HIS STORY

An ardent nature lover,  he has vast knowledge of Tea and herbs in the Himalayan regions of Nepal.   He has been passionately working as a Tea Planter for more than 35 years. Originally from India,  Andrew started his career as a tea trainee in 1985. At the young age of 21, in Phoobshering Tea Estate in Darjeeling, he underwent intensive training in all aspects of tea plantation, production and management. He also has a special training in quality management.

• In 1994 he shifted to Nepal where he set up Guranse Tea Estate, a bio organic tea project in the Eastern hills of Nepal, covering an area of 438 acres. This is a project he started from scratch, from land acquisition to factory establishment to manpower management to training of people in all areas of tea plantation and production. The people of the area had no knowledge regarding  tea plantation and management. He successfully trained them and achieved, in just 5 years, a fully running plantation and factory producing the highest quality tea that has been rated better than some of the best  Darjeeling Teas.

• In 2001 he established  Jun Chiya Bari. A 300 acre bio organic tea plantation in the Eastern hills of Nepal. The vision for this project was to establish an  organic tea estate catered to a niche market, to create a difference in the tea industry of Nepal. This project was also started from scratch, from land acquisition to factory establishment to manpower management as well as training of people in all areas of tea plantation and production.  He was the first Tea Specialist in Nepal to introduce and make Specialty Teas. The tea lines he created in Jun Chiya Bari are still sold all over the world.

• In 2016 he took charge of a high altitude, non functioning tea project, Everest Tea Estate. He converted a tea forest into pluckable, healthy tea bushes. Set up a Specialty tea factory and created a market for the teas.

• In 2019, Andrew was asked to establish a tea factory capable of producing Specialty Tea in a remote part of Nepal where the farmers did not have a market to sell their green leaf. The property had only a small tea plantation with plenty of vacant land which needed lots of tea plants for infilling and new planting. He set up a 250,000 clonal plant nursery which is thriving very well.

Andrew believes that farmers in the tea area should be educated in organic practices so he trains them and helps them rehabilitate their own tea bushes and buys back their harvest. With a vast and deep knowledge in every aspect of tea farming coupled with his passion, creativity and relentless pursuit for the finest crafted tea, he has acquired a solid reputation as one of the Best Tea Planters in Nepal.