Move Over Matcha: Ube Emerges as Britain's New Culinary Obsession
Last year, matcha reigned supreme as the must-have ingredient, finding its way into everything from lattes to doughnuts across the United Kingdom. While the Japanese green tea powder remains popular in 2026, with retailers like Marks & Spencer continuing to launch new matcha products, a new contender has captured the nation's taste buds: ube.
What Exactly Is Ube?
Ube is a strikingly vibrant purple yam native to the Philippines, where it has been a cornerstone of Filipino cuisine for generations. Traditionally used in dishes ranging from sweet jams to elaborate cakes, ube offers a subtle, nutty, and earthy flavor profile with distinct vanilla-like sweetness. In recent years, its popularity has skyrocketed in the United States, with over half of all yams exported globally from the Philippines now destined for American markets. To illustrate this demand, more than 300 metric tons of yams were shipped to the U.S. in just the first nine months of 2025.
Ube's Rapid Rise in the UK Market
Now, ube is making significant inroads in Britain, recently hailed by Starbucks as "this year's taste and color of spring." However, this ingredient is not entirely new to the UK. Independent Filipino businesses have long championed ube, including:
- aRVhee, a Filipino bakery on Jutland Road in London, selling ube pandesal bread rolls.
- Kasa and Kin in Soho, offering Filipino-inspired dishes.
- Mamasons, a Filipino ice cream parlour with multiple London locations, serving ube bilogs ice cream sandwiches and ube brownies since 2017.
The team behind Mamasons also opened Panadera, a Filipino bakery, in 2021, featuring creations like ube toast and ube matcha blends. These establishments have amassed thousands of Instagram followers and numerous five-star Google reviews, catching the attention of major high street chains.
Mainstream Chains Embrace the Purple Yam
Pret a Manger initiated the trend last year with a limited-edition Ube Brûlée Latte. This spring, Costa Coffee introduced a Sweet Ube Hot Chocolate and a Sweet Ube Frappe. Starbucks has launched an extensive ube range in the UK, including:
- Ube Vanilla Velvet Latte
- Ube Matcha
- Ube Macchiato
- Ube Frappuccino
A Starbucks spokesperson reported a highly positive customer response to the "gently nutty, sweet flavour" of ube since its launch earlier this month. They attributed the trend to global travel influences and social media, which make new flavors more accessible and keep consumers curious about emerging culinary sensations.
Cultural and Supply Chain Concerns Emerge
Despite its growing popularity, ube's rise is not without controversy. As demand escalates globally, Filipino farmers struggle to keep pace. Ube is typically cultivated on small plots, primarily in the Visayas region, with annual production declining over the past two years due to:
- Climate change impacts
- Dwindling stock supplies
- Lack of large-scale plantation infrastructure
These challenges raise fears that other countries might begin mass-producing ube, potentially undermining Filipino farmers who have cultivated the crop for centuries. Additionally, many Filipinos express offense at seeing ube reduced to a mere "trend," emphasizing its deep cultural significance.
Voices from the Community
Joules Palanca, a digital creator in New York who calls herself the "Ube Queen," took to Instagram to highlight ube's cultural importance. She stated, "Ube is a crop that has been used as a source of livelihood for Filipinos. It's a crop that has survived through different seasons, harsh weather conditions, a crop that fed families and later was used to create ube halaya. It could never be just a flavour to us."
Palanca also warned that some chains may use artificial syrups and flavorings instead of genuine ube, which fails to support traditional farmers. She urged consumers to ask businesses about their ube sourcing and to educate others on the harms of artificial alternatives that do not benefit Filipino communities or advance cultural appreciation.
As ube continues to captivate British palates, the conversation around ethical sourcing, cultural respect, and sustainable agriculture becomes increasingly vital, ensuring this vibrant ingredient is celebrated without compromising its roots.
