O R I G I N S & H I S T O R Y
Tea and Spice Supplier: Putharjhora
Origin: India / West Bengal / Darjeeling
Putharjhora is a tea estate in the Dooars, a lowland
region located between Darjeeling and Assam.
Literally translated Putharjhora means: “stream of
stones”, refl ecting the small mountain streams that
fl ow through these Himalayan foothills and the
Brahmaputra River that runs through the gardens.
Established in 1887, Putharjhora is currently the only
tea garden in the Dooars to practice organic
farming (since 1997) and biodynamic farming
(Demeter certifi ed, since 2005). The landscape is
beautiful and marked by 3 natural reserves and a tiger
reserve.
In this garden more than 3 million tea trees are spread
over the 360 hectares. To nourish the earth according
to the principles of biodynamics, nearly 150,000 tons
of compost are produced each year by a team of twenty
people assigned to this task alone.
Tea and Spice Supplier: SOFA
Origin: Sri Lanka / Kandy
Small Organic Farmers Association (SOFA) is a Sri
Lankan cooperative, located in the mountains of the
Kandy region.
The climate is tropical, tempered by the coolness of
the altitude.
The alternation of a dry season and a monsoon season
creates ideal conditions to produce fi ne tea.
SOFA is founded in 1997, this dynamic group which
gathers nearly 800 tea producers also produce spice
and aromatic plants, all certifi ed in organic farming
and a growing number in biodynamic farming.
Black tea is produced in the High grown area, while
green tea and spices are produced in the Middle-
grown area.