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Respect for nature
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Direct trade
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Unmatched quality
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Community support
Kaley Tea Estate
"We handpick and handcraft tea, as folklore has it, with the healing palms of our artisans.
Our artisans enhance the healing goodness and flavours of Kaley Tea."
On the southwestern edge of Sri Lanka, in Kotapola, lies Enasaldola Estate. Just twelve kilometres from the untouched Sinharaja rainforest, this is where Kaley cultivates its teas. Rain, mist, and tropical sunshine shape the land, while the estate itself follows a different rhythm than the large Ceylon plantations. Kaley Tea chooses small scale and craftsmanship over mass production.
Since 2015, Udena and Shalini Wickremesooriya have managed the estate under the name Kaley Natural Farms. Their vision was clear from the start: to build a model where farming, nature, and community coexist. That choice informs everything, from the way the leaves are plucked to the way the tea reaches buyers in Colombo, Europe, or the United States.
A place in balance
The name Kaley means “forest” in Sinhala, and the estate lives up to it. Tea fields weave into lush tropical greenery, and streams flow down from the hills. Of its 45 hectares, nine are left untouched as natural rainforest. No cultivation, no plantation, only protection. In doing so, Kaley joins a wider movement of regenerative farming in Sri Lanka, where growers return part of their land to forest to restore the ecological cycle.
Agroforestry lies at the heart of cultivation. Trees provide shade, enrich the soil with humus, and create habitats for biodiversity. There are no chemical pesticides or artificial fertilisers. Instead, Kaley relies on the fertile soil and the unique microclimate of Kotapola. The harvest grows more slowly, but with richer quality.
Craft and handwork
Production follows an artisanal path. Every harvest is picked by hand, selecting one bud and two leaves. The leaves are dried in traditional baskets instead of steel racks, and rolling is done by hand, often with simple tools. This process takes time, but it allows small batches of tea to carry a distinct character.
That character comes not only from the craftsmanship of the workers but also from the rainforest itself. Mist and rain shape the leaves, giving them flavours unique to this place. For Kaley, terroir is no slogan but a fact: Kotapola tastes different from Nuwara Eliya or Uva because rainforest, mist, and tropical forest leave their mark.
Kaley Tea within CATA
Kaley Tea is part of the Ceylon Artisanal Tea Association. Within this network, the garden represents a style that reflects the landscape of the southern lowlands. CATA brings together producers who choose small-scale processing, transparency, and respect for origin. For Kaley, this means that their work is not only valued locally, but also becomes part of a wider movement that brings artisanal Ceylon tea to an international audience.
Our selection from Kaley Tea Estate
Among our Kaley teas, we highlight three: Graceful Green, Kaley Glow and Orange Sunshine.
Graceful Green is a fresh green tea with a soft, vegetal flavour and a light floral note. Kaley Glow combines black tea with spices and citrus, resulting in a warm and aromatic infusion. Orange Sunshine is an artisanal black tea with a rounded mouthfeel, subtle honey tones and a natural sweetness.
Recognition and certification
Kaley Natural Farms is certified USDA Organic and EU Organic, registered with the Sri Lanka Tea Board as an exporter, and part of Fairtrade. It is also a member of the Ceylon Artisanal Tea Association, a collective of small-scale producers forging an alternative path.
This position has brought recognition. In 2024, The Leafies in London awarded Kaley a special sustainability honour. Earlier, the brand was praised at the Golden Leaf Awards. Today, retailers in Europe, North America, and Sri Lanka offer Kaley’s teas as part of their select ranges, often alongside names such as Amba or Forest Hill.
A bridge between nature and community
The story of Kaley is not defined by certificates or awards. It is about a way of working where nature, farming, and economy support one another. By practicing agroforestry and protecting rainforest, the estate nurtures land rather than depleting it. For workers in Kotapola, it means jobs in a setting where quality outweighs volume.
Kaley presents itself not as a factory but as heritage: a garden where knowledge, handwork, and respect for the environment come together. Even the presence of a tea lounge in Colombo reflects this spirit: a place where urban visitors can taste Kotapola and hear its story.
Kaley Tea and Tea Kulture
For Tea Kulture, partnering with Kaley is a natural choice. Not because of large volumes, but because of the commitment to agroforestry, rainforest preservation, and artisanal work. Kaley proves that Sri Lankan tea can present a different face than that of the traditional plantations.
In Kotapola, an alternative model takes root: small scale, regenerative, and crafted by hand. What connects us are shared values we find in all our partners: openness, respect for origin, and a direct link between maker and drinker. Kaley is part of a new generation of producers who are repositioning tea: not as bulk commodity, but as craftsmanship that bridges nature and community, tradition and future.
