Sri Lanka is the world’s leading exporter of Tea with 23% of the total market share worldwide (closely followed by Kenya at 22%). The industry was introduced to the country in 1867 by James Taylor, a British planter who arrived in 1852. The first recorded shipment of tea came five years later in 1872 with the export of 23 pounds, valued at 58 rupees. The first vessel recorded as carrying Ceylon tea to England was the steam-ship ‘Duke Argyll’ in 1877.To meet the unmanageable demand for tea plants, seeds were imported from Assam , and to a lesser extent China , which were natured in tea nurseries in several suitable locations. Ceylon tea grows from almost sea level to 7000 ft.

As the climate of the small island varies very much according to locality, there is a marked effect on the flavor and quality of the tea, allowing Sri Lanka to offer a large variety of tea.