ROBERT WILSON'S 'CEYLON' TEAS
The
U.K. business is managed by Robert Wilson (ex tea planter). The business imports,
stores and distributes our own branded ‘Select’ teas. We handle inquiries
from around the globe for these branded teas or for any other type of ‘Ceylon’
tea. Quotations and payments are handled via the United Kingdom office through
secure systems.
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Our teas are superb examples of the tea-makers craft in Traditional (Orthodox) tea. Twist rolled, single grade and named for absolute authenticity of origin. The estates and ourselves take great pride in declaring their names for your critical judgement.
BAR CODING:
All our packs are bar coded using the UCC 12 digit numbering
system
We
are a GS1 UK Member
GS1 UK is part of the global GS1 organization, dedicated to the development and implementation of global data standards and solutions for the supply chain.
Barcode and RFID standards in the UK - www.gs1uk.org
ORGANIC CERTIFICATIONS:
Our Colombo premises are certified by Skal international (CU) to ECC No:20092/91 and (NOP) USDA standards for all their exports & invoicing.
Our U.K. premises are certified by the Demeter certification scheme of the Biodynamic Agricultural Association (BDAA) for all our imports and re-exports.
Within Sri Lanka (Ceylon) we operate with estates that are certified for Biodynamic production by Demeter International, for Organic production by the Institute for Marketcology (IMO) and also for Organic production by Skal International (CU).
COLOMBO OFFICE CERTIFICATION:
U.K. BUSINESS:
Our Demeter certification covers our imports of Biodynamically and Organically produced products.
'ETHICAL BUSINESS'
From our experience with planting and the present state of Ceylon estates, we
know of the long standing 
commitment
by the estates over many generations, to first establishing a resident workforce
based on whole families. Then developing over time facilities for those families
and constantly improving those facilities. In the early years this was easier
for the estates to afford. To-day that has largely been financed by a Government/Netherlands/Norwegian
trust started in 1993 after the disastrous prices of 1992 when commercial companies
were purchasing teas at prices that returned 60 % of the estates cost of production.
The Trust has changed in nature and funding in the last three years but still
continues to shoulder the major share of welfare provision. We work very closely
with the estates and promote them by name. The estates make special teas to
our specifications and we in turn pay the estates an agreed price for that service.
These prices are well above the market averages.
Whilst there are certain schemes being operated, such as 'Tea Sourcing Partnership'
and 'Fairtrade'. To-date we have tried to asses what these are specifically
doing to help the estates in this area. In our discussions with the estates,
we note a level of scepticism of schemes that are born in the West to promote
Western aims. It is my firm belief that they view the commercial development
of their tea trade by the large commercial companies in the West as another
form of Colonialism and perhaps a rather negative form of Colonialism.
Having looked at the literature about the 'Tea Sourcing Partnership', we believe
that this requires the estates to upgrade their status without any funding
to achieve this so called reward. Funding certifications in every direction
is not a rewarding exercise for the estates. Furthermore we already are aware
that all Sri Lankan or Ceylon estates are certifying via the International I.S.O.
system and the estates all comply with Government orders on 'Wages', 'Conditions
of employment', 'Maternity provisions', 'Age limits on employment' and all estates
aspire through continuing efforts to meet all other goals. Traditionally for
many generations now, estates have maintained hospitals, schools & Creches
for children. However they need consumers to understand the cost of maintaining
& improving this huge infrastructure and they would like a 'Fair reward'
ALL YEAR for their efforts. This business works directly with the estates and
has we believe an truly excellent reputation for fairness undertaking promotional
efforts on behalf of the estates. This may include visits by consumers on my
special tours to the island and of course trade buyers or directors to view
the very commendable progress that these estates have made and are continuing
to make, within the limited funding returned them from the market place. Devaluation
of their currency over the years has been a constant threat to increased prices
that have occurred. Union negotiating strength is very strong and workers
do receive very acceptable levels of pay and bonuses. This strength of negotiation
whilst satisfying Western concerns about worker satisfaction, does raise the
cost of production for the estates and then commercial concerns complain that
their teas are too highly priced. We are attempting to make consumers aware
of the problems in raising standards against costs of production. In the 2007
bi-annual union / estate negotiation a 44 % wages increase was forced on the
industry which is now showing in the latest costs of production in a very negative
form.
As an ex planter and with a long line of family connections with the tea business
there, I am deeply moved on my visits there, by their struggling efforts
in the face of Western 'Commercialism'. Ceylon teas are at the fore-front of
quality today and involved in many projects to ensure that their worker families
feel appreciated. The estates are fully aware that this is vital to retain their
skilled workers and stopping the flow to the erroneously perceived bright lights
of Colombo, with supposed streets made of gold.
In conclusion I would sum up my view of Fair Trade organizations:
1. There are a lot of small producers and
family units in some countries without established auctions, agents and transport
to reach the ports and I understand that they may well need help to start and
support their marketing. It is important for consumers to differentiate between
the needs of various producer groups or countries and expect blanket solutions
to complicated and sophisticated industries. Mature areas like Ceylon estates
do not want charity, they want recognition of the quality of the product that
they produce and a reasonable return. They have an infrastructure of union negotiation,
Government orders and a sophisticated auction system in place. That should satisfy
consumers.
2. Where commercial concerns are following the present down grading of tea in the West, partly to satisfy and retain their margins but also it is cheap to make bold heavy teas like a builders tea, and that type of tea then combats the disastrous water quality that we have in the UK today. Excessive underground extraction of water and chemical inclusions destroy both the quality of tea and quality coffee.
3. The best types of tea to combat poor
water quality and the West's fascination with convenience are the cheaper small
grade CTC (Cut, tear & cut) rather than the more expensive gentler twist
rolling that replicates how tea was originally made and drunk. Tea was never
invented to be a strong heavy type of drink but a lighter brew with varying
complex characters and aromas. Today we are even seeing teas that are virtually
red in colour, this is not from the tea leaf but from artificially included
added quantities of crushed stalk. All teas contain a small level of crushed
or rolled stalk from the tender stalk between the leaves when plucked but these
days there are factories that just crush stalk to be add to teas at varying
levels, partly to lower prices but also to increase the ability of the tea to
brew at lower temperatures and combat poor water quality.
Any company purchasing in that area really does need to boost returns to the
estates in some form of charitable donation but I implore consumers not to judge
us all at that level.
4. We are a quality driven company and we pay high prices for that quality and a job well done. Having spoken to many tea-makers in the last ten years I see that they are totally frustrated at how little the consumers demand of their teas today. Years ago those tea-makers enjoyed their work, striving to beat their colleagues as the prices of each estate were reported in the newspapers each week and the brokers reports arrived on the estates. Tea-making was a challenge against the elements. Today it is becoming a boring sameness as they are implored by the buyers to chop and tear the quality leaf down to an unrecognizable mass.
In order to back this policy statement I have put some comment on the operation of the housing trusts with overall figures. However if you wish to follow this more fully I have placed a fuller picture in the Statistics section.
The Government / Netherlands / Norwegian Trust and the Government Housing stock Trust operate with the 20 plantation companies who manage 34 % of the tea and rubber lands, producing 49 % of the tea output. It is also important to understand that the banking community in the island are backing special loans and self help schemes for workers in any sector to build their own houses on estate donated land.
The Plantation Housing and Social Welfare Trust (PHSWT) and the Social Developments Project completed up to the end of 2001. This is over and above the considerable housing stock, water etc that the estates have inherited:
Approx Rs:110 = £1
Activity:
Units:
Cost in Million Rs:
New
Housing
12,115
170.09
Upgrading old
Housing
3,533
80.49
Re-roofing
47,123
414.19
Water
supplies
1,937
279.33
Latrines
(Toilets)
68,806
253.66
Hospitals & Maternity
Units
218
40.57
Creches
727
100.43
Staff Quarters -
welfare
1,130
111.52
Staff Quarters -
other
623
28.35
Estate
Roads
1,474
61.56
Community
centres
39
13.89
Total
1,525.73
This has been carried out under four separate development plans. One continues to 2005. This is called getting on with the job
Again from the Statistics section I am illustrating below another problem that the estates have been grappling with. The information given to the public is that prices have been rising and we are paying more now than ever before. However the price paid is not the end of the story:
Average Auction Prices
Year:
Rs: per kilo:
U.S. $ per kilo:
1983
Rs.
43.27
1.84
1990
Rs:
70.97
1.77
2000
Rs:135.53
1.76
During this time the unions have negotiated considerable increases in wages on the basis of these increased prices for their workers. On the world market the estates have not seen an increase.
The Colombo business consults directly with the estates to obtain very specific quality teas. The island is world famous for some seven very different sectors producing completely different characters and nuances to the palate. These exciting flavours are obtained by us in specific climatic, or quality seasons.
In Sri Lanka (Ceylon) the business has an extremely important base within the island managed by Mr. Manthi Delwita (ex tea planter and active consultant to the tea industry). His son Luvinda well known in the tea business is of great assistance and his other son Mevan promotes us abroad.
The
business is involved with craftsmen and printers to design and produce packs
of very high quality. Robert Wilson’s ‘Ceylon’ Teas (PVT)., Ltd
is registered with the Sri Lankan Tea board as licensed packers and exporters.Both
businesses work with the estates and the Sri Lankan Tea Board to promote ‘Quality’
teas from this area. Prices are negotiated to reward estates for the attention
to detail required for our ‘Quality’ of teas. Whilst this combination
provides an uninterrupted and direct vehicle for teas, we are also concerned
with feeding back Trade and Consumers concerns. This covers the obvious concerns
such as quality control, ensuring the use of sustainable materials where possible
and also areas such as worker welfare.
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LOGOS and PACK DESIGN FEATURES:
Our packs are presented with a colour coding system. This allows us to identify each District with a colour. Districts are influenced by elevation and seasonal weather and therefore the colour will define the expected character of the pack. The colours are shown in the Estate Teas Table where elevation, colour, district and the estates in those districts are shown.
Organic teas are separated from district and given light green for black organics and silver for all green teas. As all organics carry a certifying label, we shall be changing all Organics in time to a light green pack for black and green teas.
The island logo, with the plucked leaf, as on our wooden boxes, is one used on our own family packs marketed from Meddegodde Estate in the 1930's when we started an orange coloured 1 lb pack with a heavy lead type packing and an internal tissue paper lining.
The elegant design in the centre of our carton packs has been developed by the Delwita family in Colombo and it has been much complimented even though it is a fairly recent development. There is a very interesting background to the design.
Within the island are two very old cities which were first re-discovered in the jungles in the North East by a British group out shooting, several decades ago. A great deal of work was carried out by amateur archaeologists for many years and excavations have grown over time. Recently International money has been used, plus money generated by visitors and the excavations are speeding up. It has been known for many years that the civilisation was very large and very significant. The culture was highly developed and the skills used then, very advanced indeed.
At the entrance to important buildings there is to be found a large half moon shaped carved step, called a 'Moonstone'. The carving on this step stone is highly significant. There are some differences in design and some differences in interpretation of those designs but the outer rim usually contains a wriggly pattern and this represents the flames of hell, then we either observe a) a row of sacred swans, by a vine like row (Liyah vella = Vine of life), then a row of elephants and perhaps lions, with another half circle of Vine of life, followed by the Lotus or half lotus in the centre (enlightenment = heaven in our terms) or b) more normally the outer circle of flames, followed by a circle of animals starting with the elephant, a horse, a lion and a bull, followed by the same animals again. I have also seen a further circle of the vine of life, and then a circle of what are sometimes called sacred Geese but are in fact Sacred Swans. Then finally another vine of life giving way to the Lotus (half lotus) of Enlightenment. The significance of this whatever the progression, is the story of life and the progression on an inward path via a form of reincarnation to the sacred and then final enlightenment.
It is this Liyah vella (Vine of Life) that you see on our packs as a border decoration.
Next is the central design of two entwined Swans. This is termed a Hamsa Puttuwa, I understand my colleague spells it Pootuwa. Whilst the single swan is on the Moonstone, the Hamsa Puttuwa has even greater significance. It is the sign of Purity, Wholeness and Goodness and is used extensively in jewellery decoration traditionally, thus the craftsman's use of it in the caddies that we have made for the teas. Furthermore Kandyan brides wear seven necklaces at their marriage and the Hamsa Puttuwa pendant is always attached to the longest necklace and again declares the wearers Purity. In taking this design as our mark, we have a heavy responsibility to ensure that the teas used within that pack are indeed the finest and purest teas that we can offer our customers.
©Robert Wilson Ceylon Teas 2002