Our Story
To Change How Tea is Savoured, We Changed How it is Grown
Iron Kettle Tea is an ode to transformation and empowerment. Our purpose is to enable small tea growers to enjoy secure livelihoods while strengthening their tea cultivation practices. With our agronomy know-how, we guide small tea growers to produce top-quality leaves with over 60% fine leaf count while bringing back attention to fine plucking standards. And in turn, pay them almost double the price offered in the auction or from other tea buyers. So, every time you relish a cup of our tea, you're not just indulging in a delightful experience, but also supporting a brighter future for countless small tea growers and their families.
Why Small Tea Growers?
Iron Kettle believes that the best green leaf can only come from passionate small tea growers whose unwavering focus allows them to pluck fine and pluck more frequently. With this highquality raw material, Iron Kettle lays the foundation for the best teas of the world to be produced. Iron Kettle's journey starts with recognising that we cannot change the 'small' in the Small Tea Grower but we can make the small something extraordinary.
The Art of Fine Leaf Count
Harvesting is an art, where experienced tea pluckers demonstrate their skill of only plucking the finest, most potent leaf on top of the bush. The 'two leaves and the bud' referred to as 'Fine Leaf', has for long symbolised the rich taste and quality derived from ‘catechins’ and ‘theanine’ – two vital medicinal compounds and natural antioxidants abundantly present in them.
The Science of Digital Traceability
With our fully-integrated, seamless traceability solution, Iron Kettle provides the customer a full and transparent visibility of our teas, from the garden it was grown in, the owner, production process and when it was shipped to the customer, with detailed timestamps. All that is captured in a simple QR code.
Mentored By Our Advisors
Andrew Gardner
As an artist at heart, he has worked in multiple tea estates and has advised on creating a range of exotic specialty teas. Andrew leads our operations in Nepal and the Nilgiris and is working hard to produce a range of exceptional teas for Iron Kettle.
Devjeet Bhuyan
A renowned tea expert, Devjeet spent his professional life at Unilever, buying and blending for International markets. At Iron Kettle, he defines tea quality for the most discerning International markets, ensuring every cup is a masterpiece.
Abhijit Hazarika
Mentor to several Indian tea startups, Abhijit spent 28 years with Tata Global Beverages. At Iron Kettle, he is at the forefront of setting standards across the value chain and introducing technology-based interventions.
Dr Siddharth Sharma
From his roots in Botany to a PhD in the secrets of tea antioxidants, Dr Sharma’s expertise has brewed for over four decades. Today, he’s the guiding light for our small tea growers, empowering them to yield exceptional tea leaves.
Andrew Gardner
As an artist at heart, he has worked in multiple tea estates and has advised on creating a range of exotic specialty teas. Andrew leads our operations in Nepal and the Nilgiris and is working hard to produce a range of exceptional teas for Iron Kettle.
Devjeet Bhuyan
A renowned tea expert, Devjeet spent his professional life at Unilever, buying and blending for International markets. At Iron Kettle, he defines tea quality for the most discerning International markets, ensuring every cup is a masterpiece.
Abhijit Hazarika
Mentor to several Indian tea startups, Abhijit spent 28 years with Tata Global Beverages. At Iron Kettle, he is at the forefront of setting standards across the value chain and introducing technology-based interventions.
Dr Siddharth Sharma
From his roots in Botany to a PhD in the secrets of tea antioxidants, Dr Sharma’s expertise has brewed for over four decades. Today, he’s the guiding light for our small tea growers, empowering them to yield exceptional tea leaves.
The Iron Kettle Difference
