Kellapatha

Kellapatha is a tea estate located in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka, at an elevation of just 22 metres above sea level. The estate produces black tea and is recorded as a supplier to Finlays, one of the larger participants in the global tea trade. The operator of the estate is not publicly documented in available trade records.

Terroir & Climate

At 22 metres above sea level, Kellapatha sits in the low-country tea belt of Sri Lanka, where the combination of tropical heat, high humidity, and proximity to the coast tends to produce a markedly different terroir from the island's celebrated high-grown regions. Estates at this elevation generally experience warmer temperatures year-round and more consistent moisture, conditions that typically promote vigorous vegetative growth and year-round cropping cycles with less seasonal variation.

The Southern Province's low-elevation gardens often contend with heavier rainfall during the southwest monsoon, and the warm, humid conditions tend to favour rapid leaf development. This environment generally yields teas with bolder, more robust character than the delicate, high-grown Ceylon styles, though much depends on manufacturing technique and leaf selection. Low-country Sri Lankan teas are often valued in blends for their strength and colour.

Tea Produced

Kellapatha produces black tea, the dominant style for low-elevation Sri Lankan estates. Teas from gardens at this altitude in the Southern Province typically offer a full-bodied, malty cup with good colour and strength, though generally less aromatic complexity than high-grown Ceylon. The warm growing conditions tend to favour bold, straightforward character suited to breakfast blends and applications where body and briskness are prized over floral or citrus top notes.

Supply Chain & Market Position

Kellapatha is recorded as a supplier to Finlays, a vertically integrated tea business with extensive sourcing, blending, and distribution operations globally. This connection suggests that Kellapatha's output enters the supply chain of a major buyer with relationships across retail, foodservice, and branded tea sectors. Finlays sources from numerous origins, and estates supplying the firm typically provide material for both proprietary blends and third-party brand contracts, though the specific end markets for Kellapatha's production are not publicly documented.

• Recorded supplier to  Finlays

Location & Neighbouring Estates

Kellapatha lies at 6.3103, 80.2139 in Southern Province, Sri Lanka. Its 22 m elevation is the 104th highest of 134 estates we map in Southern Province. The nearest estates in the TeaTrade directory, measured point-to-point from these coordinates, are:

• Evergreen Group, Katandola — 3.0 km away
• Andaradeniya Estate, Ruhunu, Porawagama — 4.2 km away
• Athukorala, Athukorala Group — 4.4 km away
• Elpitiya Tea Shakthi, Rasilta — 6.5 km away
• Susantha — 7.7 km away

Estates at a Similar Altitude to Kellapatha

Elevation shapes how slowly leaf matures, so we match Kellapatha (22 m) with estates within 150 m of its height that are not its neighbours. Each is shown with its own 2025 climate. Kellapatha recorded 3,319 mm in 2025, 16% more than the 2,867 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
New Dadmara Tea Estate	Chattogram, Bangladesh	22 m	2,198 mm	29.9 °C
Rema Tea Estate	Habiganj, Bangladesh	22 m	1,965 mm	30.2 °C
Kayu Aro	Jambi, Indonesia	23 m	4,698 mm	30.4 °C
Shogyoken Seicha Co Ltd	54 Kusauchi Miyanogo Kyotanabeshi, Japan	23 m	1,448 mm	21.4 °C
Avissawella Tea Factory	Free Trade Zone Rd, Sri Lanka	23 m	4,025 mm	30.2 °C

Kellapatha Compared with Southern Province

In Southern Province, Kellapatha is wetter than 71% of the others by 2025 rainfall; lower than 77% of the others by elevation; warmer than 68% of the others by daytime temperature. The table sets Kellapatha 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	Kellapatha	Region median	Region range
Elevation	22 m	49 m	6 to 806 m
Annual rainfall (2025)	3,319 mm	3,022 mm	2,210 to 3,589 mm
Mean daily high	30.0 °C	29.8 °C	25.9 to 30.5 °C
Mean overnight low	22.7 °C	22.6 °C	18.2 to 24.1 °C

Observed Climate at Kellapatha (2025)

ERA5 reanalysis data modelled for Kellapatha’s coordinates recorded 3,319 mm of precipitation across calendar year 2025. The wettest month was November (492 mm) and the driest was February (64 mm). Daytime highs averaged 30.0 °C and overnight lows 22.7 °C over the year; May was the warmest month and January the coolest.

Metric	2025 value
Annual precipitation	3,319 mm
Wettest month	November (492 mm)
Driest month	February (64 mm)
Mean daily high	30.0 °C
Mean overnight low	22.7 °C

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Kellapatha located?

Kellapatha is in Southern Province, Sri Lanka, at coordinates 6.3103, 80.2139, at an elevation of about 22 metres.

What type of tea does Kellapatha produce?

Kellapatha is recorded as producing black tea.

Which buyers does Kellapatha supply?

Public supplier disclosures record Kellapatha as supplying Finlays.

How much rain does Kellapatha receive?

ERA5 reanalysis data for the estate's coordinates recorded 3,319 mm of precipitation in 2025, peaking in November (492 mm).

How does Kellapatha compare with estates at a similar elevation?

Kellapatha recorded 3,319 mm in 2025, 16% more rain than the 2,867 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].