Amazon teas adds value through exclusive Gourmet Teas

Sri Lanka has long been known to produce the best teas drunk the world over, and Amazon Teas are ranked among the best teas produced on this island. Although the company itself - Amazon Trading Pvt. Limited - is just four years Chairman/Managing Director Gamini Jayaweera is a veteran in the tea trade. With a BSc (Hons) Degree from the University of Sri Lanka Peradeniya Campus, he is also the holder of a Post-Graduate Diploma in Industrial Engineering.

Having joined the tea industry as a graduate fresh out of university, Jayaweera worked with the Janatha Estates Development Board (JEDB) for 14 years, and was involved in the manufacture and marketing of tea. During this period he worked very closely with leading personalities in the industry, and was also responsible for projects undertaken to modernise tea factories in the Nuwara Eliya Region coming under the purview of the JEDB.

Starting small in the export market, Amazon Teas changed focus last year moving on to develop varied brands to cater to different market segments.

Amazon Teas also recently developed a range of upscale "Gourmet Teas" and a speciality range under the brand "Eden Grove." These teas are already being offered to clients at a number of exclusive stores, restaurants and tea/coffee shops. A special line of Amazon Teas has been produced for diners at white table cloth restaurants in some parts of the USA and considerable interest has been generated in this particular type of teas, from the European and Russian markets as well.

"Our focus is on developing teas in different packaging and emphasis is always on good, exclusive, high quality teas," said Gamini Jayaweera.

Products are generally developed working backwards, depending on the selected market segment, and the end product also depends on the overall focus of the chain of stores for which it is being produced, Jayaweera said.

One of this company's unique selling points is their ability to design and develop all their products in-house. This process has been streamlined to the extent that they are capable of presenting new products at short notice, to suit their customer's individual requirements.

Having received the Gold Award and being judged the "Best Value Added Exporter in the Large Category of Tea Exports", the company is presently working on the implementation of ISO 9001, 2000, HACCP standards to make their products more acceptable and competitive in the current market environment. Major changes and improvements are already being adopted in this process.