Kannavarai Tea founder, Gauthaam Anand states, “A world without tea is best unlived and more so when it’s the perfect combination of the aroma and flavour”. Kannavarai group of Companies and Tea estates is one of the oldest and quality-focused Tea businesses that manufacture tea in the Nilgiris. The tea leaves are selectively hand-plucked and produced in a state-of-the-art facility.
In addition, sustainability and a better livelihood for tea planters find a special mention in the vision of the Kannavarai group. “the farmers are happy we are happy.” is a motto they live by. Explore the story behind the creation of one of the best premium quality tea with Storiyaan.
Kannavarai Tea – “Crafting Teas Since 1990”
Interview
Questions and answers
What is the story behind the origin of Kannavarai Tea and the motive that drives the company?
Kannavarai tea is a family business that was started by my grandfather Mr. B.lingan in the year 1990. We’ve been manufacturing tea for 3 decades now, we believe tea making is an art and has been our passion since the year 1990. We have two principal motives at kannavarai: a passion for tea making and second, working towards a better livelihood for farmers that depend on us.
What are the various products offered by Kannavarai and how does each one offer a unique impression of flavor?
Our prominence is in making different quality blends of tea based on customers need and the market demand, the two key parameters of a tea is flavor and strength. The balance between flavor and strength differs from blend to blend, our trademark blend is called Royal leaf, a crafted blend of aroma and flavor.
According to you, what is the best way to brew and enjoy a perfect cup of Kannavarai tea?
To make the right cup of tea you have to brew it for a minimum of 5 minutes, and only then the flavor and essence is extracted into the cup. Generally, people hurry and brew tea for about 2-3 minutes. However, I’d suggest the wait is definitely worth the taste and indeed the best way to enjoy a perfect cup of tea.
Along with being distinct and aromatic, what are the major features of Kannavarai tea?
Apart from our exclusive quality and pricing of tea, every blend of our tea is carefully inspected, tasted, and verified by the managing partners ensuring consistency of quality, this is what gives us an edge over our competitors. We, the managing partners, are physically present when the tea is being manufactured. We also ensure to visit tea gardens to help and educate farmers about the importance of quality plucking and field maintenance. That is what Kannavarai is all about.
Could you guide us through the process of producing premium Nilgiri tea?
Quality starts in the field, tea leaves are plucked at the right time which is at the 7-day mark or a maximum of 10 days since the last plucking round to get good quality. The second aspect is manufacturing style and constant supervision. We make sure to taste the batch after each production process. It is this level of interest and dedication that has kept us going for the past 30 years.
Tea is considered one of the most healthy drinks with various benefits. How has Covid-19 impacted Kannavarai in the tea industry in India & the global market?
Tea comes under essential commodities. Also, being an agricultural product, we were permitted to manufacture during the lockdown with strict Covid standard operating protocols that were enforced by the government. We weren’t affected as much as other businesses during the lockdown.