Tea is a global ritual shaped by heritage, craftsmanship, and trust. From the mist-covered estates where leaves are handpicked to the precise art of blending and packaging, every step defines the final cup. Tea exporters sit at the heart of this journey, acting as the bridge between origin and consumer, balancing tradition with innovation while navigating volatile markets, shifting climates, and evolving tastes. Shan Teas is one of Sri Lanka’s leading and fastest-growing tea exporters.
Established in 2003, the company has evolved from a small-scale exporter into a trusted global supplier by consistently delivering value to its customers and honoring long-term partnerships. Shan Teas’ product portfolio is broad and highly customizable, designed to meet diverse global requirements.
Its offerings include premium Ceylon black tea, green tea rich in antioxidants, flavored teas, herbal and wellness teas, organic teas, and caffeine-free tisanes. The company also specializes in rare and exotic selections such as silver tips and golden tips, as well as regional teas that highlight distinct Sri Lankan terroirs.
Eshantha Peiris, Director/CEO
In addition to pure Ceylon tea, Shan Teas supplies multi-origin teas and refined blends, catering to evolving consumer preferences across international markets. Products are available in multiple formats, ranging from bulk tea to tea bags and bespoke value-added solutions.
With globally recognized certifications including ISO, HACCP, GMP, FSSC, EU Organic, USDA Organic, JAS, and Fairtrade, supported by rigorous quality control systems, Shan Teas ensures consistency, freshness, and safety across its entire product range. Today, the company serves clients across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Australasia, and Asia.
Navigating Industry Challenges
The Sri Lankan tea industry is facing a convergence of structural, economic, and environmental challenges, and Shan Teas’ response has been rooted in long-term planning and proactive decision-making.
At a domestic level, limitations in infrastructure and production capacity have constrained many exporters. “We addressed this early by investing heavily in land, automation, and a new state-of-the-art manufacturing and warehousing complex, expanding capacity nearly fivefold while improving throughput and efficiency.
Automation has also helped offset rising labor costs and shifting workforce demographics, while structured career development and close collaboration with labor partners have reduced employee turnover”, informs Eshantha Peiris, Director and CEO of Shan Teas.
Internationally, the industry is experiencing heightened competition from new origins and established brands, creating higher entry barriers. The company has mitigated this by strengthening long-standing customer relationships and positioning itself as a growth partner, growing alongside its clients rather than competing purely on price. At an industry level, policy decisions affecting taxation, cash flow, and agricultural inputs have added further strain, impacting national production volumes and consistency in quality.
Environmental disruptions have become a defining risk. Severe flooding caused by unprecedented rainfall impacted many exporters located near major rivers, resulting in extensive inventory and machinery losses across the industry. The company minimized disruption through early strategic relocation. Over 80 percent of its stock was transferred to a newly built facility located on higher ground and well away from flood-prone zones. Crucially, all value-added machinery, including tea bagging, form-fill-seal, and over-wrapping equipment, had already been moved, preventing long-term operational paralysis.
Ensuring Consistent Quality
Shan Teas maintains uncompromised consistency and quality across sourcing, blending, and packaging. Quality is driven from the top, with senior management bringing hands-on experience in tea tasting and blending and systematically transferring this knowledge to in-house teams. Supported by long-serving professionals with extensive industry experience, the company can preserve stable taste profiles and consistent standards despite market volatility.
In a highly price-sensitive commodity environment, the company takes a long-term approach, choosing to absorb short-term financial pressures rather than compromise on agreed quality specifications, reinforcing trust and long-standing customer relationships that span over two decades. “This technical discipline is complemented by a flat, non-bureaucratic structure that enables rapid communication between operations and leadership.
An open-door culture and hands-on management allow us to respond swiftly to quality issues, evolving customer needs, and operational challenges, ensuring reliability and consistency across every stage of the value chain”, adds Shamilal Wirasinha, Managing Director of Shan Teas.
Quality is our promise, delivered consistently from leaf to cup, backed by trust, expertise, and innovation
The Way Ahead
Shan Teas’ plans are centered on sustainable growth, value addition, and strengthening its global presence. The company aims to further expand its value-added portfolio by investing in advanced packaging technologies, innovative blends, and customized solutions tailored to evolving consumer preferences.
“We will continue to invest in automation and process optimization to improve efficiency, consistency, and scalability. At the same time, we aim to deepen long-term relationships with our customers by working as a strategic growth partner rather than a transactional supplier”, concludes Eshantha.
Shamilal Wirasinha, Managing Director
Shamilal Wirasinha, Managing Director of Shan Teas, has more than two decades of hands-on experience in the tea industry that began at a young age and spans the entire value chain from cultivation to blending.
Eshantha Peiris, Director/CEO
Eshantha Peiris, Director and CEO of Shan Teas, has over three decades of senior leadership experience across tea, poultry, aquaculture, spices, hospitality, and sustainable products, including key roles at Dilmah Tea, CRYSBRO Group, and international ventures.
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