Carolina Tea Factory stands tall at the
entrance to the western slopes of the Central hills, where teas of exquisite
quality are manufactured almost throughout the year. It is at this point that
the entire scenery changes from the clusters of tea to an unbroken mantle of green.
To the discerning visitor, Carolina tea plantation will offer a true
representation of the immense work that goes into producing their favorite
beverage.
It would be an unforgettable encounter to
watch the tea pluckers with their fine glossy hair and dreamy eyes, decorated
with silver ornaments and clothes of many colors, wending their way through
cramped tea bushes, to pluck the young flush that is required to produce this tea
that goes to be accounted as the best tea in the world.
The coordinated action of sight, brain and
fingers at high speed and brought to bear through sheer practice is a matter
that an onlooker finds difficult to comprehend with, especially when he/she
realizes that it is only the young and succulent leaf that goes to the basket.
This is a highly skillful operation perfected through experience passed on from
generation to generation. For over hundred years, Carolina has taken
immense care of its priceless possession of tea and continues to do so, to
offer the world that perfect cup of tea.
Carolina Tea Company of Ceylon Ltd. incorporated in 1892 was one
of the pioneer tea companies in the country, set up primarily to plant tea. It
consisted of a group of plantations situated in Lower Dickoya. They were
Agarawatte, Carolina, Kadawala, Mount Jean, Wigton, Udapola Group, Trafalgar,
Goatfell and St. Margaret Estates. The Management of this group that was
originally with Leechman and Company changed to Mackwoods Estates &
Agencies Ltd. at a later date.
According to the Times of
Ceylon - Green Book of 1939, this group had over 1,000 hectares in
tea, 245 hectares in rubber, a few hundred coconut trees, and 726 hectares
uncultivated. This composite total extent at the stage was considered a
substantial area for administration.
The Carolina tea factory was one of the
original "Central Factories" constructed by the river that ran by the
estate, to avail themselves of water power. It was indeed an improvement to
some of the other factories of the day, with no mud floors and cadjan roofs.
The building was of wood assembled firmly on stone pillars. It had three floors
going up to the height of 42 feet from ground to ridge. Provision had been made
for further expansion, but there was sufficient space to accommodate all
the leaf not only from that group, but from many other adjoining plantations
who were satisfied with a return of 9 cents (about 2p) per pound. The novelty
was that very often than not, the green leaf arrived by train.
John Walker, who was responsible for
founding the present Colombo firms of Walker sons & Company and Walker
& Grieg, had by then acquired much prominence as a designer of plantation
machinery. The task of planning and equipping Carolina factory was entrusted
him. A modern factory has now been built by the road side offering a panoramic
view to the causal visitor travelling up to the hills.
At the time the plantations were nationalized, Carolina group had
in all 1023 hectares with 579 hectares in tea. Many other subsidiary crops had
been planted on this property by then.
Following the re-privatization process in 1992, Carolina has been
developed to produce CTC teas that achieve premium prices on a regular basis at
the auctions to be the most sought after. It can also boast as having a
well-established mini hydro power project within its premises.
