Castleton Tea Estate

Castleton Tea Estate is a black-tea producer located at 1,527 metres in West Bengal, India. The estate is operated by Goodrickes, a long-established tea company with a portfolio of gardens across Darjeeling and Assam. Castleton is recorded as supplying Morrisons, one of the United Kingdom's major supermarket chains.

Terroir & Climate

At 1,527 metres, Castleton sits within the elevation band where cooler temperatures and cloud cover typically moderate the growing cycle, slowing leaf development and concentrating biochemical compounds. Estates at this altitude in West Bengal generally experience significant diurnal temperature variation, which tends to favour the accumulation of aromatic precursors and polyphenols in the leaf.

West Bengal's principal tea-growing districts lie in the sub-Himalayan foothills, where monsoonal rainfall and well-drained slopes create conditions often associated with fine black-tea production. Gardens at this latitude and elevation typically contend with a pronounced seasonal rhythm, with flush quality and character varying markedly from spring through the monsoon and into autumn.

Tea Produced

Castleton produces black tea. Estates at comparable elevations in West Bengal typically yield teas with a range of characters depending on the flush: spring-plucked lots often exhibit floral and bright notes, while later harvests tend toward fuller body and darker, more robust profiles. The specific cup character of any given production will reflect plucking standards, processing choices, and the timing of the harvest within the seasonal cycle.

Supply Chain & Market Position

Castleton's recorded supply relationship with Morrisons places it within the orbit of the UK retail sector, where sourcing is typically governed by volume commitments, traceability requirements, and price negotiation. Supermarket supply chains demand consistency and audit compliance, and estates feeding into this channel must generally meet both quality benchmarks and logistical expectations. The presence of a named high-street buyer suggests that Castleton's output is deemed suitable for consumer-facing retail packaging, whether as a single-origin line or as part of a blended offer.

• Recorded supplier to  Morrisons

Operator

Castleton is operated by Goodrickes, a company with deep roots in Indian tea and a presence spanning several of the country's principal growing regions. Goodrickes manages a portfolio of estates, and our directory records six other gardens under the same operator. This scale of operation typically allows for shared infrastructure, centralised quality-control protocols, and consolidated supply-chain relationships, which can influence both production consistency and market reach.

Location & Neighbouring Estates

Castleton Tea Estate lies at 26.8821, 88.2789 in West Bengal, India. Its 1527 m elevation is the 8th highest of 24 estates we map in West Bengal. The nearest estates in the TeaTrade directory, measured point-to-point from these coordinates, are:

• Singell Tea Estate — 1.0 km away · Kurseong
• Jungpana Tea Estate — 1.9 km away
• Monteviot — 2.5 km away
• Ambootia — 3.0 km away
• Goomtee Tea Estate — 5.6 km away · Darjeeling

Estates at a Similar Altitude to Castleton Tea Estate

Elevation shapes how slowly leaf matures, so we match Castleton Tea Estate (1,527 m) with estates within 150 m of its height that are not its neighbours. Each is shown with its own 2025 climate. Castleton Tea Estate recorded 2,552 mm in 2025, 90% more than the 1,343 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
Jersey Tea Estate	Msasa, Zimbabwe	1,526 m	876 mm	24.2 °C
Tingamira Tea Estate	194 Mutare Road, Zimbabwe	1,529 m	876 mm	24.2 °C
Mcleod Russel Uganda Limited, Kiko Factory, Kibale Garden	Fort Portal, Uganda	1,533 m	1,309 mm	25.4 °C
Agarapatana Plantations, Dambatenne	Uva Province, Sri Lanka	1,535 m	2,188 mm	22.4 °C
Glenworth Tea Estate	The Nilgiris, India	1,536 m	1,467 mm	21.8 °C

Castleton Tea Estate Compared with West Bengal

In West Bengal, Castleton Tea Estate is drier than 52% of the others by 2025 rainfall; higher than 70% of the others by elevation; cooler than 70% of the others by daytime temperature. The table sets Castleton Tea Estate against the 23 other estates we map in West Bengal, so you can see whether it is typical for its region or an outlier.

Measure	Castleton Tea Estate	Region median	Region range
Elevation	1,527 m	1,324 m	10 to 2,071 m
Annual rainfall (2025)	2,552 mm	2,552 mm	1,859 to 2,870 mm
Mean daily high	19.9 °C	21.0 °C	17.1 to 31.3 °C
Mean overnight low	13.0 °C	14.0 °C	9.5 to 22.7 °C

Observed Climate at Castleton Tea Estate (2025)

ERA5 reanalysis data modelled for Castleton Tea Estate’s coordinates recorded 2,552 mm of precipitation across calendar year 2025. The wettest month was August (592 mm) and the driest was December (5 mm). Daytime highs averaged 19.9 °C and overnight lows 13.0 °C over the year; July was the warmest month and February the coolest.

Metric	2025 value
Annual precipitation	2,552 mm
Wettest month	August (592 mm)
Driest month	December (5 mm)
Mean daily high	19.9 °C
Mean overnight low	13.0 °C

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Castleton Tea Estate located?

Castleton Tea Estate is in West Bengal, India, at coordinates 26.8821, 88.2789, at an elevation of about 1527 metres.

Who operates Castleton Tea Estate?

Castleton Tea Estate is operated by Goodrickes, according to public supply-chain records.

What type of tea does Castleton Tea Estate produce?

Castleton Tea Estate is recorded as producing black tea.

Which buyers does Castleton Tea Estate supply?

Public supplier disclosures record Castleton Tea Estate as supplying Morrisons.

How much rain does Castleton Tea Estate receive?

ERA5 reanalysis data for the estate's coordinates recorded 2,552 mm of precipitation in 2025, peaking in August (592 mm).

How does Castleton Tea Estate compare with estates at a similar elevation?

Castleton Tea Estate recorded 2,552 mm in 2025, 90% more rain than the 1,343 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].