- Serving golden brews of pure Ceylon tea
Speaking to Kalubowitiyana Tea Factory Assistant Manager – Marketing Afras Afoor, he informed us that Kalubowitiyana Tea Factory Ltd. (KTFL) was incorporated under the Companies Act on 30 September 1992 as a public company fully owned by the Government under the Ministry of Plantation Industries.
At the moment, Afoor stated that Kalubowitiyana Tea Ltd. is a public company, fully owned by the Government, established with the purpose of assisting tea smallholders. It only began commercial operations in 1994 by processing crush, tear, curl (CTC) teas and became the pioneer in manufacturing the best CTC teas in Sri Lanka. “CTC teas produced at the Kalubowitiyana Tea Factory are famous for its strength and brisk liquors, sought by leading blenders all over the world for tea bag blends,” he shared.
Initially, the factory began commercial operations as a CTC tea factory in Kalubowitiyana, Deniyaya Electorate, Sri Lanka, on 1 August 1994, built with the assistance of the Indian line of credit.
The company then started the Derangala Tea Factory as its second tea factory producing orthodox teas in March 2000. Since then, Afoor told us that they have been operating on a self-financing basis since 1995. The company also opened up their third tea factory, Hiniduma Hills producing orthodox tea in 2011, closely followed by the opening of its fourth tea factory in Kandy.
Presently, the Kalubowitiyana Tea Factories, which are located in the south of Sri Lanka, produce approximately 1.2 million kg of low-grown CTC teas. The Dearangala and Hiniduma Hills factories located in the Southern Province produce low-grown orthodox teas, contributing 1.45 million kg to the total tea production, typically known for their stylish leaf appearance and larger particle size, as well as strength and distinctive flavour.
The Menikdiwela Tea Factory, which is located in Kandy, produces approximately 0.4 million kg of intensely full-bodied teas, classified as “medium grown”, and are famous for its palatable liquors.
The manufacturing process
Afoor explained that the CTC method of manufacture is less time consuming and is different from the traditional orthodox method of manufacture. “In the CTC method of manufacture, leaf is not rolled in the traditional manner, but processed immediately after weathering by macerating the leaf in a roller-cutter into small particles, and run through the drier to form pellet-like particles of tea in three sizes; namely, BP– Broken Pekoe, PF1 – Pekoe Fanning 1, and PD – Pekoe Dust, which are sorted out in the process of sifting,” he shared, adding that these teas’ liquor turn into a very strong coloured thick cup for connoisseurs who desire strong tea.
“Our teas are renowned for excellent quality, having been certified for accepted quality certifications, product responsibility, and customer health and safety,” he commented, adding that all their products and processes are fully compliant with ISO 22000:2005 and the HACCP certification issued by the Sri Lanka Accreditation Board. Additionally, he mentioned that all the factories have received the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) certification. Implementing and maintaining a food safety management system (ISO 22000:2005 and HACCP) for all black tea manufacturing facilities reinforces their commitment towards product responsibility and ensures food safety and quality standards are maintained from end to end. “The tea quality is tested annually for heavy metals, microbiological criteria, and agrochemical residues as per the requirements of ISO 3720 standard,” he added.
Afoor informed us that they have three ranges of tea on sale: CTC black tea, premium tea, and tea bags. Giving us some insight on what the premium tea has to offer, he explained that it is made by bringing together fresh tea manufactured with high-quality health standards from Sri Lanka’s finest tea gardens in the low-country mountains alongside the Sinharaja Forest.
Kalubowitiyana Tea manufacturing has won a number of national and international awards for its quality and ethical standards and they hope to continue revolutionising the tea industry and eventually, market their tea to a global audience.