Pedro Tea Estate, Sri Lanka

Pedro Tea Estate, Sri Lanka

Earlier this year BRUU headed over to Sri Lanka on a special trip to source some black teas for our lovely members. Sri Lanka is one of the biggest tea exporters in the world, previously known as Ceylon, and is famous for teas with a slightly stronger taste profile. The humidity, cool temperatures, and rainfall of the country's central highlands provide a climate that favours the production of high-quality tea – so BRUU headed straight for the hills!

Our first stop was the Somerset Tea Estate in the Dimbula district which was first established in 1880 and sits 1,102m up, covering over 452 hectares and produces over 575,000 kgs of tea each year. In this unique environment, the teas thrive, helped by the cool breeze blowing from Kotmale Oya, producing a balanced strength and flavoursome tea.

After our VIP tour and tea tasting masterclass with Eranga, Sri Lanka's Best Tea Taster 2018, the BRUU team decided that their Somerset BOP and OP were the best fit for our members. The OP is a fuller leaf that has a very light cup but is packed with flavour; perfect for our members that prefer teas without milk. On the other hand, the BOP is a lot stronger and works perfectly with milk.



Next was the Pedro Tea Estate in Nuwara Eliya, one of Ceylon’s most inspiring and captivating tea plantations. The area is Sri Lanka’s highest tea-growing region situated 6000ft above sea level. Nuwara Eliya is known for its rugged terrain and crisp mountain air that’s scented with eucalyptus and wild mint. The environment here of moderate rainfall and frosty nights creates a unique microclimate for producing a tea that is known by connoisseurs as one of the finest in the world.


Pedro is the most famous of Nuwara Eliya’s tea estates; covering 516 hectares and produces some of the country’s best-known teas under the name of Lovers Leap. Named after the waterfall that is found on the estate, the name Lovers Leap is inspired by the legend of a Prince who fell in love and eloped to Nuwara Eliya. When the king’s men were sent in pursuit of the prince, the lovers had leapt from the waterfall that now forms part of the Plantation. We fell in love with their Pedro BOP, a medium bodied, flavoursome Ceylon masterpiece. (Also available is the Pedro OP)


Now, getting tea out of Sri Lanka is no easy feat and all exports have to go through the regulated auctions in the capital Colombo operated by the Tea Association. This ensures growers get a fair price and Sri Lanka's lucrative tea export business is protected.


BRUU was keen to avoid this lengthy process so we could preserve the freshness of the tea. Thanks to the influence of some important people we were given exclusive permission from the Tea Association to immediately fly our tea back to the UK. So, the tea you now find in your cup is probably the freshest Sri Lankan tea in the UK right now. It was literally picked, processed, driven across Sri Lanka by BRUU and then flown back to the UK. #yourwelcome

PS: If you have missed out on our Sri Lanka black teas this month then log into your member's area and select black tea and your future BRUU boxes will include teas like this!