Ceylon Tea named as Official Tea Supplier for Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games

Ceylon Tea, widely considered by many as the finest in the world and with a rich history dating back more than a century and a half, has been named as the Official Tea Supplier for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. 

The Sri Lanka Tea Board has officially engaged in an agreement with the Games’ organising committee to provide Ceylon Tea for the athletes, officials, ancillary providers and guests at the Birmingham 2022 Athlete Villages.

To facilitate the arrangement, the leading suppliers of the Ceylon Tea brand to the global market – namely Dilmah Tea and English Tea Shop, have come forward to offer their finest blends to those involved in Birmingham 2022 throughout the Games. 

Sri Lankan tea (known for generations as Ceylon Tea) carries with it a renowned heritage. 

The story of Ceylon Tea begins over 200 years ago, when the country was still a British colony. 

In 1824, a tea plant was brought to Sri Lanka by the British from China and was planted in the Royal Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya for non-commercial purposes.

The industry was introduced to the country in 1867 by James Taylor (Father of Ceylon Tea), a British planter, who arrived in the island in 1852. He started a fully-equipped tea factory in the Loolecondera estate in 1872 and three years later, succeeded in sending the first shipment of Ceylon Tea to the London tea auction. 

Until 1967, Sri Lanka had accounted for the majority of the imports to the UK. 

Meanwhile, tea planting through smallholders has become popular since the 1970s.  The journey now takes us to the present day, with the Sri Lanka Tea Board proud to present Ceylon Tea to Birmingham 2022 in an official capacity. 

In over 150 years, the name Ceylon had become synonymous with the world’s finest tea.