In Sri Lanka, making tea is an art. It is so because tea connoisseurs have turned their love for the golden brew into a discerning beverage for all seasons. A testament to Sri Lanka’s centuries-old tryst with Tea is Basilur – a finely infused addition to the tea literature of brews that define the quintessentially world-renowned Ceylon Tea brand.
By Jennifer Paldano Goonewardane.
Basilur Tea wants to offer more than just a cup of tea. Taking a cue from history, its founder, Dr. Gamini Abeywickrama, wanted to design a tea range that would redefine the practice of gifting tea. Through a challenging journey of time and testing resulting in innovation, Basilur has made distinctive tea blends carefully created to seal its freshness within a unique design elegance, making tea gifting an art. Their unique branding proposition turns out artistic teas of superior quality. Those blends were meticulously developed and designed to ensure that every gift pack is a testament to quality and taste and one that authentically portrays the flair associated with Ceylon Tea.
Basilur Tea started its journey in 2007. Dr. Gamini Abeywickrama and his team realized their vision by establishing a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Kelaniya that was the center of ongoing attempts at presenting a wide range of infusions that satisfy people’s diverse tea cravings. They understood that whether it’s the giver or receiver, each had an expectation of what Ceylon Tea should personify as a gift pack and as a golden brew steaming in a cup. Dr. Abeywickrama’s passion for the brew and his dream of creating blends that reflect his vision of Ceylon Tea are succinctly summed up in his own words. “Ever since its inception, tea has become a fascinating and elegant ritual of life. It has seeped its way into various cultures worldwide and evolved gracefully. Basilur exists to uphold, preserve and enhance this ritual.”
Basilur is more than just a brand. To its founder, tea making is a lifestyle. Tea is, of course, the daily restorative tonic of every Sri Lankan adult. Rain or shine, a cup of tea, with or without milk, is the hot drink and the wake-up call that picks the person up even on the dullest of days. Tea is the perfect drink for a healthy start to the day. And Basilur knows the pleasure of sipping tea from a cup. To that pleasurable exercise, the brand has added more than a spoonful of exclusivity to ensure that it’s for those who appreciate a truly authentic and quality experience. Basilur has over 200 unique blends and 500 retail products sold in over 75 countries as tea bags, tea capsules, and loose-leaf tea.
The Basilur Tea Gallery at Liberty Plaza and the Colombo City Centre have a wide range of products available for purchase. The big stores are beautifully decorated and lit up, complementing tea’s energizing and stirring character. Shimmering ornamental replicas of the tea leaf suspended from the ceiling fill the interior with a luxurious and beautiful ambiance. True to the brand’s commitment to providing an exclusive experience in the art of making tea, the outlets are methodically stocked with an extensive array of teas. From exquisite teas to celebrate special moments and seasons of the year, to the finest Ceylon black tea in a range of flavors to natural herbal and fruit infusions that are created to help relax, to a range of flavored Cold Brew ice teas are packaged in neat, colorful boxes, innovative caddies, and packs. The content of blends beautifully illustrates the brand’s quest to incorporate flavors of fruits and flowers from nature with the finest Ceylon Tea.
Basilur has a unique range of blends. Cream Fantasy is a delightful concoction of pure Ceylon green tea with berries augmented with cream flavors. Four Seasons is a collection of blends that infuses distinct flavors of different seasons into one cup of tea. The Tea Book collection is imposing, each range telling its story related to the rich Sri Lankan heritage. Each product under this range gives a unique tea drinking experience to the discerning tea drinker with themed volumes, such as the Love Story, Bouquet Collection, Tea Legends, and the Tea Library, to name a few. Basilur tea capsules are among the most convenient ranges that brew within seconds. These individually foil-wrapped tea capsules are Ceylon Premium, English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Mango and Pineapple, and Sencha Green, varieties of the brand’s most celebrated teas from the finest Ceylon teas, assuring freshness and quality. The Oriental Gift Collection presents an attractive assortment of delectable blends of tea, with some of the most celebrated teas with delightful flavors and spices. The Specialty Classic range is the brand’s colorful and distinguished teas, accompanied by a stately-looking packaging reflecting the grace associated with tea.
Many are the testaments that Basilur has had people in mind in designing its tea range. For instance, a stunning collection of executive gift teas for corporate professionals is one of the most innovative and refined gifts that personifies professional finesse with a desire to showcase one’s pride for a genuinely native product. After all, tea has become synonymous with Sri Lanka and showcases the great strides the tea industry has made over the years to become remarkably known as Ceylon Tea. The executive gift collection has exclusive premium products such as the ‘Rare Tea Collection,’ single estate, and handmade teas. The handmade boxes combine traditional and contemporary design to present a range of elegant wooden gift boxes that hold equally stylish metal tin caddies with tea. Its exquisite gift boxes containing an array of delicious gourmet blends are a beautiful gift to tea lovers.
Basilur’s claim to offer the freshest cup of tea and infusions is supported by its no-stocking of products policy. The company follows this mantra by manufacturing for orders that begin from scratch and that is precisely why the company stanchly claims that Basilur teas taste different and make the freshest cup of Ceylon Tea. Basilur’s efforts at fine-tuning tastes have been recognized locally and globally, with many awards for over a decade. They have also been bestowed with awards under several categories including exports generated, innovations and more. The recent winnings in 2020 and 2021 at the ‘Great Taste’ Awards are brilliant feedback to its teas’ quality and taste. The award-winning teas are English Breakfast, Earl Grey Tea, Autumn Tea, Cream Fantasy, Oriental Collection Caramel Dream, Uva Tea, and the Coconut Pineapple Cold Brew. As the award acknowledges top-quality teas that reflect the tea culture and natural environment of their origins, Basilur is more committed to getting people to drink quality tea in innovative flavors. At the same time, the brand will continue adding to its range the best tasting teas so that tea buffs will have more on their menu.
Innovation and creativity are at the heart of Basilur Tea. Led by a belief that every customer will be delighted with the unique experience from their teas, Basilur is making tea a desirably glamorous beverage for enjoyment. Its teas are a delight from the start. Whether black, green, fruit or herbal, assorted or in bags, Basilur teas are totally luxe, rich and soothing in equal measure.
