Matter Wellness at the BBC: Celebrating ESEA Heritage Month
Last week, we had the pleasure of bringing Matter Wellness to BBC headquarters in London as part of its celebration of East and Southeast Asian Heritage Month.
We were invited to spend the day sampling Sunrise and Sunset with BBC staff, introducing our approach to functional wellness and sharing some of the East Asian philosophy that inspired Matter.
And we ended the day with our highest-ever in-person sales.
But for us, the day meant much more than that.
Bringing East Asian wellness into new spaces
Growing up in Hong Kong, many of the ingredients and rituals that inspired Matter never really felt like “wellness”.
They were simply part of everyday life.
Herbal teas, mushrooms, fruits and botanicals were things we grew up around, often connected to a much broader philosophy of balance, prevention and paying attention to what your body needs.
When we created Matter, we wanted to take some of that wisdom and make it easier to access within modern life — without losing the thinking behind it.
That made being invited to the BBC for ESEA Heritage Month particularly meaningful.
The UK has embraced so much of Asian food and culture, but we’ve often felt that East and Southeast Asian communities themselves remain underrepresented and under-celebrated.
Seeing ESEA culture given space within an institution like the BBC and being able to contribute our own small part to that felt significant.
A huge thank you to Olivia and everyone involved in making the celebration happen.
“Wait… this actually tastes good.”
One of our favourite parts of sampling Matter in person is watching people's expectations change after their first sip.
Functional mushrooms and East Asian botanicals don't necessarily have the best reputation when it comes to taste.
Some people expect something earthy, bitter or medicinal.
Then they try it.
At the BBC, we saw plenty of surprised faces when people discovered that Sunrise has a subtle blueberry flavour, while Sunset combines Asian pear and chamomile.
That reaction matters to us because taste has been fundamental to Matter from the beginning.
We don't believe wellness should be something you reluctantly tolerate because you're told it's good for you.
It should become a ritual you genuinely look forward to.
A different approach to functional wellness
Sunrise and Sunset were created around two moments in the day.
Sunrise is our caffeine-free morning blend, combining functional mushrooms and East Asian botanicals with a subtle blueberry taste.
Sunset is our evening ritual, combining ingredients including glycine, magnesium, Reishi and traditional botanicals with Asian pear and chamomile.
Together, they're our interpretation of something we grew up with: looking at wellbeing as a rhythm rather than constantly trying to optimise, stimulate or push the body harder.
Rise ready. Rest well. Repeat.
Seeing so many people at the BBC curious enough to stop, ask questions and try something unfamiliar reminded us why we started Matter in the first place.
And achieving our highest-ever in-person sales while celebrating ESEA Heritage Month?
That made the day even more special.
Make every sip matter.
