Golden Leaf

Golden Leaf is a tea estate located in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka, operating at an altitude of 40 metres above sea level. The estate produces black tea and is recorded as supplying Finlays, a significant buyer in the international tea trade. The operator of the estate is not publicly documented in available records.

Terroir & Climate

At 40 metres elevation, Golden Leaf occupies the low-grown tier of Sri Lanka's tea geography, where estates typically experience warmer temperatures and faster vegetative growth than their mid- or high-elevation counterparts. The Southern Province's proximity to the equator and coastal influence generally result in a humid, tropical climate with year-round warmth. Estates at this altitude often see rapid leaf development, which tends to favour volume and strength over the aromatic complexity associated with cooler, higher sites.

Low-grown Sri Lankan teas are typically characterised by robust growth cycles and relatively consistent yields throughout the year, with less pronounced seasonal variation than is seen in the hill country. The warm, moist conditions common to coastal and low-lying areas usually promote vigorous vegetative flush, though the leaf chemistry—particularly polyphenol development—tends to differ from that of high-elevation gardens, shaping the style and market positioning of the resulting black teas.

Tea Produced

Black teas from low-grown Sri Lankan estates generally yield strong, full-bodied liquors with bold, malty character and relatively straightforward cup profiles. Estates at this elevation typically produce teas that emphasise strength, colour, and body over the delicate aromatics or briskness associated with high-grown Ceylon teas. These teas are often well suited to blending and food-service applications where consistent strength and robust flavour are prioritised, and they tend to hold up well to milk and sweeteners in traditional service.

Supply Chain & Market Position

Golden Leaf is recorded as supplying Finlays, one of the world's largest vertically integrated tea and coffee businesses with a substantial presence in sourcing, blending, and brand supply across multiple continents. Finlays' involvement suggests that Golden Leaf's production is integrated into commercial supply chains serving retail brands, food-service operators, or industrial buyers. The connection to a buyer of Finlays' scale typically indicates reliable volume and quality standards aligned with the requirements of commodity and branded tea markets, though the specific end-use of Golden Leaf's output is not publicly documented.

• Recorded supplier to  Finlays

Location & Neighbouring Estates

Golden Leaf lies at 6.0823, 80.2838 in Southern Province, Sri Lanka. Its 40 m elevation is the 74th highest of 134 estates we map in Southern Province. The nearest estates in the TeaTrade directory, measured point-to-point from these coordinates, are:

• Kurunduwatta — under 1 km away
• Captain Garden — under 1 km away
• Liyota, Lickra — 1.7 km away
• Thalgampola — 2.3 km away
• New Kottawa Valley — 2.7 km away

Estates at a Similar Altitude to Golden Leaf

Elevation shapes how slowly leaf matures, so we match Golden Leaf (40 m) with estates within 150 m of its height that are not its neighbours. Each is shown with its own 2025 climate. Golden Leaf recorded 3,195 mm in 2025, 26% more than the 2,528 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
Rehana Tea Factory	Moulvibazar, Bangladesh	40 m	2,667 mm	30.0 °C
Fujian Province Anxi County Xingxi Tea Co.	Anxi County, China	41 m	1,584 mm	27.6 °C
Hidellana Tea Factory	Ratnapura, Sri Lanka	39 m	4,458 mm	30.1 °C
Ransegoda	Southern Province, Sri Lanka	41 m	2,606 mm	30.4 °C
Changsha Tea Factory	Hunan Province, China	38 m	1,323 mm	24.6 °C

Golden Leaf Compared with Southern Province

In Southern Province, Golden Leaf is wetter than 62% of the others by 2025 rainfall; lower than 55% of the others by elevation; cooler than 68% of the others by daytime temperature. The table sets Golden Leaf against the 133 other estates we map in Southern Province, so you can see whether it is typical for its region or an outlier.

Measure	Golden Leaf	Region median	Region range
Elevation	40 m	49 m	6 to 806 m
Annual rainfall (2025)	3,195 mm	3,022 mm	2,210 to 3,589 mm
Mean daily high	29.6 °C	29.8 °C	25.9 to 30.5 °C
Mean overnight low	23.0 °C	22.6 °C	18.2 to 24.1 °C

Observed Climate at Golden Leaf (2025)

ERA5 reanalysis data modelled for Golden Leaf’s coordinates recorded 3,195 mm of precipitation across calendar year 2025. The wettest month was November (526 mm) and the driest was February (77 mm). Daytime highs averaged 29.6 °C and overnight lows 23.0 °C over the year; May was the warmest month and January the coolest.

Metric	2025 value
Annual precipitation	3,195 mm
Wettest month	November (526 mm)
Driest month	February (77 mm)
Mean daily high	29.6 °C
Mean overnight low	23.0 °C

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Golden Leaf located?

Golden Leaf is in Southern Province, Sri Lanka, at coordinates 6.0823, 80.2838, at an elevation of about 40 metres.

What type of tea does Golden Leaf produce?

Golden Leaf is recorded as producing black tea.

Which buyers does Golden Leaf supply?

Public supplier disclosures record Golden Leaf as supplying Finlays.

How much rain does Golden Leaf receive?

ERA5 reanalysis data for the estate's coordinates recorded 3,195 mm of precipitation in 2025, peaking in November (526 mm).

How does Golden Leaf compare with estates at a similar elevation?

Golden Leaf recorded 3,195 mm in 2025, 26% more rain than the 2,528 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].