Dec 2023

It has been some time since my last update in October, and I wanted to take a moment to bring you up to speed on the remarkable developments that have unfolded at Nepal Tea throughout the year. While I regret not being able to maintain monthly updates, I'm thrilled to share our journey and achievements in the last few months.

What's happening at Nepal Tea Collective?

Incredibly proud and humbled, our Rose Label Reserve secured the prestigious International Leafies Award at the 2023 International Tea Academy Awards. Furthermore, our Kumari Gold tea was honored with the Gold Medal at the 12th North American Tea Conference, marking yet another remarkable achievement for Nepali Teas. If you are looking to add the Rose Label to your collection do let me know since this tea can only be produced in a very limited quantity.

• One of our significant milestones was the launch of our highly anticipated tea bags. Addressing the prevalent issue of tea quality within tea bags, we introduced loose-leaf teas in industrial compostable packaging. Moreover, scanning the tea tag allows consumers to trace the tea's journey and even support the farmers behind it, fostering transparency and connection.
• This year, our shipments reached new heights. We received a substantial shipment of approximately 2.5 tons of fresh teas from 2023 in our NYC warehouse. It's astonishing to reflect on our progress—from a mere 400 lbs in 2017 for the entire year to over 10,000 lbs per shipment, with 5-6 shipments annually. If you are looking for new samples to try, do let me know. 
• I recently had an invigorating conversation with individuals based in Singapore who expressed a keen interest in showcasing what Nepal has to offer to the Singaporean market. We're exploring avenues that might lead to our presence in Singapore soon. Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting development!
• We are hoping to have about 25 individuals from the US and the UK to join the tea tours. If you are still interested, please reply back to me and I will send you more information on it. 

Updates from the garden

• A standout achievement this year was the introduction of a 1% revenue share with our farmers. This 1% significantly boosted the wages of nearly 100+ farmers directly, increasing their income by about 10%. While the numbers may seem modest now, this represents our unwavering commitment that farmers deserve a stake in the entire supply chain, and they deserve recognition. Btw, this wouldn't have been possible without your purchase of Nepali Teas. 1% of your purchase directly went to the farmers this year and the next year the number is only going to be double.
• It's the dormant season, and we're busy producing higher quantities of ginger, turmeric, lemongrass, and various herbs and botanicals, alongside the Yacon syrup.
• The team is working hard to pack orders from our top three biggest clients. These orders make up about two containers altogether and will be shipped out in the next week or so.
• Following the construction pause due to budget constraints, cash flow issues, and technical challenges, work on the domes for tea tours has resumed. We anticipate having them ready in the upcoming months, aiming for completion either before the tea tours commence in April or by the end of June.

Some Personal Achievement this year

• Each month, I aimed to push my limits by taking on a new challenge. I successfully completed challenges like Dry January, reading two books in February, and a Keto diet in March. However, due to the busy last few quarters, I couldn't keep up with the challenges, except for consistently running 70+ miles every month.
• This year, I had planned to run a full marathon but ended up settling for a half marathon instead.