Celebrating all that is tea at the inaugural Ceylon Tea Festival

Festival to coincide with the 150th anniversary of Ceylon Tea, attracting a new generation of tea connoisseurs and enthusiasts

Jason Atherton​

Tom Aikens

Colombo will host the first ever Ceylon Tea Festival from 11 to 13 August, bringing together a wide array of events and activities celebrating the tradition of tea for a new generation of experience seeking consumers. Tea cultivation began in Sri Lanka as a diversification experiment in 1867 and not long after, it surpassed many geographical borders to satisfy 19% of the global market share. Now a century and a half later, the Ceylon Tea Festival will celebrate this unique beverage, marking the future for celebrating Ceylon Tea. 

The three-day festival will provide a range of free and ticketed events, tea appreciation master  classes, tea banquets with world class Michelin star chefs, pop-up tea galleries, food markets, tea tastings, tea and wellness, high teas, tea brunches and tea with music. The festival will also be Sri Lanka’s first luxury food, drink and leisure event that will champion Ceylon Tea. 

Co-founder and Director of the Ceylon Tea Festival, Neela Marikkar Chairperson of Dentsu Grant Group said, “Our goal is to make Ceylon Tea contemporary and youthful while celebrating its rich heritage. We want to associate our premium Ceylon tea with the beautiful island of Sri Lanka. Today the millennial consumer does not know that Ceylon Tea comes from Sri Lanka. By creating a tea tourism product we can make this association much stronger which we will market globally to attract more tourists and build equity for both Ceylon Tea and Sri Lanka Tourism. Today global travellers look for authentic experiences and the Ceylon Tea Festival can become one of these.”

At the centre of the celebration will be a specialist tea tasting master class and two exclusive dinner events that will feature a tea inspired culinary journey presented by highly celebrated chefs. On Saturday, guests will be wooed by two Michelin Star Chef Tom Aikens at the Mount Lavinia Hotel. On Sunday, three Michelin Star Chef Jason Atherton will present a Ceylon Tea curated menu at the Cinnamon Grand. 

Marikkar spoke of her delight in showcasing the incredible richness of tea, cuisine and culture the country has to offer. “The Tea Festival was originally conceptualised over a decade ago as part of a greater plan to promote the Ceylon Tea Brand and to create a global demand for a local event that celebrates the rich taste that is unique to Sri Lankan grown teas. This is possibly the first time a three Michelin Star Chef will present a Ceylon Tea curated menu. We hope this will spur consumers to see and appreciate Ceylon Tea and the unique flavours of the seven growing regions.” 

The festival also brings together the Sri Lanka Tea Board, the Colombo Tea Traders Association and Sri Lanka Tourism together with prestigious brands like Mastercard to support an event of this nature. The annual festival is expected to be a highlight in local and international calendars and, the team at Dentsu Grant Group will look to create similar festivals outside Colombo and eventually in key markets overseas. 

The full program is now available via the Ceylon Tea Festival website at ceylonteafestival.com. Tickets for selected events will also be available on the site and other locations to be announced shortly.