In short: Blue Hills is a black-tea estate in Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka, operating at 92 metres above sea level and recorded as supplying Finlays.
Blue Hills is a tea estate located in Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka, at an elevation of 92 metres above sea level. The estate produces black tea and is recorded as a supplier to Finlays, the vertically integrated tea and horticulture company. The operator of the estate is not publicly documented in available trade records.
Terroir & Climate
At 92 metres above sea level, Blue Hills sits firmly within Sri Lanka's low-grown tea belt, where warm temperatures and high humidity typically prevail year-round. Estates at this elevation generally experience faster vegetative growth than their high-altitude counterparts, with more frequent plucking rounds and a growing cycle less subject to pronounced seasonal dormancy. The tropical lowland climate of Sabaragamuwa Province tends to support vigorous flush production, though the leaf chemistry that develops at lower elevations often differs markedly from the slower, cooler maturation seen in the island's hill-country gardens.
Low-grown Ceylon teas are generally understood to yield a darker liquor and a bolder, more straightforward cup profile than high-grown styles, with less of the delicate aromatics prized in Nuwara Eliya or Dimbula. The consistently warm conditions and ample rainfall typical of estates near this altitude tend to favour volume and strength of extract over the nuanced complexity associated with cooler microclimates, though agronomic management and processing choices remain significant variables in the final character of any given production lot.
Tea Produced
Blue Hills produces black tea. Low-grown Ceylon black teas from estates at similar elevations typically deliver a full-bodied, brisk cup with good colour and strength, characteristics that often suit blending applications and markets where robust, malty character is valued over floral or aromatic subtlety. The processing style and plucking standard applied at any given time will influence the final profile, but estates in this elevation band generally produce teas with straightforward, bold flavour and relatively little astringency compared to the brighter, more assertive high-growns.
Supply Chain & Market Position
Blue Hills is recorded as supplying Finlays, a major global actor in tea supply chains with significant procurement, blending, packing, and distribution operations. Finlays sources leaf and made tea from numerous origins to serve an international customer base that includes retail brands, foodservice buyers, and out-of-home channels. A supply relationship with Finlays suggests that Blue Hills' output enters a sophisticated, quality-controlled chain capable of moving volume into diverse end markets, though the public record does not specify whether the estate's production is allocated to particular Finlays contracts or blends.
- Recorded supplier to Finlays
Location & Neighbouring Estates
Blue Hills lies at 7.3015, 80.3867 in Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka. Its 92 m elevation is the 57th highest of 75 estates we map in Sabaragamuwa Province. The nearest estates in the TeaTrade directory, measured point-to-point from these coordinates, are:
- Alagalla — 11 km away · Central Province
- Kegalle Plantations, Yataderiya — 19 km away
- Embilmeegama — 19 km away · Central Province
- New Mount Carmel — 20 km away
- Kirimetiya — 20 km away · Central Province
Estates at a Similar Altitude to Blue Hills
Elevation shapes how slowly leaf matures, so we match Blue Hills (92 m) with estates within 150 m of its height that are not its neighbours. Each is shown with its own 2025 climate. Blue Hills recorded 2,533 mm in 2025, 9% less than the 2,771 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Behali Tea Estate | Assam, India | 92 m | 3,254 mm | 28.9 °C |
| Seajuli Tea Estate | Assam, India | 92 m | 2,489 mm | 28.8 °C |
| New Nivithigala Tea Factory | Lelwala, Sri Lanka | 92 m | 3,510 mm | 29.2 °C |
| Emperial Tea Estate Ltd. | Panchagarh, Bangladesh | 93 m | 3,056 mm | 28.8 °C |
| Fujian Province Guangfu Tea Co. | Hu Lin Pan Xi Town Fu Ding, China | 93 m | 1,548 mm | 24.7 °C |
Blue Hills Compared with Sabaragamuwa Province
In Sabaragamuwa Province, Blue Hills is drier than 92% of the others by 2025 rainfall; lower than 76% of the others by elevation; the warmest of the 75 estates by daytime temperature. The table sets Blue Hills against the 74 other estates we map in Sabaragamuwa Province, so you can see whether it is typical for its region or an outlier.
| Measure | Blue Hills | Region median | Region range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 92 m | 167 m | 26 to 1,355 m |
| Annual rainfall (2025) | 2,533 mm | 3,412 mm | 2,018 to 4,839 mm |
| Mean daily high | 30.9 °C | 29.5 °C | 21.5 to 30.5 °C |
| Mean overnight low | 22.6 °C | 21.9 °C | 15.7 to 23.0 °C |
Observed Climate at Blue Hills (2025)
ERA5 reanalysis data modelled for Blue Hills’s coordinates recorded 2,533 mm of precipitation across calendar year 2025. The wettest month was November (635 mm) and the driest was February (14 mm). Daytime highs averaged 30.9 °C and overnight lows 22.6 °C over the year; April was the warmest month and January the coolest.
| Metric | 2025 value |
|---|---|
| Annual precipitation | 2,533 mm |
| Wettest month | November (635 mm) |
| Driest month | February (14 mm) |
| Mean daily high | 30.9 °C |
| Mean overnight low | 22.6 °C |
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Blue Hills located?
Blue Hills is in Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka, at coordinates 7.3015, 80.3867, at an elevation of about 92 metres.
What type of tea does Blue Hills produce?
Blue Hills is recorded as producing black tea.
Which buyers does Blue Hills supply?
Public supplier disclosures record Blue Hills as supplying Finlays.
How much rain does Blue Hills receive?
ERA5 reanalysis data for the estate's coordinates recorded 2,533 mm of precipitation in 2025, peaking in November (635 mm).
How does Blue Hills compare with estates at a similar elevation?
Blue Hills recorded 2,533 mm in 2025, 9% less rain than the 2,771 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].