Sambret

Sambret is a black tea estate in the Kericho region of Kenya, located at an elevation of 2,010 metres. The estate is operated by Unilever Tea Kenya, one of the country's major vertically integrated tea producers. Sambret is known to supply Morrisons, the British supermarket chain.

Terroir & Climate

At 2,010 metres above sea level, Sambret occupies high-altitude growing land characteristic of the Kericho region. Estates at this elevation in equatorial Kenya typically benefit from a moderated temperature range and consistent cloud cover, factors that tend to slow leaf growth and encourage the accumulation of polyphenols and other compounds associated with body and briskness in black tea.

The Kericho highlands generally experience reliable rainfall distributed across much of the year, supporting near-continuous plucking cycles. The combination of altitude, latitude close to the equator, and deep volcanic soils typical of the region tends to produce vigorous bush growth and high yields, though specifics for Sambret have not been published.

Tea Produced

Sambret produces black tea. Kenyan teas from high-altitude estates in Kericho are typically processed as CTC (crush, tear, curl) for the retail blend market, yielding a bright, coppery liquor with brisk astringency and a clean, malty character. Teas from this elevation and region are often prized by blenders for their strength, colour, and consistency, qualities that suit everyday breakfast blends and teabag formats in volume retail.

Supply Chain & Market Position

Sambret is recorded as a supplier to Morrisons, the UK supermarket group, indicating its integration into the retail own-label supply chain. This positions the estate within the high-volume, quality-assured segment of the black tea market, where Kenyan CTC is valued for consistency and competitive pricing. The relationship with a major British retailer reflects Unilever Tea Kenya's long-established role as a supplier to the European blended-tea sector.

• Recorded supplier to  Morrisons

Operator

Unilever Tea Kenya operates Sambret alongside six other estates recorded in our directory. As the Kenyan arm of Unilever's global tea division, the company manages a significant portfolio of estates in the Kericho and Nandi regions, producing black tea primarily for export to Europe and other international markets. The scale and vertical integration of Unilever Tea Kenya's operations position it as one of the country's leading estate producers.

Location & Neighbouring Estates

Sambret 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 Sambret

Elevation shapes how slowly leaf matures, so we match Sambret (2,010 m) with estates within 150 m of its height that are not its neighbours. Each is shown with its own 2025 climate. Sambret 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

Sambret Compared with Kericho

In Kericho, Sambret 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 Sambret against the 43 other estates we map in Kericho, so you can see whether it is typical for its region or an outlier.

Measure	Sambret	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 Sambret (2025)

ERA5 reanalysis data modelled for Sambret’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 Sambret located?

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

Who operates Sambret?

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

What type of tea does Sambret produce?

Sambret is recorded as producing black tea.

Which buyers does Sambret supply?

Public supplier disclosures record Sambret as supplying Morrisons.

How much rain does Sambret receive?

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

How does Sambret compare with estates at a similar elevation?

Sambret 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].