Steeped in Something New

Sometimes the most interesting thing on the table isn't what's on the plate. For Natalie Winkworth-Smith, it was what wasn't in the glass. While everyone else was being talked through thoughtful pairings and stories of origin, she was handed water and left out of the conversation. What followed was a journey through tea gardens, centuries-old craft traditions, and an entirely new way to think about what makes a meal feel special. Now at The Nest at Treehouse Hotel Manchester, Saicho's sparkling teas bring bubbles, provenance, and plenty to talk about. We sat down with Charlie Winkworth-Smith and Natalie Winkworth-Smith to chat about tea, travel, unexpected pairings, and why a great conversation often starts with what's in your glass.
 

Sparkling Conversations Charlie and Natalie Winkworth-Smith, Co-founders, Saicho

Saicho began because Natalie was tired of being handed a glass of water while everyone else got the full pairing experience. Looking back, was there a moment when you thought, “Surely there’s a better answer than this?”

Natalie: There was one dinner in particular. Charlie was being guided through a series of drinks, each one chosen for the dish in front of him, with the story of where it came from and why it worked. I was offered tap water. Nobody meant anything by it, but I remember sitting there thinking that I was at the same table, eating the same food, and having a completely different evening. I grew up in Hong Kong, where tea is at the heart of every meal, and it struck me that one of the most complex ingredients in the world had no real place at the fine dining table.
Charlie: I think we both left that night with the same question. It wasn’t about finding something to fill the glass. It was about creating something with real depth and provenance, that a sommelier would be proud to pour and that would make everyone at the table feel part of the occasion.

You’ve spent years tasting teas from around the world. Was there a place, landscape, or tea garden that completely changed the way you think about flavour?

Charlie: Darjeeling, without question. Our tea comes from the Gopaldhara Estate in the Mirik Valley, one of the highest tea gardens in the region at around 2,000 metres. Tasting the summer flush there, you understand that tea expresses its place just as much as any great wine. The altitude, the mountain air, the soil and the season all show up in the glass, in that muscatel character you simply can’t find anywhere else.
Natalie: For me it’s the osmanthus scenting in Fujian. In the brief autumn window when the trees flower, the oolong is layered with fresh blossoms in bamboo baskets and slowly takes on their honeyed fragrance. It’s a centuries-old craft, and it made me realise that flavour isn’t only grown, it’s also made through patience and skill. That’s very much how we think about our own cold brewing.

What’s the most unexpected food pairing you’ve discovered that made you stop mid-bite and immediately tell someone else to try it?

Natalie: Darjeeling with dark chocolate. People expect a tea to be gentle with dessert, but the mandarin, ginger and wood spice notes pick up the bitterness in the chocolate and the bubbles lift it off the palate, so each mouthful feels fresh. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve passed my glass across the table and said, “Try it with this.”
Charlie: Hojicha with mushroom dishes is another. The roasted, nutty, gently smoky notes sit so naturally with earthy, umami flavours that it feels like the dish was built around it.

Saicho was born at a dinner table. Now it’s landed at The Nest. What do you hope guests experience when they see it on the menu for the first time, and the conversations it sparks?

Natalie: Curiosity, first of all. Sparkling tea is something most people haven’t come across, so we love that moment of someone asking, “What’s that?” and the team at The Nest getting to tell the story of where each tea comes from.
Charlie: And then a sense of occasion. Whatever someone is drinking, we want Saicho to feel like a considered choice in its own right, poured into a beautiful glass and enjoyed alongside the food. That matters just as much at a client dinner or team celebration as it does at a night out, because everyone at the table should feel part of the moment. If it starts a conversation about tea, origin or how it pairs with a dish, that’s the dinner table moment we started with, playing out somewhere new.

You’re bringing a Sparkling Tea Masterclass to The Nest. What can guests expect, and what’s the one thing that usually surprises people most when they start experimenting with sparkling tea?

Charlie: It's hands-on and relaxed, and works just as well for a group of friends as it does for a team or clients looking for something a little different. We'll taste our teas, Jasmine, Darjeeling, Hojicha and Osmanthus, talk through where each one comes from and how it's made, and pair them with a few small bites so guests can see how the flavours shift with food.
Natalie: What surprises people most is how different each tea is. Most people expect them to taste fairly similar, but from the floral lift of Jasmine to the roasted warmth of Hojicha, each one has its own character. Then you bring in the food and the tea changes again, which is usually when the conversation really gets going.

Pull Up a Chair

The best part of discovering something new is tasting it for yourself. Keep a close eye on Treehouse Hotel Manchester’s events calendar for Saicho's upcoming Sparkling Tea Masterclass, where Charlie and Natalie will guide guests through the stories, origins, and flavours behind each tea. Consider this your invitation to see what all the fuss is about.