‘I’m taking on one of Leeds’ biggest matcha chains - and my sales are soaring’

A Leeds independent coffee and bakery business is taking on one of the city centre’s biggest chains by tempting customers across the road with its own take on the matcha craze.

Savvy Baker, based inside Trinity Leeds, launched a campaign aimed at encouraging Blank Street customers to try its drinks after noticing huge queues forming outside the chain’s newly opened store.

The independent business estimates Blank Street sells around 5,000 drinks a week - and has set itself the ambitious target of matching that figure.

Savannah Roqaa, who founded Savvy Baker in lockdown, said the arrival of the chain could have put her off opening in such a prime city centre location.

She told the Yorkshire Evening Post: “As we were going through the lease, we saw on social media that Blank Street was opening in the building opposite us.

“We could have let that deter us or not want to be in the shop, but we thought that we can do this, and people who want good food and drink will come to us regardless.”

Savannah said she decided to launch the campaign after watching customers queue outside Blank Street every day.

“It’s not about taking their sales, it's ‘if they can do it, why can’t we?’, " she said.

The campaign is now in its sixth week and has included asking customers leaving Blank Street if they would be willing to try a Savvy Baker version of their matcha.

The business has also worked with Leeds influencers over the course of the campaign, put up a billboard outside Trinity Leeds, and teamed up with another local business Matcha & Mascarpone, for a banana-pudding topped matcha.

Savannah said the campaign has already had a dramatic effect on sales.

Before it began, Savvy Baker was selling around 800 drinks a week. Last week, that figure reached 3,040.

“The influx has been ridiculous, and we’ve been unbelievably busy with queues out of the doors,” she added.

The campaign will continue, Savannah said, until the business reaches its 5,000 drink target.

But behind the social media campaign is a wider message about supporting independent businesses in Leeds.

Savannah said she tried matchas from both chains and independents around the city before launching the campaign, and felt independent businesses offered something different.

At Savvy Baker, matcha is hand-whisked rather than pre-batched and the business uses high-grade matcha sourced from Japan.

Savannah told the YEP: “We have this amazing woman who flies over and checks the quality of everything, and if it’s not up to standard she will assess it.”

And while she acknowledges that chains can offer convenience, she believes Leeds has plenty of independent businesses worth seeking out.

“It’s not impossible to be able to thrive right now if everyone continues supporting their independents.

“I’m from Leeds, you’re supporting people who you know and who you actually see, not huge corporations where you can’t see the huge person at the top.

“It’s more important than ever that people continue to shop independently.”