Customer Reviews

Ceylon Tea, 125g

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I discovered Whittard of Chelsea many years ago on a visit to London, and have since made it a habit to stop by one of their stores whenever I am in Britain. I'm delighted to see, though, that my favorite tea company's products are now also available over the internet.

On Sri Lanka - which means "Resplendent Island" in Sanskrit - tea has been cultivated since the second half of the 19th century. After in 1869 most of the island's coffee plantations were devastated by a fungus that left the few (at the time, only experimentally planted) tea bushes untouched, a Scotsman named James Taylor, who had acquired some basic knowledge on tea plantation in Northern India, was put in charge of production. Under his shrewd management, output rose from a mere 23 lbs. to 81.3 tons between 1873 and 1880, and further to 22,899.8 tons by 1890.

Most of Sri Lanka's tea plantations are situated at elevations between 3,000 and 8,000 feet in the island's southwestern part, to the east of Colombo and in the south. Although the island changed its official name from the colonial Ceylon (from Selan Dwipa, which possibly means "Island of Gems") to Sri Lanka in 1972, the old name is still used for its tea.

Whittard's Ceylon tea is a blend of teas from one of Sri Lanka's oldest and most distinguished tea growing areas, the Dimbula region on the western slopes of the southern/central mountain range; with plantations from approximately 3,500 to 5,000 feet above sea level. Although the area also encompasses a few districts known for their lighter teas, this particular blend emphasizes teas with a more pronounced, thoroughly refreshing aroma. It makes for an excellent breakfast tea, but also a great pick me up throughout the day.