The history of Ceylon Tea

During the nineteenth century, the central highlands of Ceylon were transformed for plantation agriculture under British colonial rule. Coffee became the dominant export crop, while tea plants and small experiments existed without yet forming a major industry.

This history was not only agricultural. It involved colonial land policy, large-scale environmental change and labour systems that brought Tamil workers from southern India to the estates. The communities formed through that history remain central to Sri Lanka's plantation country.

James Taylor, a Scottish planter, established approximately 19 acres of tea at Loolecondera Estate in the Kandy district in 1867. He developed cultivation and manufacture on the estate and is widely associated with the commercial beginning of Ceylon Tea.

Taylor's work demonstrated that tea could be grown and processed successfully in the island's hill country. Knowledge, machinery, investment and estate networks then accelerated expansion.

Coffee leaf disease devastated Ceylon's coffee plantations during the late nineteenth century. Planters searched for a replacement crop, and tea proved well suited to the climate and elevations of the central mountains.

Factories, roads, rail connections and trading systems grew around the new industry. Different districts developed recognisable characters, laying the foundation for today's seven official Ceylon Tea regions.

As production expanded, Colombo became a major centre for tasting, broking, auction and export. The Colombo Tea Traders' Association traces its beginnings to 1894, when formal conditions for the public sale of tea took shape.

The auction system brought producers, brokers and buyers into an organised marketplace. Tea grading, tasting and lot descriptions became essential tools of the trade, and Colombo's role continues in the modern industry.

The Tea Research Institute of Ceylon was established in 1925. Now known as the Tea Research Institute of Sri Lanka, it conducts research and provides technical knowledge across cultivation, plant protection, soil, climate, manufacture and quality.

Research helped the industry respond to pests, disease, changing production needs and quality challenges. The Institute reached its centenary in 2025.

Ceylon became independent in 1948 and adopted the name Sri Lanka in 1972. The historic term “Ceylon Tea” continued as the internationally recognised name for tea of Sri Lankan origin.

The structure of the plantation sector changed through nationalisation, later management reforms and the growth of the smallholder sector. Today, both estates and small growers contribute to the country's tea production.

The Sri Lanka Tea Board was established by law in 1975 as the central regulatory and administrative authority for the industry. Its work includes cultivation and manufacturing regulation, export oversight, quality assurance, statistics and promotion.

The Board also owns the Ceylon Tea Lion Logo certification trademark and administers the official use of regional names. These functions connect the historic reputation of Ceylon Tea with modern standards and origin protection.

Modern Ceylon Tea includes orthodox black tea, green tea, white tea, artisanal styles and value-added products. Research, climate resilience, soil health, worker wellbeing, productivity and the future of smallholders are among the issues shaping its direction.

The history continues through the people who pluck, grow, manufacture, taste, research, broker and regulate tea. Understanding that living network gives greater meaning to every cup.