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No. 22

Vithanakande Estate - Loose Leaf Tea

Ceylon Black Tea

This evenly graded wiry silver tippy black tea showcases the true craftmanship of the tea makers at this award-winning tea factory.

From: Sinharaja Forest, Ratnapura, Sri Lanka

LOOSE LEAF TEA
Delivery Info

Shipping policy

 

 UK Deliveries

Method

Cost

Carrier

Transit time

Standard

£3.50, Free - over £35

Royal Mail

2-5 days, Tracked

Tracked

£6.50, Free - over £100

DPD

1-3 days, Tracked

Next-Working-Day

£9.95

DPD

Orders placed before 2pm, Delivered Monday - Friday, Tracked

Saturday

£15.00

DPD

Orders placed before 2pm, Saturday delivery, Tracked

 *Most deliveries will be made within the usual time frame, but some areas and services may experience delays.

 

European Deliveries


Currently, there are some delays with sending parcels to EU countries from the UK. This is due to the UK leaving the European Union. We will keep you updated with any notifications as they happen.

Please note that a tracking number is not provided for EU Standard deliveries. 

CUSTOMS CHARGES: All commercial goods arriving from the UK are subject to VAT, Import Duty and a handling fee in the country receiving the goods.

Method

Cost

Carrier

Transit time

Standard

From £5.50

Royal Mail

3-7 days, up to 21*, Not Tracked (Offered for orders less than £50 only)

Economy

From £5.50

Royal Mail

3-7 days, up to 21*, Not Tracked (Offered for orders less than £50 only)

Tracked

From £15.95

Fedex

3-5 days, up to 8*, Tracked

*Most deliveries will be made within the usual time-frame, but some areas and services may experience delays.

Customers Ordering From Ireland - Please Note: Due to recent restrictions we are unable to ship Chinese teas to Ireland at this present time.

 

Rest of the World

 

Method

Cost

Carrier

Transit time

Standard

From £4.00

Royal Mail

8-15 days, up to 30*, Not Tracked (Offered for orders less than £50 only)

USA tracked

From £15.00

Fedex

2-3 days, up to 7*, Tracked

ROW Tracked

From £18.95

Fedex

1-5 days, up to 5*, Tracked

 *Most deliveries will be made within the usual time frame, but some areas and services may experience delays.

 

International Buyers (Including EU) – Please Note:


Import duties, taxes, and charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be before buying.

Customers Ordering From Ireland - Please Note: Due to recent restrictions we are unable to ship Chinese teas to Ireland at this present time.

If you have any questions, please contact us via sales@theteamakers.co.uk | 01322284923

*We aim to dispatch all orders within 1-2 days of receiving your request. However, this can vary during peak times and other conditions outside of our control. Therefore, the below estimates of shipping times have been provided by our couriers.

The origins of this Vithanakande Estate tea


This evenly graded thin wiry silver tippy black tea is real rarity. This is graded as FBOPF. EX. SP or Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe Extra Special that showcases the true craftmanship of the tea makers at New Vithanakande Tea Factory who produces world renown teas. The deep amber liquor offers a warm aromas of native Sri Lankan spices. The flavours are layered with maltiness and russet and lingering notes of molasses and raisins. This is a smooth tea with lower astringency, works perfect to be drunk on its own or with a dash of milk.

New Vithanakande Tea Factory is situated in the which is part of the lower elevation planting district. This unique terroir combined with warm and humid climatic conditions, gives New Vithanakande teas the special mellow characteristic that distinguishes them from others. This independently owned tea factory works with the co-operative of small holder tea farmers from surrounding villages to source the tea leaves. This helps the local economy to thrive and a steady and reliable income for the farmers and their families.

The factory is perched on a hill overlooking the Sinharaja forest reserve designated as UNESCO World Heritage site. Ratnapura region is the fabled city of precious gem stones in Sri Lanka. This tea is equally a true gem of a tea.

Ingredients


Pure Sri Lankan black tea

Tasting notes


The deep amber liquor offers a warm aromas of native Sri Lankan spices. The flavours are layered with maltiness and russet and lingering notes of molasses and raisins.

Region


Ratnapura is a city and district within the landlocked Sabaragamuwa Province, which is towards the South West of the country, at a major crossroad between the southern plains and the hill country to the East. Ratnapura is in the lowlands, an area famed for its tropical rainforests. The elevation varies throughout the district, with the city of Ratnapura sitting at 189m above sea level, and surrounding hills peaking over 400m.

Learn more about the Ratnapura District, Sri Lanka

The region experiences a Tropical Rainforest climate (Af), which combines high temperatures and high precipitation. The hottest months are March and April, with average highs of 34°C. The rest of the is only slightly less warm, with lows of 22°C and highs of 32°C. It rains throughout the year, with peaks in October and November, and is at 100% for most of the year, with a slight dip to around 90% in January.

There is cloud cover all year round, with clearer skies from December to March, with a gentle breeze that picks up from May to September. Known as the City of Gems, Ratnapura is known for its trade of precious and semi-precious stones. Tea is grown on nearby hills overlooking the Sinharaja rain forest, an exceptional biodiversity hotspot of international significance, and home to a majority of Sri Lanka’s endemic species of trees, animals and birds.

The dense forests harbour elephants, leopards and the endemic purple-faced langur, as well as numerous species of birds and reptiles. Below 600m, teas from Ratnapura are known as “low grown”, and offer a distinctive, mellow flavour profile. Although teas can be harvested all year round, the highest grade, FBOPFEXS, is only harvested between May and November.

How to brew

3g - 4g

3g - 4g

100°C

100°C

200ml

200ml

3 - 4mins

3 - 4mins

Vithanakande Estate - Loose Leaf Tea has a rating of 4.9 stars based on 8 reviews.