In partnership with UNSW, we set up a Plume stand and started pouring iced matcha lattes (classic and strawberry) for future students, families, and anyone needing something cold, calming and just a little bit fun.

Let’s be honest: matcha isn’t new. But right now, it’s everywhere. And we mean everywhere.

Iced. Strawberry. Extra creamy. Ordered with confidence. Matcha has officially entered its main character era, and at Plume, we are completely here for it.

If you’ve spent any time at UNSW, you already know this. Matcha isn’t just a menu item- it’s a ritual. A daily order. A personality trait, honestly.

So when UNSW Kensington Open Day rolled around on 18th December, leaning into the matcha wave felt like the most natural thing in the world.

In partnership with UNSW, we set up a Plume stand and started pouring iced matcha lattes (classic and strawberry) for future students, families and anyone needing something cold, calming and just a little bit fun.

What we didn’t expect?
How fast it all disappeared.

Over 500 iced matcha lattes, gone in less than three hours.

No big signs. No hard sell. Just people lining up, and texting friends saying, “Run, don’t walk! Plume is giving out matcha!”

And honestly, it made so much sense.

Matcha has become the drink on campus. It’s what people reach for between lectures, study sessions and everything in between. Calm energy, no crash, tastes good iced, like, what’s not to love?

Plume has quietly become the matcha latte destination at UNSW, and this activation felt less like a “thing we planned” and more like a moment we stepped into at exactly the right time.

But beyond the trend, what really mattered was the feeling.

Open Day is exciting, overwhelming and full of possibility. Being able to show up with something familiar and genuinely enjoyable, something that made people pause, smile and cool off, felt like a small but meaningful way to be part of the day.

That’s always been our approach.

Whether we’re on a university campus or inside a hospital, we care deeply about the communities we’re part of. We want to meet people where they are: with drinks that feel right for their moment, not just what’s trending.

That said… if matcha is trending, we’re absolutely going to pour it well.

Because when a trend becomes a ritual, and a drink becomes a daily moment people look forward to, oh yes, that’s when it really matters.

And judging by UNSW Open Day?
The matcha moment is just getting started.