Since the founding of the company in 1998, our team of tasters has travelled throughout Asia every year in search of the finest teas and teaware. The desire to share our curiosity and knowledge has stimulated the conception of numerous projects (the shops and teahouses, publication of award-winning books, tea schools, chai bar, wholesale and online sales, etc.). With this same passion, in March 2018, we launched another project we had been dreaming of for many years: the production of our own teas while developing a new approach to the traditional tea factory. We named it the Tea Studio.
The Tea Studio is a tea processing facility, based on respect, quality and innovation. Over the last few years we have developed some wonderful teas.
Located in the mountainous Nilgiri (Blue Mountains) region of India, the project brings together tea experts from 3 continents. This experimental micro-unit aims to take a forward-thinking approach to tea making and has been designed to respond to the rapidly expanding ‘Specialty’ tea market. The Tea Studio is a shining example of a new artisanal approach to the manufacture of high-quality "boutique" style tea. It incorporates many innovative elements of design, technology, environmental and social responsibility.
Muskan, the head of operations at the facility, is a woman. Her entire team of workers are also women that grew up in the surrounding villages. The all-female team is very unusual in this region, where women have little opportunity to become skilled workers.
Muskan Khanna, manager at the Tea Studio
The workers in the facotry
Mr. He and Mr. Tang, invited Chinese tea producers
In terms of leaf processing, the Tea Studio's team of experts selected 28 small, highly specialized tea machines, from China. Cutting edge technology that has developed to meet increasing volumes and costs of traditional handmade leaf in China, that can produce varied styles of artisanal tea. This machinery allows for the creation of 5 different leaf styles, making production not only cheaper, but also more stable in terms of quality. Back in Autumn of 2018 we set up a cultural exchange with two of our long-time Chinese producers, Mr. Tang (Long Jing Shi Feng) and Mr. He (Huiming, Jingning Yin Zhen). It was their first time visiting India. They were invited to help the team optimize their techniques and master the calibration of the machines for each leaf style. Their passion for tea gave an instant connection to the team and during the visit a great amount of knowledge and know-how was passed on, increasing the potential of the Tea Studio significantly.
We are thrilled with the growth and popularity of the project and the quality of the teas we are producing, which continue to improve. The positive energy of the place and the Tea Studio team are contagious. You can taste it when you brew the leaves!