About Us

Taroko was born in December 2025 — the result of years spent working in specialty coffee shops for minimum wage, while feeling disconnected from the missions behind them.

Inspired by my Taiwanese heritage, I started Taroko as a small pop-up focused on showcasing Asian-grown coffee beans alongside ceremonial-grade matcha sourced directly from Japan.

What began as a simple idea quickly gained momentum. Throughout December, we hosted multiple pop-ups and officially launched our own matcha brand — packaging and selling ceremonial-grade matcha powder sourced from a small family farm in Kagoshima, Japan.

Since then, Taroko has continued to grow. We’ve hosted over 10 pop-ups, expanded into wholesale matcha and protein treat supply across multiple locations, and donated over £350 to charities around the world within our first five months.

Giving back has always been at the heart of Taroko’s mission. Since launching, we’ve had the privilege of collaborating with several non-profit organisations. Every month, we run dedicated charity campaigns backed by extensive research and intentional storytelling. Alongside these partnerships, we create special menus inspired by the regions and farms we work with — highlighting unique flavours while celebrating the communities behind them.

We believe transparency is essential to meaningful impact. That’s why we publicly share donation breakdowns from every campaign — allowing our community to see exactly where contributions are going and the difference they are helping create. For us, giving back should never feel performative; it should be honest, accountable, and rooted in genuine care for the communities and causes we support.

Our Campaigns

Some of our previous campaigns have included supporting Medical Aid for Palestinians & Filastin Aid through a Palestinian Date Matcha and Coffee special. These two charities work to provide emergency medical aid, healthcare support, and humanitarian relief for Palestinian communities affected by conflict and displacement.

We also raised funds for Women for Women International supporting women affected by conflict in Sudan through a traditional Karkade Lemonade made with Sudanese hibiscus. Their work supports women affected by war and conflict by providing financial assistance, education, vocational training, and long-term support to help rebuild independent lives.

Another campaign partnered with the Thai Red Cross Society Emergency Fund, serving a Thai Milk Tea special. The Thai Red Cross provides disaster relief, emergency medical assistance, blood donation services, and humanitarian aid for vulnerable communities across Thailand.

Taroko also supported the World Food Programme Haitian Appeal with a Haitian Cocoa Iced Chocolate Milk inspired by local flavours and ingredients. This charity works globally to combat hunger and food insecurity, delivering emergency food assistance and long-term nutritional support to communities facing crisis.

During Easter, we partnered with Restored UK with a Mini Egg Iced Latte special. This month also marked the launch of our homemade protein brownies and cookies, which quickly became a core part of our offering. Restored UK works to support survivors of domestic abuse and raise awareness around violence against women, partnering closely with churches and local communities across the UK.

In the first week of May, we hosted multiple events supporting the Disasters Emergency Committee Lebanon Appeal, which provides emergency humanitarian relief during global crises and natural disasters, alongside another collaboration with Restored UK and Fondazione ANT, an organisation providing free home-based specialist care for cancer patients and funding cancer prevention projects across Italy.

Special drinks throughout these campaigns included Iced Raspberry Matcha, Raspberry Lemonade, Iced Black Raspberry Lattes, and culturally inspired seasonal specials. Alongside these events, we also launched our homemade Protein Brownies and Cookies, while securing multiple wholesale accounts to begin supplying our protein treats to other locations.

Our Goal

Taroko has always been about more than just coffee and matcha. It’s about creating something intentional — building community, celebrating culture, supporting meaningful causes, and proving that even small businesses can create real impact.

What started as a small pop-up rooted in passion and heritage has grown into a platform for connection, creativity, and giving back. As Taroko continues to expand through new events, collaborations, wholesale partnerships, and future projects, our mission remains the same: to serve with purpose, stay transparent in everything we do, and use every cup as an opportunity to support people beyond ourselves.

Love, Liv x