Ceylon, thanks for all the tea

Putting the tea in serendipity 

 

On 4th February 1948, Sri Lanka became independent from British rule. Adeline Teoh traces the island nation’s fortunes from happy accident to tea tycoon.

 

Before it was Sri Lanka – ‘resplendent island’ in Sanskrit – the country was called Ceylon, a name today heavily associated with its tea. ‘Ceylon’ is the Anglicised version of the Greek, Sielen Diva, derived from the Persian, Serendip, the root for the word ‘serendipity’ or happy accident. It was by happy accident, in fact, that tea became an important crop to Sri Lanka.

 

Buoyed by the success of tea estates in India, the colonising Brits saw the perfect growing environment in Sri Lanka. Tea seeds were first brought from Assam in 1839 and planted at the botanical gardens in central Sri Lanka. Initial attempts at starting a tea industry, by Austrians using Chinese plants on their private estate, failed however. At the time, coffee was doing very well, and the plan for tea was not financially viable.

 

But then, in the late 1860s, a fungus began to infect the coffee plantations just as Scottish horticulturalist James Taylor began to establish tea bushes in Kandy, proving tea was a viable crop. Seizing the opportunity, fellow Scotsman Sir Thomas Lipton bought up five affected coffee plantations and established tea estates in their stead.

 

Lipton had made his name as a successful grocer and by 1890 he was distributing Ceylon tea across Europe and the US under the Lipton brand with its selling proposition being ‘Direct from the Tea Gardens to the Teapot’ to emphasise freshness and value, for he had cut out the expense of the middleman.

 

Today, the plantation around Lipton’s Seat where the entrepreneur first began his tea branding journey, is back in Sri Lankan hands as the Dambatenne Tea Estate and Factory. Meanwhile, in the 150 years since, the Ceylon tea industry has become the fourth largest in the world by volume and comprises 11% of Sri Lanka's total exports. And all this because of a timely blight on coffee plants.

 

Image below: View of Devathura Ella Falls on Oak Ray Tea Estate in Ramboda, Sri Lanka (Photo: Adeline Teoh)

FAQs

 

How can I buy tickets to AUSTCS 2020 in Brisbane?

Earlybird tickets are now available for the Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th August 2020 event in Brisbane. This is the lowest priced ticket we sell and there are only a limited number, so get in quick.

 

Are you holding a Ceramic Cup Competition this year?

Yes! In conjunction with the Australian Ceramics Association we will be holding our third Ceramic Cup Competition. If you know a ceramicist who would be interested in entering, please see our website for details. Submissions close 3 April 2020.

Image above: Arakai Estate in Bellthorpe, Queensland (Photo: supplied)

 

From Bellthorpe to Brisbane

 

We announce the venue(s) for the 2020 Australian Tea Cultural Seminar in Brisbane.

 

Known for its National Parks and forests, The Big Pineapple and the Woodford Folk Festival, Queensland’s Sunshine Coast is perhaps the perfect setting for a tea party. The area of Bellthorpe, at its interior fringe, is the home of Arakai Estate, a multi-faceted family farm that grows timber, avocados and ginger and, more recently, award-winning tea.

 

Arakai Estate is the Day 1 venue for the 2020 Australian Tea Cultural Seminar. Tea farmer Brendon Collins and his family – wife Kristie, parents Lorraine and Darryl – will be conducting tours of the estate (usually by appointment only) in addition to our regular seminar sessions including our beloved opening ceremony, ‘Welcome by Tea’.

 

What can you expect? A hectare of the Arakai Estate is given over to five kilometres of Japanese tea varieties that are machine harvested and processed on-farm, producing about a tonne of tea annually using a Taiwanese method. The result is a sweet and aromatic brew you can savour at origin. AUSTCS will provide transport to the estate for delegates, starting from the Brisbane CBD.

 

Day 2 will be held at Loyal Hope of the Valley (50 Morgan Street, Fortitude Valley), a gorgeous 1920s heritage-listed hall, steps away from the bustling café precinct of James Street in inner city Brisbane.

 

We’re excited to have Arakai Estate on board as our first plantation venue and we hope you will join us for what is set to be a wonderful weekend in Brisbane.

Upcoming events

 

6 February: Black tea appreciation with Connie Choi, Sydney

8 February: Tea Tastings at the Chinese Gardens, Sydney

12 February: The Amazing Cheese and Tea Pairing Experience, Sydney

15 February: The Legend of Lapsang Souchong, Sydney

16 February: Tea Tasting & Blending Masterclass, Orange

20 February: The Art & Science of Making Tea, Sydney

23 February: Matcha lover's high tea cooking class, Sydney

29 February: Tea Talks with Tracey, Geelong

 

SEE THE FULL CALENDAR

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Do you have an event to promote? Let events liaison Adeline Teoh know!

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