flavour, colour, texture, value for money, and sourcing transparency.
We taste all matcha powders prepared two ways: traditionally (matcha + hot water, whisked) and as a latte (matcha + oat milk). This reflects how most UK consumers actually drink matcha.
Our rating system
Products are rated out of 5 stars across four criteria: flavour, colour, value, and packaging/sourcing. The overall score is a weighted average. We never accept payment to improve a rating.
Affiliate links
Some links on Matcha Guide are affiliate links — when you click and purchase, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This income helps us continue producing independent content. Affiliate relationships never influence our editorial ratings or recommendations.
All buying guide and review pages include a clear affiliate disclosure at the top. We only link to products we have actually tested and would genuinely recommend.
Health claims
We apply careful editorial judgement to health claims. We distinguish between what the science robustly supports (e.g., L-theanine's effect on focus) and what remains preliminary or overhyped (e.g., matcha as a weight loss solution). We cite studies by name and link to sources wherever possible.
Nothing on Matcha Guide constitutes medical advice. For health concerns, consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Corrections
We correct factual errors promptly. If you spot an error, contact us and we will review it within 48 hours. Significant corrections are noted at the top of the relevant article with a date.
Content metadata standards
All editorial content now follows a canonical frontmatter schema with required fields: title, description, publishedAt,updatedAt, type, author, andprimaryKeyword.
The legacy image fields heroImage, featured_image, andfeaturedImage are deprecated for editorial content and should not be added in new or updated articles.
Independence
Matcha Guide is independently owned. We have no commercial relationship with any matcha brand that influences editorial coverage. Brands can appear in buying guides purely on merit — we approach them, not the other way around.