FOUNDER AND TEA SOMMELIER
Newton Siao
As a Certified Public Accountant, Newton started his career with Deloitte & Touche Canada after graduation and held roles in auditing, tax and consulting with the Firm’s offices in Toronto, Beijing and Madrid. He then entered the world of hospitality and dedicated 15 years, holding different senior roles within Asia Pacific with hospitality and lifestyle groups like COMO, ALiLA & Marriott.
With his passion towards the health benefits of Japanese tea, he decided to obtain his certification on Japanese tea and affiliation with the Urasenke School of Japanese Tea Ceremony.
"At the farms in Wazuka, I learnt how the humble tea leaf, Camellia Sinensis, is being cared for, harvested, processed, packaged, stored and brewed. At the Urasenke School, tea masters taught me not only the protocol behind preparing and serving tea but more importantly the spirit of the way of tea.
It was in Japan that I understood a quote from Kakuzo Okakura’s Book of Tea: “A cup of Tea. A cup of Humanity”. harvest by Matcha Republica is the culmination of my lifes journey and represents a commitment to both the traditional and modern, a respect for Earth and the spirit of humanity.
INSPIRING THROUGH AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCES
A cup of tea, a cup of humanity… to be filled to the brim and enjoyed with friends.
“From tea, I have learned to be more appreciative of the things we have, more respectful towards other people and our natural environment. I want to share its health benefits with everyone.
I am on a journey to rediscover and spread an awareness of the deeper values embedded in the Japanese tradition of tea, which helps us develop as appreciative spiritual beings. I would like to do this by introducing authentic, environmentally-friendly teas produced by passionate artisan producers. ”
OUR COLLECTIVE CREATIVE POTENTIAL
Get to Know our Advisors
" Tea is a way of life, and it's a way of viewing the world we live in. Not a day goes by in our lives without a tea-related activity, whether that be in the form of the rite-of-tea or just a fragrant cup of gyokoru or sencha at home. We want to share our cups of humanity with you. We want you to enjoy tea at a deeper level, discover a wider variety of health-giving teas that are unavailable in the current marketplace and receive what is good by entrusting our specialists to deliver the right choices at harvest by Matcha Republic.
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SOFIE VERCAUTEREN
Tearista
Certified tea sommelier from Belgium and co-writer of the book “Homemade Ice Tea”, Sofie comes from a marketing and brand building background in the beauty industry. She is currently on an extensive tea journey spanning 9 countries: China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Malawi and Indonesia.
Sofie’s belief is that tea is a life long learning experience and her goal is to let people discover the health benefits of this >4,000- year-old leaf.
https://www.tearista.be
DAIKI & MISATO TANAKA
Farmer/Entrepreneur
A Kyoto native, Daiki dedicated his earlier career in Tokyo as Chief Executive Officer of New York dessert chain, the Doughnut Plant. With his wife, Misato, they moved to Wazuka a few years ago to dedicate their lives as farmers and recently opened d:matcha Kyoto Café & Kitchen. Graduated from the University of Kyoto with a Degree in Agriculture, Daiki holds a Masters Degree in Business at Babson College, Massachusetts.
Daiki hopes to keep the traditional spirit of farming in Japan as well as innovate through modern technology and sustainable practices. https://dmatcha.jp/