Park Estate Lunugala
Park Estate, Lunugala, Uva Province, Sri Lanka began its journey in 1885 according to historical records obtained from the living descendants of the first owner, Mr Basil Thomas Fanshawe, who purchased the estate when it comprised 710 acres, with only 46 acres of cultivated tea. Today, it consists of just 100 acres with approximately 25 acres planted with a variety of Camelia Sinensis and Camelia Assamica varieties.
Bordering Sri Lanka’s last remaining natural rainforest in the Uva Province mountains and facing the Lunugala mountain range, the Red-Yellow Podzolic soils, tropical monsoon climate and seasonal Kaachan winds give our tea the famous and unique aromatic flavoury liquor and character which has earned the recognition of discerning tea consumers around the world.
Since taking over in 2012, Ivan and Mala Robinson have transformed the estate into a Certified Organic Tea Plantation; no chemicals whatsoever have been utilized. The only form of fertilizer used has been manufactured on the estate from organic matter combined with urine and dung from our own cows and fowls.
Our tea leaves are sourced from our own estate – every single leaf crafted into our final rare product has been grown on our fields.
The Artisanal manufacture takes place in our purpose-built Tea Processing House that was entirely built of wood harvested from trees growing on the estate. No plastics are used in the process – we only use bamboo/cane baskets and glass oxidizing trays which ensures that there are no nano or micro plastics in our tea – we are very proud to be able to guarantee that our teas are crafted with pure and unadulterated organically grown Camelia leaves.
Park Estate teas are crafted in very small batches of no more than 10 kilograms of green bud and leaf per day. Each bud and leaf is handpicked by our female leaf pluckers who have inherited the technique from previous generations of highly skilled leaf pluckers who are able to identify and select only the very best quality leaves. During the manufacturing process, we closely monitor the ambient temperatures, humidity levels, withering times and oxidizing times. The precision that goes into our Tea Crafting is revealed in the distinct aromas and flavour of our brewed tea.
Our philosophy is to continue to produce delicious, genuine, single-estate organic teas crafted under the auspices of our dedicated tea maker, Mrs Mala Baranige-Robinson, with the assistance of her team of craftswomen who are committed to producing Sri Lanka’s rarest aromatic teas. In the archaic world of tea, we have heard so many sad stories of people being underpaid and under-valued; we are very proud of our staff with whom we share 10% of profits as a bonus to their income every month. Our staff have been trained by Mrs Mala and are her proud and joy, they are like extended family!
For more information, contact Ivan Robinson: Ivan@parkestatelunugala.com