History of the Tea Factory

In 1867 a Scotsman, James Taylor, first introduced tea to Ceylon (as the island was then known). Within a decade, the plant had become a popular crop among colonial planters, covering over 5,000 acres. As the number of requests to open tea plantations grew, the government sold land to pioneer planters in the 1870s. Among the bidders was Mr. W. Flowerdew, who became the first proprietary planter of what was to become Hethersett.

Mr. Flowerdew chose the name Hethersett for his plantation after a village in England. In Tamil, the plantation is known as Pupanie, which means Flowers of Frost - a quaint way of describing the cold mist that occasionally descends on Hethersett. However by 1881, Flowerdew sold the plantation. It then passed through the hands of different owners, each of whom contributed to its development.

The Hethersett tea plantation has played an important role in the development of Sri Lanka's tea industry. The Hethersett factory was the first to fetch the highest price in the world for silver tip tea from Ceylon. This exciting achievement ensured that the Hethersett mark would become synonymous with quality Pure Ceylon Tea.

In the mid-1930s a hill was scalped to create a plateau for the new factory, which is the hotel today. When it was first built it was regarded as a remarkable work of engineering. The factory was ingeniously powered by an oil fired engine with flywheels and pulleys to operate the large fans for withering the tea, and also to power the rollers and sifters.

By 1968, the Hethersett factory had passed its heyday, and it was finally closed in 1973. It stood unused, among the surrounding tea bushes, a silent monument to the days of Pure Ceylon Tea.

In 1992, Mr. G. C. Wickremasinghe, a Director of Aitken Spence and Company Limited, happened to observe the tea factory through the mist covered hills. He had a vision of transforming the superbly located factory shell into a unique, luxury hotel. The idea was brought to fruition through the talent of architect Nihal Bodhinayake.

Restored, the Hethersett Tea Factory is poised to regain its glory, as a successful and innovative hotel.