MONETABRIEF –Talawakelle Tea Estates, a unit of Sri Lanka's Hayleys Plc said it had started making matcha, as production in Japan slumped amid a heatwave.
Matcha is a type of green tea coming in powdered form. Matcha is made at Barewell Estate in Nuwara Eliya and is produced in ceremonial and culinary grades.
"The project went from first trial to commercial sales in six months," Talawakelle Tea Estates said in a statement.
"With no Sri Lankan operation to learn from, the Bearwell Estate team designed and built most of the production line on the estate itself.
"The result is a matcha capability built in Sri Lanka rather than imported. The matcha comes from Bearwell's existing tea fields, and is made in the estate's own factory, giving buyers a single-estate origin from bush to pack.
"The project has also created skilled, higher-value work on the estate, the kind of role that can draw a younger generation into the industry."
Talawakelle sid Bearwell's high-grown fields can be plucked through most of the year, while Japan's premium matcha depends on a single spring harvest.
"That gives overseas buyers what they increasingly need: steady supply, under the established name of Ceylon tea," the firm said.
"The ceremonial grade could be consumed directly, at home and in cafés and hotels. The culinary grade goes into lattes, bakery, confectionery and other food products.
Both grades are offered to hospitality groups, food manufacturers, distributors and private-label brands, with supply planned for recurring commercial orders, the firm said. (Colombo/Nov12/2026)