In short: Kahawatte Plantations, Queensberry is a black tea estate in Sri Lanka's Western Province, operating at 1,272 metres and known to supply Finlays.
Kahawatte Plantations, Queensberry is a tea estate located in the Western Province of Sri Lanka, operating at an elevation of 1,272 metres. The estate is managed under the name Kahawatte Plantations, Queensberry and is known to supply Finlays, a significant player in the global tea trade. The estate specialises in black tea production.
Terroir & Climate
At 1,272 metres, Kahawatte Plantations, Queensberry sits within what is generally classified as a mid-elevation growing zone in Sri Lanka. Estates at this altitude typically experience cooler ambient temperatures and greater diurnal variation than lowland counterparts, conditions that tend to slow leaf maturation and can contribute to more nuanced flavour development in the plucked leaf.
The Western Province, positioned on the windward side of Sri Lanka's central highlands, generally receives substantial rainfall influenced by both the southwest monsoon and inter-monsoonal convective systems. This humidity and cloud cover are characteristic of mid-elevation western estates, where mist and steady moisture availability often support year-round cropping, though flush intensity and leaf chemistry tend to vary with the seasonal rainfall cycle.
Tea Produced
The estate produces black tea. Mid-elevation Sri Lankan estates in the Western Province typically yield teas with medium body and a balance between briskness and roundness, often displaying malty or slightly fruity notes. Teas from this elevation range tend to lack the pronounced astringency of high-grown leaf while offering more complexity than low-elevation production, a profile that suits both blending and single-estate offerings.
Supply Chain & Market Position
Kahawatte Plantations, Queensberry is recorded as a supplier to Finlays, one of the world's largest vertically integrated tea businesses with extensive sourcing, blending, and distribution operations. This relationship indicates that the estate's output meets the quality and volume standards required by a multinational buyer serving retail and foodservice markets globally. Supplying Finlays typically places an estate within established commercial supply chains, where consistency, traceability, and adherence to buyer specifications are key to maintaining the relationship.
- Recorded supplier to Finlays
Operator
The estate is operated by Kahawatte Plantations, Queensberry. No other estates under this operator are recorded in our directory at present.
Location & Neighbouring Estates
Kahawatte Plantations, Queensberry lies at 6.9886, 80.5994 in Western Province, Sri Lanka. Its 1272 m elevation is the highest of 22 estates we map in Western Province. The nearest estates in the TeaTrade directory, measured point-to-point from these coordinates, are:
- Kahawatte Plantations, Kataboola — 2.6 km away · Central Province
- Harangala — 3.9 km away · Central Province
- Kotagala Plantations, Mount Vernon — 4.1 km away · Central Province
- Wattegoda Estate — 6.3 km away · Watagoda Estate Road
- Kotagala Plantations, Mayfield — 6.3 km away · Central Province
Estates at a Similar Altitude to Kahawatte Plantations, Queensberry
Elevation shapes how slowly leaf matures, so we match Kahawatte Plantations, Queensberry (1,272 m) with estates within 150 m of its height that are not its neighbours. Each is shown with its own 2025 climate. Kahawatte Plantations, Queensberry recorded 4,232 mm in 2025, 80% more than the 2,351 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green Fountain Yunnan Tea Co., Ltd.Mangbai | Yunnan Province, China | 1,248 m | 2,424 mm | 24.0 °C |
| Gold Buds Uva Tea | Uva Province, Sri Lanka | 1,248 m | 2,308 mm | 24.8 °C |
| Pussimbing Tea Estate | West Bengal, India | 1,247 m | 2,778 mm | 21.0 °C |
| DHAJEA | West Bengal, India | 1,244 m | 2,778 mm | 21.0 °C |
| Guizhou Tongren Gui Tea Co., Ltd. | Guiyang, China | 1,241 m | 1,466 mm | 19.9 °C |
Kahawatte Plantations, Queensberry Compared with Western Province
In Western Province, Kahawatte Plantations, Queensberry is the wettest of the 22 estates by 2025 rainfall; the highest of the 22 estates by elevation; the coolest of the 22 estates by daytime temperature. The table sets Kahawatte Plantations, Queensberry against the 21 other estates we map in Western Province, so you can see whether it is typical for its region or an outlier.
| Measure | Kahawatte Plantations, Queensberry | Region median | Region range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 1,272 m | 21 m | 9 to 895 m |
| Annual rainfall (2025) | 4,232 mm | 3,756 mm | 2,624 to 4,024 mm |
| Mean daily high | 22.7 °C | 29.7 °C | 24.8 to 30.1 °C |
| Mean overnight low | 15.8 °C | 22.5 °C | 17.1 to 23.6 °C |
Observed Climate at Kahawatte Plantations, Queensberry (2025)
ERA5 reanalysis data modelled for Kahawatte Plantations, Queensberry’s coordinates recorded 4,232 mm of precipitation across calendar year 2025. The wettest month was November (899 mm) and the driest was February (52 mm). Daytime highs averaged 22.7 °C and overnight lows 15.8 °C over the year; May was the warmest month and December the coolest.
| Metric | 2025 value |
|---|---|
| Annual precipitation | 4,232 mm |
| Wettest month | November (899 mm) |
| Driest month | February (52 mm) |
| Mean daily high | 22.7 °C |
| Mean overnight low | 15.8 °C |
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Kahawatte Plantations, Queensberry located?
Kahawatte Plantations, Queensberry is in Western Province, Sri Lanka, at coordinates 6.9886, 80.5994, at an elevation of about 1272 metres.
Who operates Kahawatte Plantations, Queensberry?
Kahawatte Plantations, Queensberry is operated by Kahawatte Plantations, Queensberry, according to public supply-chain records.
What type of tea does Kahawatte Plantations, Queensberry produce?
Kahawatte Plantations, Queensberry is recorded as producing black tea.
Which buyers does Kahawatte Plantations, Queensberry supply?
Public supplier disclosures record Kahawatte Plantations, Queensberry as supplying Finlays.
How much rain does Kahawatte Plantations, Queensberry receive?
ERA5 reanalysis data for the estate's coordinates recorded 4,232 mm of precipitation in 2025, peaking in November (899 mm).
How does Kahawatte Plantations, Queensberry compare with estates at a similar elevation?
Kahawatte Plantations, Queensberry recorded 4,232 mm in 2025, 80% more rain than the 2,351 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].