The Story of Ceylon Tea: A Journey Through Time...

 The Dawn of the Tea Industry

The tea industry in Sri Lanka began its journey in the mid-19th century. A Scottish planter named James Taylor arrived in Ceylon in 1852 and took charge of the Loolecondera Estate, then a coffee plantation. Following a devastating coffee rust outbreak around 1868, Taylor turned his attention to tea-growing. In 1867 he planted the first tea field of 19 acres on the Loolecondera Estate, laying the foundation for what would become a globally renowned industry.

In the year 1873, Taylor pioneered tea-processing on the island, and the first consignments of Ceylon tea were exported to London, signaling the international potential of the crop.

 Expansion and Technological Advances

1883 – Start of Public auctions of tea

1884 - Established transformational production techniques, including new machinery, centralized processing factories

1894 - Formation of the Ceylon Tea Traders’ Association

1925 - Tea Research Institute

Late 1920s - Sri Lanka had surged past 100,000 metric tons and was expanding into low-elevation regions such as Galle and Ratnapura.

1965 – Ceylon became the world’s largest tea exporter.

 Modern Era and Legacy

Through the 1980s and 1990s Sri Lanka’s tea industry adapted to new global dynamics including supply to major international events and the gradual privatization of estates. In the early 2000s, innovations such as online tea auctions and the transformation of the Hanthana Tea Factory into a museum reflected the evolution of the sector. By 2013 Sri Lanka stood among the top global tea producers and maintained a strong position in the orthodox tea export market.

In 2017 the industry celebrated 150 years since the first tea field was planted at Loolecondera Estate, marking a legacy of premium quality and international recognition.