June 2023

I hope everything is going well for you. It's hard to believe that we're already halfway through June, and the year is moving swiftly. Personally, the past month has been quite eventful as I've been busy traveling to tea festivals in Virginia and Portland. I must give credit to the organizers, who happen to be dear friends of mine, for successfully arranging the inaugural Northern Virginia Tea Festival and the Eugene Tea Festival. Meeting all the tea enthusiasts at these events was truly amazing and brought immense joy.

Here’s what’s new at Nepal Tea Collective

• I had the privilege of attending the Social Innovation Summit, where I had the incredible opportunity to meet and connect with inspiring industry leaders who are making a significant impact across various fronts. Btw, have you read our 2022 Impact Report? 
• First flush of 2023 was a resounding success with tremendous sales in the US and Europe. Thanks to our incredible producers, we experienced a mid-month sell-out in May, showcasing the exceptional quality of our black tea.
• In order to explore the market potential in Nepal, we have successfully registered a branch office, and we are currently in the process of finalizing the launch date. This strategic move will enable us to establish a stronger presence and tap into new opportunities in the Nepalese market.
• Nish remains actively engaged in tea tours, fostering relationships with long-term clients and collaborating closely with our dedicated 9-person team. The team's energy, stimulating conversations, and innovative ideas have been truly remarkable, further enhancing our confidence in their abilities.

Updates from the garden

• Despite our hopes for the second flush to commence a few weeks ago, we have encountered a delay of nearly two weeks in its production. Unfortunately, the region has experienced a lack of rainfall, which has resulted in the postponement of the second flush. But the weather conditions have been on the favorable side now and we have resumed production again.

• We are currently in the process of constructing a new storage facility within the tea garden. This development is well underway, and we are optimistic about completing the construction within the next few months.
• Our team is currently engaged in packing our inaugural Yacon shipment. After an extensive search, we have successfully partnered with an exceptional co-packer to ensure the highest quality standards for our product. We are excited to announce the launch of Yacon Syrup within the next month or so.

Top of the World Tea, what's the story? 

We met Janaki Khadka from the Himalayan Project Nepal (HIPRON), an organization supporting livelihoods in Solukhumbu since 1998. HIPRON, led by Papa Kurt and Khadka, has been working on various projects, including supporting Chandrajyoti Secondary School. In 2018, HIPRON discovered households growing tea, leading them to partner with locals and establish Bhakanje Tea Estate at an altitude of 2,305 meters. However, the COVID-19 lockdown halted progress.

During the lockdown, Bhakanje Tea Estate continued producing tea, and in 2020, they made their first batch of black tea, which was shared within the community. The interest in tea grew, and by 2022, 35 farmers in Solukhumbu were cultivating tea in their gardens. As restrictions eased, we got in touch with Bhakanje Tea Estate to market their teas and amazing stories to new territories through the Nepal Tea Collective. The teas from Solukhumbu offer unique flavors and challenge preconceived notions about Nepali teas.

Bhakanje Tea Estate, established in 2019, and the teas are produced by Dorje Tamang and Bishnu Thami, who learn by doing. Farmers contribute to each batch, resulting in four batches of black tea in 2022. The tea gardens are scattered throughout the challenging terrain of Solukhumbu, ranging from 1800 to 2300 meters making it Top of the World Tea and we now sell one of their amazing black tea from the Monsoon season. You can learn more about their story in our blog here.