First light
Teams walk the rows as the mist lifts, selecting leaf at its freshest.
Ilam, eastern Nepal
A garden shaped by altitude.
Mist, cool mornings and slow-growing leaf give our hillside teas their fragrance, clarity and unmistakable sense of place.
The place
The hill is our first tea maker.
At approximately 1,700 metres above sea level, young bushes grow on previously uncultivated land. The elevation and growing conditions help give the cup its delicate essence, brightness and signature “Light and Bright” character.
1,700mAbove sea level
1998Tea plantation began
2009Estate operations began
People and place
Every row carries many hands.
Our garden is a living workplace. Knowledge passes between generations—from reading the weather to choosing the exact two leaves and a bud that are ready that morning.
Estate at a glance
Rooted in Sundarpani. Reaching the world.
A snapshot of the people, production and export story behind Gorkha Tea Estate and the Sundarpani brand.
- Company
- Gorkha Tea Estate, a multi-cooperative company
- Place
- Sunderpani (“beautiful water”)
- Location
- Eastern Nepal, adjoining Darjeeling
- Elevation
- 1,700 metres above sea level
- Tea type
- Organic orthodox/specialty tea
- Plantation began
- 1998
- Organic farming initiated
- 2007
- Operations began
- 2009
- Approach
- Sustainable organic farming and GMP
A day on the estate
From morning mist to finished leaf.
Withering
Freshly plucked leaf rests in cool air until it reaches the right softness.
Making
Rolling, oxidation and firing reveal the character held inside the leaf.
Tasting
Each lot is cupped and graded before it carries the estate name.
Come and meet the hillside.
Plan a garden visit, factory tasting or sourcing conversation in Ilam.
Plan an estate visit