Walking through the tea gardens in the rolling hills of Darjeeling and witnessing the tea production process is always a special experience. We invite you to join us for a visit to the Happy Valley Tea Estate.
The Story of Happy Valley Tea Estate
At some points along the way to the Happy Valley Tea Estate, where the mountain views are simply spectacular, we can stroll past local homes and cottages. The narrow road is named after T.P. Banerjee, a wealthy Bengali man from West Bengal who took over the tea estate from the original owner, David Wilson, in 1903.
Wilson is an English man who originally settled on the estate in 1854, at the entrance to the factory there is a board that still displays the year of the original establishment, along with the name of the estate.
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During the Wilson era, the tea estate was known as Wilson Estate. TP Banerjee purchased another adjacent tea estate called Windsor Tea Estate in 1929, combining the two and renaming the entire estate Happy Valley Tea Estate, which extends over more than 109 hectares. This is the closest tea estate to the town of Darjeeling.
Tea production at the Happy Valley Tea Estate
There are different grades of tea. Number 1, or the best, comes with a single shoot with two leaves (two leaves and a bud); the next highest grade has one bud, three leaves, and so on. The highest grade tea at the Happy Valley Tea Estate is known as SFTGFOP (Super Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe), which is the first level or sometimes referred to as the second flush. Within this range, there are variations such as white tea , green tea , and black tea.
The regular quality tea on the estate is known as Family Blend, and most of the tea bushes on this estate are close to 100 years old, some even older.
At Tétique, we're passionate about tea and proud to offer a wide selection of unique flavors. If you're a black tea lover, you're in luck, as we offer two exquisite varieties: cinnamon black tea and masala chai black tea .
But that's not all. We also offer ginger white tea , a refreshing and revitalizing combination. White tea, known for its delicacy and high antioxidant content, is combined with the spicy and revitalizing touch of ginger. This infusion offers a unique experience that balances the smooth and energetic in every sip.
The tea is displayed in a room and dried through pipes, as hot air is pumped in overnight, achieving up to 65% drying. It is then further dried with giant fans that pump hot air through the pipes. The tea leaves, dried by this time, are taken for further processing.
About 110kg of tea leaves are then processed at a time, taking approximately 45 minutes. However, in the case of black tea , the next step is fermentation. Other types of tea skip this stage and proceed directly to the stage where 100% drying takes place in machines. This is followed by cutting and grading. You can clearly see the large vibrating machines that automatically separate the different qualities of tea leaves. The best quality tea comes out at the top, while the others pass through different channels.
There are seasons for different types of tea, green tea and white tea are harvested from March to May, and from June to August is the season for black tea, from September to November is again the season for green tea and white tea.
During the other months (December to February), the teas are not harvested and the machines are idle. The tea produced at the Happy Valley Tea Estate is exported.
At Tétique, we are proud to offer exclusive Darjeeling tea in a variety of formats. For those who like to customize their cup of tea, we offer loose Darjeeling tea , which allows you to adjust the amount and strength of the infusion to your liking. We also offer Darjeeling tea in single-serve tea , a practical and convenient option for enjoying the same deliciousness in every cup.
We are the leading suppliers of Darjeeling tea . We are dedicated to carefully selecting the finest and most authentic leaves from the foothills of the Himalayas in the Darjeeling region of India. Our commitment to quality and excellence has positioned us as a leader in offering this infusion gem. Discover the magic and incomparable flavor of Darjeeling tea in every cup.
