The concept of this brand was born in 1992 when after an unfortunate period of Nationalism of all the company tea estates in the island of Ceylon, later to be named Sri Lanka. By the late 1980’s the estates were returned to a form of privatisation and by 1992 the estates were under 23 local agent companies who invested and encouraged competition in the management of the estates. However it should be understood that the Government still retained the ownership of the land and therefore welfare provision whilst allowing the companies to tender for the leasehold of the land. I met up with Manthi Delwita in Colombo in 1992 and he asked if it would be possible for us to present an exciting range of really top quality teas to the U.K. consumer which led to this business.
This island in my view produces the most diverse characters and superb quality teas compared to other producing areas particularly in the two designated quality production seasons that the island experiences. Again it is my that view that because it is a small land mass with a central area of high mountains surrounded by oceans receiving the effects of cool winds that have travelled across those oceans forcing their way up the deep valleys and arriving in the tea fields to combine with the effect of elevation to produce these different characters as with wine production. The documents that I have prepared in this website explain this in great detail as well as explaining the structure of the industry in this island for consumers who demand to know that the workers in the industry are respected and treated well.
As ex-tea planters we were concerned that consumers had been led away from exciting individual character teas by the commercial world and we have worked with the individual estates to have seasonal quality single estate characters made to our requirement with detailed information on the packaging offering consumers a chance to experience and understand the range of naturally produced flavours and characters.
Unfortunately, the concept of commercial marketing is to lose any concept of origin and to blend teas to suit their branding and price structure in the market place. Also the consumer needs to be aware that single estate teas are available all year round but it is only in the two specially designated seasons when two very dry periods arrive that single estates will develop extreme clarity of liquor and the depth of character that we seek with experienced tea-makers who bring their manufacturing staff in for manufacture during the night when conditions in the factory are sufficiently cool to preserve the heavy volatile oils released at that time.