KOIWA

KOIWA is a tea estate located in the Kericho region of Kenya, situated at an elevation of 2,010 metres. The estate is operated by Unilever Tea Kenya, one of the largest tea producers in East Africa, and is recorded as supplying the British supermarket chain Morrisons. The estate produces black tea.

Terroir & Climate

At 2,010 metres above sea level, KOIWA occupies high-elevation terrain in the Kericho highlands, a zone that typically experiences cool temperatures and substantial diurnal variation. Estates at this altitude in equatorial Kenya generally benefit from consistent rainfall distributed across much of the year, though the region tends to see a long rains period from March to May and shorter rains around October and November. These conditions often favour steady, year-round vegetative growth, allowing for multiple plucking rounds.

The combination of elevation, equatorial latitude, and volcanic soils characteristic of the Kericho region generally supports the development of leaf with good body and briskness. High-altitude growing environments in this part of Kenya tend to slow leaf maturation, which can contribute to the accumulation of polyphenols and the formation of the robust flavour profiles for which Kenyan black teas are widely recognised in commodity and branded markets.

Tea Produced

KOIWA produces black tea, the dominant type manufactured in the Kericho highlands. Estates at this elevation in Kenya typically yield teas with bright, coppery liquor, brisk astringency, and full body. The cup character common to high-grown Kenyan black tea often includes malty or slightly fruity notes and a clean, assertive finish. These attributes tend to make such teas well suited to blending for breakfast-style retail products and foodservice applications, where colour, strength, and consistency are valued.

Supply Chain & Market Position

KOIWA is recorded as supplying Morrisons, one of the United Kingdom's major supermarket chains. This relationship places the estate within the supply chain of a large-scale retail buyer that sources tea for own-label products, suggesting that KOIWA's output meets the quality assurance and traceability standards required by mainstream British grocers. The presence of Morrisons as a known buyer indicates that the estate's production is oriented, at least in part, toward the UK retail market, where Kenyan black tea is a staple blending component.

• Recorded supplier to  Morrisons

Operator

Unilever Tea Kenya is the operating company behind KOIWA. A subsidiary of Unilever PLC, Unilever Tea Kenya manages an extensive portfolio of estates in the country and is a major participant in Kenya's export-oriented tea sector. The company operates six other estates recorded in this directory, reflecting the scale and integration of its Kenyan tea operations. Unilever's estates supply both the group's own branded tea businesses and third-party buyers, positioning the operator as a significant link between Kenyan production and international markets.

Location & Neighbouring Estates

KOIWA lies at -0.3689, 35.2863 in Kericho, Kenya. Its 2010 m elevation is the joint 7th highest of 44 estates we map in Kericho. The nearest estates in the TeaTrade directory, measured point-to-point from these coordinates, are:

• Changana (Changana Tea) — under 1 km away · Kenya
• Kitumbe (Kitumbe Tea) — under 1 km away · Kenya
• BONDET (Chomogonday / Kymulot Tea) — under 1 km away
• Bureti Tea Company Ltd, Kalyet Tea Factory — under 1 km away
• CHEBOSWA — under 1 km away

Estates at a Similar Altitude to KOIWA

Elevation shapes how slowly leaf matures, so we match KOIWA (2,010 m) with estates within 150 m of its height that are not its neighbours. Each is shown with its own 2025 climate. KOIWA recorded 1,984 mm in 2025, 14% more than the 1,737 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
Tea Studio	Kattabettu, India	2,010 m	1,405 mm	19.9 °C
Nyankoba Tea Factory	Kenya, Kenya	2,012 m	754 mm	24.1 °C
Marybong Tea Estate	West Bengal, India	2,016 m	2,294 mm	17.7 °C
GACHEGE	Kenya, Kenya	2,003 m	1,455 mm	19.8 °C
Hubei Wuhan Jiarun Huiming Tea Co., Ltd.	Yongde County, China	2,002 m	2,779 mm	19.9 °C

KOIWA Compared with Kericho

In Kericho, KOIWA is drier than 81% of the others by 2025 rainfall; lower than 93% of the others by elevation; cooler than 91% of the others by daytime temperature. The table sets KOIWA against the 43 other estates we map in Kericho, so you can see whether it is typical for its region or an outlier.

Measure	KOIWA	Region median	Region range
Elevation	2,010 m	2,010 m	1,836 to 2,437 m
Annual rainfall (2025)	1,984 mm	1,984 mm	1,021 to 1,984 mm
Mean daily high	22.4 °C	22.4 °C	20.5 to 25.1 °C
Mean overnight low	11.8 °C	11.8 °C	9.7 to 12.8 °C

Observed Climate at KOIWA (2025)

ERA5 reanalysis data modelled for KOIWA’s coordinates recorded 1,984 mm of precipitation across calendar year 2025. The wettest month was October (286 mm) and the driest was February (16 mm). Daytime highs averaged 22.4 °C and overnight lows 11.8 °C over the year; February was the warmest month and August the coolest.

Metric	2025 value
Annual precipitation	1,984 mm
Wettest month	October (286 mm)
Driest month	February (16 mm)
Mean daily high	22.4 °C
Mean overnight low	11.8 °C

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is KOIWA located?

KOIWA is in Kericho, Kenya, at coordinates -0.3689, 35.2863, at an elevation of about 2010 metres.

Who operates KOIWA?

KOIWA is operated by Unilever Tea Kenya, according to public supply-chain records.

What type of tea does KOIWA produce?

KOIWA is recorded as producing black tea.

Which buyers does KOIWA supply?

Public supplier disclosures record KOIWA as supplying Morrisons.

How much rain does KOIWA receive?

ERA5 reanalysis data for the estate's coordinates recorded 1,984 mm of precipitation in 2025, peaking in October (286 mm).

How does KOIWA compare with estates at a similar elevation?

KOIWA recorded 1,984 mm in 2025, 14% more rain than the 1,737 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].