Haughton

Haughton is a tea estate located in Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka, at an elevation of 390 metres. The estate produces black tea and is recorded as supplying Finlays, one of the principal buyers in the global tea trade. The operating company is not currently on record.

Terroir & Climate

At 390 metres above sea level, Haughton falls within Sri Lanka's low-grown category, typically defined as estates below 600 metres. This elevation, combined with the estate's proximity to the equator at approximately 6.5°N, generally results in a warm, humid growing environment with less diurnal temperature variation than is found in the island's high-grown districts. Estates at this altitude often experience faster rates of vegetative growth and can maintain year-round plucking cycles, though the character of the leaf tends to differ from that produced at higher elevations.

Sabaragamuwa Province, which spans both low- and mid-elevation terrain in south-central Sri Lanka, is influenced by the island's monsoon patterns. Low-grown areas in this region typically receive substantial rainfall and consistent warmth, conditions that favour vigorous bush growth and frequent harvests. The interplay of heat, moisture, and soil composition at this elevation tends to shape the biochemical profile of the leaf, influencing both processing behaviour and the final cup.

Tea Produced

Haughton produces black tea, the dominant manufactured type across Sri Lanka's low-grown estates. Teas from this elevation band typically yield a bold, full-bodied cup with good colour and strength, characteristics that have historically made low-grown Ceylon teas well suited to blending. The faster growth rates common at lower altitudes generally result in a more robust, less nuanced flavour profile than the bright, brisk character associated with high-grown Ceylon teas, though much depends on plucking standards, processing rigour, and seasonal variation.

Supply Chain & Market Position

Haughton is recorded as supplying Finlays, a vertically integrated tea business with origins in plantation ownership, processing, and global distribution. Finlays operates as both an estate operator and a major buyer, sourcing from third-party producers to serve its blending, packing, and branded-tea operations. The presence of Finlays as a recorded buyer suggests that Haughton's output enters a supply chain serving international blenders and retail brands, where low-grown Ceylon black teas are valued for their consistency, strength, and blending versatility.

• Recorded supplier to  Finlays

Location & Neighbouring Estates

Haughton lies at 6.5321, 80.4414 in Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka. Its 390 m elevation is the 20th highest of 75 estates we map in Sabaragamuwa Province. The nearest estates in the TeaTrade directory, measured point-to-point from these coordinates, are:

• Wewelkandura — under 1 km away
• Aennen — 1.8 km away
• New Vithanakanda — 2.7 km away
• Andaradeniya Estate, Nivithigala — 6.1 km away
• Ceciliyan — 6.3 km away

Estates at a Similar Altitude to Haughton

Elevation shapes how slowly leaf matures, so we match Haughton (390 m) with estates within 150 m of its height that are not its neighbours. Each is shown with its own 2025 climate. Haughton recorded 3,368 mm in 2025, 36% more than the 2,468 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
Guzhang Organic Tea Co., Ltd.	Guzhang County, China	391 m	1,538 mm	22.9 °C
Noori	Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka	391 m	4,260 mm	28.1 °C
Tealera Libertad Srl	Misiones, Argentina	388 m	1,840 mm	25.9 °C
Thai Tea Suwirun Co., Ltd.	Chiangrai, Thailand	404 m	2,054 mm	29.3 °C
Ivyhills	Southern Province, Sri Lanka	373 m	2,647 mm	27.9 °C

Haughton Compared with Sabaragamuwa Province

In Sabaragamuwa Province, Haughton is drier than 55% of the others by 2025 rainfall; higher than 74% of the others by elevation; cooler than 74% of the others by daytime temperature. The table sets Haughton 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	Haughton	Region median	Region range
Elevation	390 m	164 m	26 to 1,355 m
Annual rainfall (2025)	3,368 mm	3,412 mm	2,018 to 4,839 mm
Mean daily high	28.2 °C	29.5 °C	21.5 to 30.9 °C
Mean overnight low	21.2 °C	21.9 °C	15.7 to 23.0 °C

Observed Climate at Haughton (2025)

ERA5 reanalysis data modelled for Haughton’s coordinates recorded 3,368 mm of precipitation across calendar year 2025. The wettest month was November (562 mm) and the driest was February (71 mm). Daytime highs averaged 28.2 °C and overnight lows 21.2 °C over the year; March was the warmest month and January the coolest.

Metric	2025 value
Annual precipitation	3,368 mm
Wettest month	November (562 mm)
Driest month	February (71 mm)
Mean daily high	28.2 °C
Mean overnight low	21.2 °C

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Haughton located?

Haughton is in Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka, at coordinates 6.5321, 80.4414, at an elevation of about 390 metres.

What type of tea does Haughton produce?

Haughton is recorded as producing black tea.

Which buyers does Haughton supply?

Public supplier disclosures record Haughton as supplying Finlays.

How much rain does Haughton receive?

ERA5 reanalysis data for the estate's coordinates recorded 3,368 mm of precipitation in 2025, peaking in November (562 mm).

How does Haughton compare with estates at a similar elevation?

Haughton recorded 3,368 mm in 2025, 36% more rain than the 2,468 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].