Stems began between the UK and Argentina.

John travelled to Argentina to experience a new culture and play some rugby. There, he joined Mateo’s club and was introduced to yerba mate for the first time. What started as intrigue quickly became part of daily life: the gourd, the bombilla and the yerba. John and Mateo would drink mate with other friends all the time - sharing mates and chatting about life.

When John later moved back to the UK, he realised that people were becoming interested in mate, but authentic products and mate culture were still hard to find.

So, together with Mateo in Argentina, Stems was created.

Built between the UK and Argentina, Stems exists to bring authentic mate culture to the UK through traditional yerba, gourds and bombillas, alongside helpful content that makes it easy to get into.

At the heart of it is a genuine friendship, a real connection to mate and a belief that some ways of doing things are worth passing on.

For us, mate is more than a drink. It’s a moment to slow down, reset and connect - bringing energy, focus and a sense of calm to the day.

No hype. Just mate.