Tea Artist

I work with tea because I love Tea. I don’t belong to the industry but my focus is to make Indians and people across the globe understand Indian Specialty Tea and fall in love with them. Therefore, everything I do I try to be consumer focus. When I began my tea journey some 8 years back, I didn’t have any formal education on tea. I got great support from Gaurav Saria of Infinitea who I call my tea guru happily.

Over the years I studied tea, visited several gardens, did a certification program, spent time with some legendary tea people in India, and slowly started gaining confidence in taking baby steps into the beautiful world of tea.

At this time I designed for myself the title “Tea Artist” keeping in mind my objectives as well as the kind of work I intend to do. Sadly, however, I found that many other people started copying Tea Artist as if it is a common title and available to use without the slightest regard for its intellectual property right.

Tea Artist is not a title you get after finishing any Tea Certificate Program, nor can you get it by reading x number of tea books or spending y number of years in the tea industry.

Tea Artist is a title designed by me solely for my usage keeping in mind my skills, knowledge, expertise, experience, and vision. Therefore, using Tea Artist by anyone else is an infringement.

In India, no one really cares about such things. In fact, no one can believe that someone can create a title and can legally own it. Well, I had to do that now. I am happy to say that Tea Artist is now a trademark belonging to me – that is Susmita Das Gupta. I am hoping that those people who have been using this title will stop using it with immediate effect; and if not, I shall be forced to take legal actions against them (which I don’t want to do – I believe in good faith).

Thank you.

Next Stop Darjeeling – Windamere Hotel

Darjeeling Tea Trail

The history of Darjeeling is as interesting as the place itself. Darjeeling which is the combination of two words dorje’ meaning thunderbolt and “Ling” meaning place (therefore, the land of thunderbolt) was part of the Old Sikkim Kingdom. During the early 18th century Sikkim and Nepal were continuously fighting each other and during one such battles the Nepalese had reached up to the Teesta Valley and into the foothills of the Himalayas. It is at this time that the Nepal Army got onto the wrong foot of the British East India Company and a battle ensued. The Nepalese were defeated in the war and as a Goodwill gesture the East India company reinstated the Sikkim King in his land that was taken over by Nepal on the condition that the East India Company will have the right over the hill (now Darjeeling). Against that the Raja of Sikkim was also offered a generous allowance of Rs.3000 per annum. The Raja of Sikkim’s revenue from this track of land had never exceeded RS. 20 per annum and therefore he happily agreed to the offer. This allowance was later increased to Rs.6000 per annum.

However, in 1849 the relation between the British and the Sikkim worsened with the imprisonment of two British officers by Sikkim authorities. Eventually they were released but as a punishment the British stopped the annual allowance and annexed its territory. By 1860 peace was restored in the borders and began the march of progress in Darjeeling. Roads and important construction work began in full swing.

Frankly, the British had fallen in love with this beautiful Himalayan hill and had decided to make this their summer gateway from the sultry heat of the Indian plains.  In order to turn this little hill into a quiet little hill station they built everything over a period of time that is required for the British officers to live comfortably; and thus the famous Loreto Convent was built in 1847, Saint Paul’s School in 1864, Planters club in 1868, Lloyd’s Botanical Garden is 1878, Saint Joseph School in 1888, Railway station in 1899, and the Town hall in 1921. By the early part of the 20^th century, Darjeeling became a bustling little town which also became the place of the most desirable tea in the world – The Darjeeling Tea.

With such developments happening all around, Darjeeling saw an overwhelming need for accommodation for the British who were being stationed here for such work – resulting in demands for English ‘Boarding Houses’ which operated as ‘homes away from homes’. Ada Villa, one of the most distinguished boarding houses that was built at that time, is today known as the ‘Windamere Hotel’.

 It is not surprising then that Windamere hotel comes steeped in history. It is a fascinating place that has stood the toll of time and retained its charming self almost as undisturbed as it can be for more than a century now.  

 Ada Villa was a very busy establishment during its early days providing large suites for planters and run by a ‘lady of the house’ who looked after all of their comforts and needs in terms of food, laundry, parties, bar services etc.  

Towards 1939 with WW1 looming ahead, many British officers started to return home to the UK.  Ada Villa was bought by a group of friends and turned into a private limited company called ‘Windamere Hotel’.  Till today the hotel has never been renovated – just ‘restored’ keeping intact the original ‘Planter Suites’, calling them ‘The Royal Suites’ now. Today royalty from all over the world stay here to experience the British way of life infused with Indian hospitality.

Today, Windamere is one of the best ‘Colonial Hotels’ in India.  The ‘Asia Pacific Geographic Magazine’, listed it as number 3 in their assessment of ‘The Top Ten Best Colonial Hotels in the Asia Pacific Area’, followed only by ‘Raffles of Singapore’ and ‘The Peninsular of Hong Kong’ in number 1 and number 2 positions respectively and with mentions in  ‘The Sunday Times of London’  and the likes.

Windamere has now built a new section next door to the ‘The Royal Suites’ in a way conducive to the old Colonial way of living.

This niche hotel is now a favourite wedding, honeymoon and anniversary destination and the preferred place of stay for the Bollywood fraternity whenever they are in Darjeeling.

The dining here is a very intimate, cosy affair available only for the resident guests. Windamere Hotel is also known for its English Afternoon Tea that is served every day from 4 pm onward in the most authentic English way.

My personal visit to Windamere hotel was no less than walking back into living history and touching it with my own hands and mind. The picture here says a thousand word.

Oh! And this hotel has connection to the actual Lawrence of Arabia… isn’t that fascinating? Visit the hotel and see it for yourself.  Some things are better experienced than told.

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  View of Kangchenjunga

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  The Mall – 1930

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  Memories of the Raj

Location : Windamere Hotel is right across the Darjeeling Mall over the Observatory Hill.

More details: http://www.windamerehotel.com/

Picture courtesy : Windamere Hotel.

First Stop Kurseong – Cochrane Place Hotel

Darjeeling – The land of Exquisite Tea and Mesmerising Tea Trails

On the way to Darjeeling from Bagdogra before you enter the Kurseong town through the hilly Punkhabari road, this beautiful hotel stands tall among the lush green tea gardens. You would have just crossed the Makaibari tea estate, filling  your lungs with the aroma of the teas, wild flowers and the Himalayas, when Cochrane place comes suddenly to your view like a mysterious old house which has many a story to tell. And indeed it has. From being the bungalow of the magistrate of Kurseong, Sir Percy John Cochrane MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) to the hanging vintage Volkwagon Beetle, every nook and corner of this beautifully restored boutique hotel shall remind you of the British era living.

A lot has been said already about this exquisite hotel; so I shall refrain from saying the obvious. Yes, the high ceilings, wood panels, Burma teak made & hand crafted furnishing, wooden high doors and windows, large red carpets in the lounge and in rooms, a mini museum of interesting artifacts from the British era, a vintage piano – can all be talking points in their very own rights. But what were special to me were two things – the majestic view of the Kangchenjunga , the third highest peak in the world, from this hotel, and of course tea! Let me tell you something very frankly here –  I have been to Darjeeling quite a few times, have stayed in heritage as well as contemporary hotels in different parts of the town, but I have not found a single one of them who has showcased the Darjeeling tea like the way this hotel does. (In many hotels I was surprised to see very low quality tea bags, and even on request – at extra price – Darjeeling Tea was not available.)

Let’s talk about Kangchenjunga first. If you love mountains, if you are crazy about Himalayas, if you find peace in just being in a mountain – there is no better place than here only for the divine view of this majestic Himalayan peak. I had once visited this place long time back and I remember I could just sit on my chair and keep looking at this beautiful peak for hours together without doing anything. This time I was not so lucky (March end), it was raining and the weather was packed up. But even then, you have your moments, and if you are truly lucky she will give you a glimpse of her just to keep you intoxicated.

Mt. Kangchenjunga – View from Cochrane Place

And Tea? Well, that their restaurant is called Chai Country should give you some hints.

One of the reasons of my visit (other than of course staying in this beautiful hotel) was to experience the teas that they have. Since they knew my work with the beverage, they curated a special tea tasting session for me with 5 of their teas. (This tasting is also available on menu and I strongly advise you to experience this when you are there). The restaurant stuffs are quite well trained and they can explain each of the varieties of tea – some orthodox, some blends –in full details. Chai Country has a great collection of some very exotic teas sourced from various parts of the country, Darjeeling being the predominant. They have really nice blends as well. The tea that I tried were: Istanbul, Oolong, First Flight Darjeeling (2019), Silver White, Shangri la Silver Needle White.

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They are also planning to open a proper tea room within the hotel very soon.

The food, I paired some with tea, and I also had my dinner and breakfast, were really good. I loved the variety of cuisine that they serve – particularly the Anglo Indian variety which is not so commonly found anywhere else in India outside Calcutta. I was there for just a day, but I wish I had more time to spend here relaxing in their warm hospitality and trying their local Nepali delicacies which I heard were also very good and authentic.

Cochrane Place should be your first point of halt when you are on your Darjeeling Tea Trail. They will not just wow you with their hospitality, heritage, experience, tea and food, but can also arrange for you tea garden and factory visits to two very iconic tea gardens in Kurseong – Makaibari and Ambotia – Cochrane place lies just in the middle of the two.

If your onward journey is to Kolkata or you are coming from there, you may also like to visit Karma Kettle ( https://karmakettle.com/ ), a very interesting tea room run by the same people as well as plan to stay at any of their two beautifully done bed & breakfast places called The Ivy House and Mandeville (more on that later).

Now, let me top here and let the pictures tell their stories…

The Reception Area

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  The Beetle

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  As you enter

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  The Entry

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  From their garden

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  The room where I stayed

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  White Orchid

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  Wall of Memory?

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  The Piano

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  I loved this!

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  Aren’t they beautiful?

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  With the Chai Country Staffs

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  Another bigger room

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  Oh! I loved this one!

You can make your reservations here :
https://cochraneplacehotel.com/

Must Visit 6 Tea Factories in Darjeeling & Kurseong

Darjeeling – The land of Exquisite Tea and Mesmerising Tea Trails

Darjeeling tea is called the Champagne of tea for, perhaps many a reasons. It is considered one of the most premium and sought after tea among the tea connoisseurs around the globe. Most royal families of Europe wake up every day to a cup of Darjeeling tea.

Darjeeling has 4 major production sessions in a year called the flush. The first flush is the produce right after the harsh winter is over and spring has just stepped in. The first flush Darjeeling tea is one of the most premium teas available from India. Second flush Darjeeling tea, which is produced during the summer, is well known for its unique muscatel flavour and also fetches premium prices in the global market. Darjeeling tea is a legally protected geographical designation that is grown and manufactured in this very specifically defined region “Darjeeling”.

Darjeeling is situated over the lower Himalayan ranges located in the state of West Bengal, India (I had to clarify this since I realized many ‘Indians’ think Darjeeling is in Assam!) . Most of the tea bushes in Darjeeling owe their origin to tea seeds from China “smuggled out” by famous adventurer and botanist Robert Fortune nearly 200 years ago. If France represents Champagne in the world of Sparkling Wine, India is known around the world for its Darjeeling Tea.

In this second blog post that continues from my last blog https://teawithsusmita.com/2019/04/07/darjeeling-the-land-of-exquisite-tea-and-mesmerising-tea-trails/ ‘ , I am going to talk about 6 tea gardens and factories here which are very different in terms of the size and production capabilities but nonetheless produce some of the best Darjeeling teas of the region. These are also the gardens and factories that I have visited myself and found them unique in some way or other. These gardens are part of the Darjeeling tea trail and I recommend visiting at least a couple of them – if not all – to have a good understanding of how teas are produced and manufactured as well as experience tea tasting directly at the source.

The list is in no particular order.

Goomti, Kurseong

A picturesque tea garden that lies between Jungpana to the east and Castleton to the west, is planted on the mountain slopes between 3000 and 6000 feet considered most ideal location for the production of some of the best quality Darjeeling tea.

The tea garden is now run by the third generation owners who are fully dedicated in maintaining the quality and improving the processes that meet world class standards. The Goomtee tea factory is certified under ISO9001 and the HACCP protocols. However, their biggest assets are their co-workers’ families who are in their third generation of service as well and possess great artisan skills.  They exactly follow the original and traditional methods of Darjeeling cultivation and processing.

Try their First Flush and Oolong Tea. They have an elaborate tea tasting facility and you can taste the day’s produce if you go visit them with a confirmed appointment.

I had the privilege of being with them for 3 consecutive days and had the opportunity of walking around its tea garden, visiting the factory, talking to their employees and meeting with their very passionate factory manager Mr. Mishra.

Goomti also has a tea bungalow where you can stay while in Kurseong; however it is under renovation and should be ready only by end of the year.

Ambootia, Kurseong

Ambotia Tea garden, another picturesque Kurseong garden, is run by Mr. Sanjay Bansal who is one of the pioneers in bio-dynamic farming in Darjeeling and a champion of transforming run-down tea estates with uncertain futures into sustainable ones. Their website mentions 14 tea gardens that the Ambotia Group owns and managers under their umbrella.

This one that I visited is situated very close to the Cochrane Place and if you are staying at this hotel, they shall be happy to arrange for a factory visit to this estate.

Avoid visiting any tea factory on a Monday, because you will not be able to see any production happening (Sunday being a holiday no plucking happens on a Sunday and hence no processing on Monday). I had visited them on a Monday morning and though I couldn’t see the tea being made, the factory manager was kind enough to give me a thorough tour of their state-of-the-art factory that was built keeping in mind all the possible requirements for bio dynamic standards.

I couldn’t taste their teas since the factory was not operating, but if you are visiting them with a proper confirmation taken before hand, I am sure you shall be able to enjoy some of the best teas that the estate produces.

Makaibari, Kurseong

Girish Chandra Banerjee, the scion of a zamindar family from Borai around 100km from Kolkata, had taken over the garden in 1859, but it was under the fourth generation owner Swaraj Banerjee – also know an Rajah Banerjee –  who made Makaibari tea estate what it is today. Under his leadership and guidance and with his foresight, Makaibari became the first completely organic tea garden in the country in 1988. Makaibari follows a form of integrated forest management utilizing permaculture where the tea bush is part of a multi-tier system of trees and plants typical of a sub-tropical rainforest, as opposed to a monocultural farm that grows only one crop. Makaibari retains 70% of its entire area under forest cover creating a bio trope for many species of animals to thrive here, including endangered panthers, tigers, birds, butterflies, snakes, spiders and many others, feeding off of each other as part of the natural food chain.

Down the years, Makaibari has carried the signature of Darjeeling and India around the world. Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi gifted Queen Elizabeth Makaibari tea when he called upon her at the Buckingham Palace in 2016. The Makaibari tea was also served to participants and officials at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2014 Fifa World Cup in Brazil. Makaibari’s Silver Tips Imperial was sold at a record Rs 1.17 lakh per kg in 2014.

A visit to Makaibari tea factory is must when you are in Kurseong. It is located on the main road from the Bagdogra airport to Darjeeling via Kurseong. There is a Rs.30/- per head charge that you have to pay while entering the factory. The factory tour guide is usually very brisk and brief in showing around the factory but if you insist he will spend more time and explain the processes in more details. The fresh tea brews can be tasted at the small cabin near the main entrance which also serves as a selling point for its teas.

Makaibari estate also runs some homestays which are typically the employees’ houses converted and renovated for the purpose. (More details on this in my next blogs.)

Marybong, Darjeeling

Marybong – which literally means Mary’s place in Lepcha – is situated about 12 km from Ghoom, the second highest railway station in the world. At an altitude between 3000 to 6000 feet with unparalleled views of the entire Himalayan range with its crowning glory Mt. Kanchenjunga (the world’s 3rd highest peak)  and the ruling mountain in these parts of the Himalayas, Marybong is perhaps, one of the most picturesque tea estates in Darjeeling. The tea estate changed a few hands until it was taken over by the Chamong groups who helped it get back to its earlier glory.

Marybong factory is not always open to outside visitors and it is good idea to get your permission from their Calcutta office; and if you are lucky you might just be invited to the General Manager’s bungalow where you can sip  the freshest brew over some fascinating stories of this very old estate.

Giddapahar, Kurseong

Giddapahar, which means Eagles’ Cliff in English, is a smaller family owned estate that you can find on your way to Darjeeling from Kurseong. The Shaw family owns this estate since its inception in 1881 and they are known for their perfect First Flush Darjeeling teas. Their tea factory has undergone lots of renovations over the years and is now ran very efficiently by the current owners and a team of very dedicated and well trained employees. If you are visiting them any time in the near future, you might just be invited to the owner’s house for a cup of their best teas. They are building a nice view point that overlooks their factory, bungalow and the gardens which shall also serve as a tea tasting place for their visitors and buyers.

Singtom, Darjeeling

Singtom is the second oldest tea estate in Darjeeling which was planted by a German priest Joachim Stoelke in 1854. He is also known to have planted the regions first tea garden called Steinthal Tea Estate, in 1852. The two estates are right next to each other, with Darjeeling town in between. Singtam was the original name for Sintom which meant ‘abode of lions, and was so named as the area around there were famous for lion spotting at the time when the estate was started.

Singtom tea factory, one of the oldest tea factories, still runs based on old traditions of tea manufacturing. Their very passionate factory manager shall give you a very thorough tour of the factory while explaining the minute details of the tea making process. It was one of the best tea factory visits that I had experienced in Darjeeling.

Singtom also runs the world’s oldest tea resort which is located just about 300 m away from their factory. It’s one of the best destinations to live in a tea estate with majestic views of the Himalayan peaks all around (more on this in my next blogs).

If you want to visit any of the tea estates while in Darjeeling, I shall be happy to help.

Pictures are copyrighted to TeawithSusmita , except for the last (preview) picture which is internet sourced.

Darjeeling – The land of Exquisite Tea and Mesmerising Tea Trails

I write about tea so what am I doing writing about travelling?

Well, tea and travelling can actually be quite related. In fact, in the western world particularly in Europe and USA visiting the tea gardens and tea estates from where they get their tea, is a passion and a full-time travel objective. In simple words travelling for tea or tea tourism is a major form of tourism these days. Tea lovers and tea connoisseurs always look forward to visit remote tea gardens and estates from across the globe which supply them with their daily cups of tea. This is very much like visiting the world famous vineyards in France and Italy to have a firsthand experience of the place that makes your favourite wines.

 Even if you are not a tea lover, which I think would be rather difficult if you are from India, and if you are planning for your next vacation or much needed city break , you may want to try tea tourism. Imagine relaxing in a 150 years old British bungalow in the middle of a lush green tea estate overlooking the snow capped mountains and forgetting at least for sometimes the noise, hustle, pollution, and stress of your day-to-day city life. Or imagine staying in in one of the country’s best wildlife sanctuaries which runs along a large tea garden and sipping your morning tea enjoying the wild animals, a mighty river around you and the freshness of the untouched land. One thing is for sure you will come back re-energised with a fresh supply of oxygen in your body and peace of mind that will help you last until your next vacation.

As a Tea Artist I have had the privilege travelling to and visiting some of the best tea gardens across India. Every time I visit a tea garden I am filled with a sense of happiness, peace and serenity and above all, I come back with an experience that is incredible to begin with.

And therefore this endeavour of creating tea trails across the tea growing regions of India and outside for you to give it a try next time and come back fulfilled with unique experience that will last you a lifetime. I am beginning this tea trail in Darjeeling which is one of my favourite Himalayan destinations as well as the source of my beloved Darjeeling Tea that I have grown up drinking and fallen in love with for good.

What I will be doing here is to give you an outline of a potential tea trail in Darjeeling where I will talk about some iconic tea gardens, historic tea bungalows , heritage hotels, modern day home stays (in Darjeeling and Kurseong region) to give you an idea how a tea trail might look like, along with a list of activities that you can choose to do to make it even more memorable. Whether you are in India or coming from abroad, I would suggest that your tea trail or tea tour is minimum four nights in duration. The options of stay will determine your budget, otherwise the outline of the trail remains the same.

The Darjeeling tea trail outline – customizable

You can start from any of these cities where there is direct flight to Bagdogra – which is the nearest airport to travel to Darjeeling:

1. Calcutta
2. Bangalore
3. New Delhi

There are also train connections from Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata (any train that goes to Assam can be taken). In this case you have to get down at New Jalpaiguri (NJP) Station.

 

The Darjeeling tea trail Destinations:

• Kurseong – The land of White Orchid
• Darjeeling – the Queen of the Himalayas

 

Number of nights:

2 – 3 nights in Darjeeling

2 nights in Kurseong

 

Tea Trail Activities:

• Stay in a heritage tea bungalow which is at least 100 years old
• Stay in a heritage hotel where history and legacy comes together
• Visit tea factories. Understand the process of tea production
• Do a proper Tea Tasting with the freshly produced tea of the day
• Go for a morning / evening trail within a tea garden
• Have a picnic inside the tea garden
• Live cooking with local cuisine
• Mountain hiking and trekking
• Local sight seeing
• Camping
• Fishing / Angling
• Bird watching (seasonal) with an expert guide
• Butterfly trail
• Orchid trail (seasonal)
• Rock Climbing
• Picnic on river Tista
• Personalized shopping

 

Logistics:

Distance from NJP to Darjeeling is approximately 71 km, travel time 3 hours.

Distance from NJP to Kurseong is approximately 42 km, travel time 1hour 30 min.

Distance from Bagdogra to Darjeeling is approximately 68 km, travel time 3 hours.

Distance from Bagdogra to Kurseong is approximately 39 km, travel time 1hour 30 min.

However, in peak seasons the travel time to Darjeeling may be higher.

 

Wait for my next blogs where I talk about some of your unique staying options and share my experience of visting some of the iconic tea gardens of Darjeeling and Kurseong.

 

To know more or to create your own tea trail in Darjeeling, you can write to me at itsourcuppatea@gmail.com

 

 

 

Picture source: internet