Chongtong

Chongtong is a tea estate situated in Darjeeling, West Bengal, at an elevation of 698 metres. The estate is operated by Darjeeling Organic Tea Estates and produces black tea. It is recorded as a supplier to Morrisons, the British supermarket chain.

Terroir & Climate

At 698 metres, Chongtong occupies a relatively low elevation for Darjeeling, where many estates sit well above 1,000 metres. Gardens at this altitude typically experience warmer temperatures and a faster growing cycle than their higher-altitude counterparts. The lower slopes of the Darjeeling hills generally see more pronounced monsoon influence and a longer active growing season, conditions that tend to favour fuller leaf development and more robust oxidation potential in black tea production.

The Darjeeling region's terroir is shaped by its position on the southern flank of the eastern Himalayas, where warm, moisture-laden air from the plains meets cooler hill currents. Estates at Chongtong's elevation often benefit from well-drained slopes and a climate that allows for multiple flushes across the season, though the interplay of altitude, aspect, and local microclimate can vary significantly even within a single valley.

Tea Produced

Chongtong produces black tea. Darjeeling estates at lower elevations such as this typically yield teas with more body and colour than the lighter, more floral expressions associated with high-altitude gardens. The cup character from estates in this altitude band often shows richer malt and fruit notes, with a roundness that reflects the warmer growing conditions and fuller oxidation. While Darjeeling is celebrated for its muscatel complexity, gardens below 1,000 metres tend to produce teas that lean toward a more robust, approachable profile, particularly in the second flush and rains periods.

Supply Chain & Market Position

Chongtong is recorded as a supplier to Morrisons, one of the United Kingdom's largest supermarket chains. This relationship places the estate within the supply chain for mainstream retail tea, where procurement volumes are significant and consistency, traceability, and competitive pricing are key requirements. Supplying a major British grocer signals that Chongtong's production meets the certification and audit standards typically required for retail own-label programmes, and that the estate has the logistical capacity to participate in global commodity supply networks.

• Recorded supplier to  Morrisons

Operator

Chongtong is operated by Darjeeling Organic Tea Estates, a company that manages a portfolio of tea gardens in the region. Darjeeling Organic Tea Estates operates six other estates recorded in this directory, suggesting a multi-garden operation with shared management, processing infrastructure, and marketing channels. This structure is common in Darjeeling, where estate groups can leverage economies of scale in certification, quality control, and buyer negotiations while maintaining the distinct identities and terroir of individual gardens.

Location & Neighbouring Estates

Chongtong lies at 27.0757, 88.2032 in Darjeeling. West Bengal, India. Its 698 m elevation is the joint 86th highest of 250 estates we map in India. The nearest estates in the TeaTrade directory, measured point-to-point from these coordinates, are:

• Aloobari — under 1 km away · West Bengal
• Soom Tea Estate — 2.8 km away · West Bengal
• Lingia Tea Estate — 4.2 km away · West Bengal
• SHREE DWARIKA — 4.8 km away · West Bengal
• TUMSONG — 5.3 km away · West Bengal

Estates at a Similar Altitude to Chongtong

Elevation shapes how slowly leaf matures, so we match Chongtong (698 m) with estates within 150 m of its height that are not its neighbours. Each is shown with its own 2025 climate. Chongtong recorded 2,870 mm in 2025, 6% more than the 2,710 mm average across these estates: at the same height, local weather and exposure matter as much as elevation.

Estate	Where	Elevation	Rain 2025	Mean high
Lichuan Qijing Farm	Hubei Province, China	697 m	1,684 mm	21.4 °C
LUJERI TEA ESTATES LTD, Sukambizi	MULANJE, Malawi	696 m	3,738 mm	25.6 °C
Wamba Tea Estate	Mutasa, Zimbabwe	708 m	2,156 mm	26.0 °C
LIMBULI	Mulanje, Malawi	680 m	3,220 mm	25.8 °C
Zion Hill	Central Province, Sri Lanka	717 m	2,750 mm	26.5 °C

Chongtong Compared with India

In India, Chongtong is wetter than 59% of the others by 2025 rainfall; higher than 65% of the others by elevation; cooler than 67% of the others by daytime temperature. The table sets Chongtong against the 249 other estates we map in India, so you can see whether it is typical for its country or an outlier.

Measure	Chongtong	Country median	Country range
Elevation	698 m	126 m	6 to 2,299 m
Annual rainfall (2025)	2,870 mm	2,778 mm	745 to 4,774 mm
Mean daily high	26.8 °C	28.3 °C	16.9 to 34.5 °C
Mean overnight low	15.5 °C	19.3 °C	9.3 to 24.2 °C

Observed Climate at Chongtong (2025)

ERA5 reanalysis data modelled for Chongtong’s coordinates recorded 2,870 mm of precipitation across calendar year 2025. The wettest month was August (900 mm) and the driest was December (0 mm). Daytime highs averaged 26.8 °C and overnight lows 15.5 °C over the year; July was the warmest month and January the coolest.

Metric	2025 value
Annual precipitation	2,870 mm
Wettest month	August (900 mm)
Driest month	December (0 mm)
Mean daily high	26.8 °C
Mean overnight low	15.5 °C

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Chongtong located?

Chongtong is in Darjeeling. West Bengal, India, at coordinates 27.0757, 88.2032, at an elevation of about 698 metres.

Who operates Chongtong?

Chongtong is operated by Darjeeling Organic Tea Estates, according to public supply-chain records.

What type of tea does Chongtong produce?

Chongtong is recorded as producing black tea.

Which buyers does Chongtong supply?

Public supplier disclosures record Chongtong as supplying Morrisons.

How much rain does Chongtong receive?

ERA5 reanalysis data for the estate's coordinates recorded 2,870 mm of precipitation in 2025, peaking in August (900 mm).

How does Chongtong compare with estates at a similar elevation?

Chongtong recorded 2,870 mm in 2025, 6% more rain than the 2,710 mm average of estates at a similar elevation.

Data sources: public supply-chain disclosures (Ethical Tea Partnership member lists, Rainforest Alliance certificate holders and retailer supplier disclosures); climate figures are ERA5 reanalysis modelled for the estate’s coordinates via Open-Meteo (calendar year 2025); coordinates and elevations from geocoded records. Spotted an error? Email [email protected].