CEYLON TEA STORY

The first tea seeds and young plants were brought to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) from the botanical gardens in Kolkata (India) in 1839.

The father of the tea industry in Ceylon - James Taylor, first planted tea commercially in 1867, two years before the coffee blight. The first shipment of 23 pounds of tea took place in 1872, and today the country exports around 300 million kilograms of tea to all corners of the world, and also has the distinction of conducting the largest tea auctions in the world, which has been in operation since 1883.

Today, Sri Lanka is known as the largest exporter of tea to the world, and hence, Ceylon tea from Sri Lanka is often acclaimed as the best tea in the world. Also, reputed for the excellent quality of conventional and organic tea, low and high grown, from some of the finest tea gardens in the world, and blended to perfection. Influence of climatic conditions of its plantation allows for a variety of flavours and aromas, synonymous with quality of the final product.

All around the world, connoisseurs of tea clamoured for Ceylon tea which soon became a household reference for the finest quality tea. It acquaints that the Sri Lankan population starts and ends the day with a cup of tea because it has qualities to refresh the hearts and minds and acts as a catalyst.

The tea cultivating industry in Sri Lanka has always been a vital component of the overall Sri Lankan economy. The Sri Lankan tea industry employs approximately one million people, thus also contributing significantly to the country's gross domestic product as well as government revenue. The total extent of Sri Lankan land under tea cultivation has been assessed at approximately 187,400 hectares. Tea production is a year round phenomenon and cultivation is usually concentrated in the central highlands and the southern inland areas of the island. Ceylon tea consists of a combination of distinctive, fine rich yet mellow flavour, bright and golden color that appeals to tea drinkers throughout the world.