Ebony Springs Tea Garden is located in the lower region of Nuwara Eliya, near Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, and Adams Peak. About 102 kilometers from Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, this tea garden stands out for its particularly artisanal tea-making process. It is part of the growing movement of handmade teas in Sri Lanka led by the Ceylon Artisanal Tea Association (CATA).

The founder of Ebony Springs, Bernard Holsinger, is considered one of the pioneers of handmade teas. After working on leading large estates in the western high-grown district until 2003, he dreamed of establishing a small tea garden with its own processing unit that would provide tea lovers from around the world with homemade tea experiences. Finally, Holsinger bought 2 hectares of weed-overgrown land available at an affordable price in southern Nuwara Eliya. After removing the weeds, he planted it with the TRI2043 cultivar, famous for its purple leaves with shiny, large, and hairy buds, which are often used to make white “Silver Tips”.

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In addition to producing handmade artisan teas, the tea garden offers comfortable accommodations for solo travelers, couples, and families, as well as homemade Sri Lankan and Western cuisine. After providing relevant training to local villagers on the production of the garden’s signature tea varieties, it now produces about 15 to 20 kg of handmade artisan tea per month.

In April 2022 Ebony Springs joined the CATA and thereby Sri Lanka’s growing network of artisanal tea producers.

CATA (Ceylon Artisanal Tea Association)

CATA is a non-profit organization established in 2016 to promote and support the production of artisanal teas in Sri Lanka and to educate consumers about the unique qualities of these teas. The association represents a group of artisan tea producers specializing in high-quality, single-origin Ceylon teas. The members work closely together to ensure sustainable and ethical practices for growing and processing their teas. In addition, the association also offers marketing and branding support to help its members reach a wider audience. Current members of the group include the renowned tea gardens Amba, Kaley, Monkeytail, Forest Hill, and Ebony Springs.

For more CATA teas @ Siam Tea Shop follow the link below:

CATA Teas @ Siam Tea Shop

And here’s a link to a video introducing CATA as an association along with its member tea gardens:

https://www.facebook.com/CATACeylon/videos/460977588534963?locale=de_DE

Sri Lanka (Ceylon) Tea History – An Introduction

The history of tea cultivation in Sri Lanka dates back to the 19th century. Sri Lanka then went by the name of Ceylon and was under British colonial rule. Initially, coffee was the main export crop until a fungus disease called coffee rust devastated coffee plantations in the 1860s. As a result of that, the British had to look for a replacement crop. They eventually decided on tea, which was already successfully cultivated in India. As a result, in 1867, James Taylor planted the first tea bushes on an estate in the Kandy region. Subsequently, tea production quickly became one of Sri Lanka’s most important economic sectors.

During the 19th century, tea surpassed coffee as the main export product. At the same time, the island became one of the world’s largest tea producers. The British established tea plantations in the hill country and brought Tamil workers from India to work on the plantations. Despite major challenges such as low prices, labor shortages, and political unrest, steady growth characterized the following development of the tea industry in Sri Lanka.

After Sri Lanka gained its independence from Britain in 1948, the government nationalized the tea industry. It took control of the large estates and created a cooperative system for small farmers. In the following decades, the industry faced new challenges, such as changing market demands and competition from other tea-producing countries.

Today, Sri Lanka is famous for its high-quality teas, appreciated for their unique taste and aroma. Tea cultivation and processing remain an important part of Sri Lanka’s economy and cultural heritage. Nevertheless, the development of a market for artisan teas from smaller producers and family businesses is still relatively new. A beautiful example of such a tea is our Ebony Springs Green Tea Cigars!