While we last met on the path to Ilam—and to Ilam we shall return—today we venture just west to picturesque, mile-high Hile in adjacent Dhankuta District.

It is here, in 2001, that the Jun Chiyabari tea garden was established.  Although, to be honest, “pioneered” would be the better word to describe the work that brothers Bachan and Lochan Gyawali had set about.  Together with a third partner, a former classmate that had extensive experience in the tea business, they began to explore the possibility of entering the Nepali orthodox tea industry in the late 1990s.  A critical question quickly arose:  Should they purchase an existing garden or start anew?

After exhaustive reconnaissance and research, the verdict was delivered with confidence—tea from scratch it would be.  And this is, in large part, what makes the Jun Chiyabari story so special.

“The first seeds of interest in tea were sown a long time ago,” reflects Bachan Gyawali.  Of course, it is not just anyone that can claim they grew up next to a tea garden, but for Bachan and Lochan, students at a Darjeeling boarding school, tea was part of everyday life.

For Bachan, the last decade has been about taking this ordinary piece of life and turning it into something truly extraordinary.  “There is an old saying,” relates Gyawali, “that ‘tea is made in the garden’ (as opposed to at the factory).  In other words, what is produced in the garden in terms of quality, plucking, etc., will determine the nature of the end product.  We take this very seriously, and from the outset we have put the small farmer at the heart of our project.”

Jun Chiyabari was a new kind of vision.  Mediocre and volume-based production was eschewed in favor of boutique product development.  Innovation, not duplication, became the watchword.  Unique and exquisite styles, such as Himalayan Hand Rolled Tips and Himalayan Evergreen, emerged.   These delicious novelties would set the tone for the decade to come.

“While we were still in the conceptual stage of planning, we had clearly outlined our idea of wanting to experiment with our manufacturing and be constantly involved in research and development,” Gyawali explained.  “This meant that the first teas of Jun Chiyabari were very different from those produced by other gardens of Nepal and Darjeeling. This was reflected by the way European buyers reacted to our teas.”

At 185 acres spread over three divisions, Jun Chiyabari is tiny compared to the conventional tea gardens of South Asia.  And whereas large estates will hire laborers to pluck tea, Jun Chiyabari relies on a network of small farmers to grow the precious green leaf.  For these small stakeholders, premium orthodox tea provides a healthy source of cash income when compared with traditional crops like potatoes and cardamom.  The Jun Chiyabari team provides technical assistance, teaching organic practice and land stewardship.

The partnership does not end here—farmers are offered up to 100% more than the market rate for high-quality green leaf.  And the Jun Chiyabari team, believing that quality tea stems from the strength of the community, supports local organizations, schools, and care for the elderly.

The story is clearly a great one—a “romance” with tea as Gyawali has called it—but appreciation in the global market remains wanting.  And so I put the question to Mr. Gyawali: What will it take for Nepali tea to succeed in the U.S. market?

“We see a very long road ahead,” he confesses.  “Tea culture has yet to make its mark [in the United States] and in these formative years, extra effort in promotion is very necessary.  I also strongly feel that the target market needs to move more towards the younger generation.  In schools and families, there needs to be a drive to promote drinking tea.  Unless drinking tea becomes part of the American culture, it will be difficult to be a force in the market.”

In a call to the tea community, Mr. Gyawali encourages participation in order to create awareness.  We should be tasting more Nepali tea and writing more about it on our blogs and in our magazines.  And what, naturally, might be the best form of participation?

“Perhaps the most effective way to promote Nepali teas is for the buyers to visit the country and see for themselves what the buzz is all about!  We welcome visitors and invite you to come experience the story that is Jun Chiyabari!”

Thanks to Bachan Gyawali at the Jun Chiyabari tea garden for all the photos.