First established in the late 1800’s under the British colonial reign, the Kabaragalla Tea Factory is a masterpiece of prefabricated industrial engineering that owes its grandiose design to the Victorian engineer.
Situated in Mandaram Nuwara, this working tea factory has been trans- formed into a luxury accommodation expediting a novel and unabridged experience surrounding tea culture.
Less discovered by tourists as well as Sri Lankans, this beautiful region is home to many verdant hills, water- falls, fauna and flora, and breathtaking viewpoints. Locals sustain their lives through agriculture; hence, the region is full of terraced cultivations and tea plantations.
Guests residing at Tea & Experience factory are able to engage in the whole- some Tea experience from ‘Leaf to Cup’. From plucking the golden green to packaging, this immersive and unique experience is the highlight of their stay!
Making use of the prosperous surrounding, the naturalists and gardeners have set up an organic garden in the underutilized plots of land. Among the crops grown are carrots, cabbage, radish, brinjal, leeks and coriander. “While the cold and favorable climate supports the production of a copious harvest, we’ve got to be selective with the type of crops we plant in different seasons. These days for example, it is extremely windy and therefore we cannot grow creepers like beans or snake gourd,” says Chathura, the in- house naturalist.
The fresh organic harvest from the garden of Tea & Experience Factory are mainly used for guest and staff consumption. “We loved the amazing tour around the organic garden, where we learnt many things about growing our own crops for our home consumption,” said Hashani who joined the organic garden tour.
“Our aim is to share the knowledge with our communities and pledge towards creating a better environment for all of us and our future genera- tions,” explained the naturalist with a smile. Vaunting of the resourceful- ness and unity from the garden to the plate, the veggies served at Tea & Experience Factory bear testimony to the hard work and efforts of the hotel staff, who passionately engage in this beautiful task of organic farming; A minute group of advocates of self- sustainability, setting a timely example to the whole wide world.
