Down Hall Hotel & Spa and the Pursuit of the Perfect Afternoon Tea: A Visit to PMD Tea's University of Tea

When guests sit down to enjoy Afternoon Tea at Down Hall Hotel & Spa , they are often captivated by the elegant surroundings, impeccable service, and exceptional teas accompanied by freshly baked scones and delicate pastries.

What many don't realise is that the tea has a story that started over 5,000 miles away in the mist-covered mountains of Sri Lanka.

PMD Tea have proudly partnered with Down Hall Hotel & Spa for more than a decade. Our relationship has grown far beyond supplier and customer. Together, we have built a partnership based on craftsmanship, provenance, sustainability; a shared commitment to delivering extraordinary guest experiences.

This year, the Down Hall team have joined us again in Sri Lanka for our renowned ‘University of Tea’ programme.

Most hospitality professionals experience tea from the comfort of an afternoon tea lounge. The ‘PMD University of Tea’ takes them somewhere very special.

Designed exclusively for luxury hospitality partners, the programme immerses chefs, food and beverage teams, managers, and hospitality professionals in every aspect of tea production. Participants leave behind the tea room and journey directly to the source, meeting the people, visiting the estates, and experiencing the landscapes responsible for the teas they serve every day. For hospitality teams, understanding tea at this level transforms the guest experience. Every cup becomes more than a beverage; it becomes a story.

This year, we had the pleasure of welcoming Erhan and Leah from Down Hall Hotel & Spa. For Erhan, the trip was particularly special, having missed the opportunity to visit previously. Together, they embarked on a seven-day journey through Sri Lanka's most celebrated tea-growing regions, discovering firsthand what makes Ceylon Tea one of the world's most treasured beverages. 

The journey started in Colombo at our tasting room located on Dam Street. Before venturing into the mountains, Erhan and Leah spent time reminding themselves about tea fundamentals. We explored Sri Lanka's tea-growing regions, elevations, leaf grades, manufacturing styles, and many of the teas already featured on Down Hall's menu.

Leaving Colombo behind, we travelled five hours high into Sri Lanka's hill country. Along the way, we stopped at the historic Kitulgala Rest House, famous as a filming location for the Academy Award-winning film The Bridge on the River Kwai. As the roads climbed higher, tropical landscapes gave way to rolling tea gardens, cool mountain air, and the spectacular scenery that has made Sri Lanka's tea country world famous. By evening, we arrived in Nuwara Eliya, often referred to as "Little England" due to its colonial architecture and cool climate and rain.

The classroom portion of the University of Tea was over. Now it was time to get into the fields. Our first estate visit took us to Inverness Estate, where Erhan and Leah experienced the foundation of everything PMD Tea stands for: craftsmanship. The day began with a demonstration of hand-plucking.

What should be picked?

What should be left behind?

Which leaves create exceptional tea and which do not. 

The answers may sound simple, but the skill takes years to master.

Soon, both were standing among the tea bushes, carefully selecting leaves destined for the estate factory. What followed was perhaps the most valuable lesson of the entire trip. 

Tea plucking is incredibly demanding work. Performed predominantly by women, it requires precision, endurance, and remarkable consistency under challenging conditions. Working under the Sri Lankan sun, Erhan and Leah quickly gained a new appreciation for the dedication behind every cup served at Down Hall. Later, inside the factory, they tasted Inverness teas fresh from the previous night’s production. Inverness estate produces teas with a bright orange liquor, medium body, subtle menthol notes, and distinctive biscuit-like characteristics that make their tea unique within the region of Nuwara Eliya. From Inverness we drove up the road, just twenty minutes away lies another world entirely.

Guests enjoying Afternoon Tea often hear descriptions of tea regions, elevations, and terroir. Experiencing these differences firsthand is something else entirely.

At Lovers Leap Estate, Erhan and Leah discovered one of tea's greatest lessons: how dramatically flavour can change across short distances. Despite being located within the same region, Lovers Leap teas display a completely different character—lighter, brighter, and far crisper on the palate. The team explored the estate, toured the factory, met the people responsible for production, and visited the famous waterfall that gives Lovers Leap its name. They even walked through fields connected to the historic tea plantings associated with the Duke of Edinburgh's visit to the region. By the end of day one by just visiting two estates, tea was no longer just a menu item. It had become a living story.

Day two brought perhaps the most anticipated visit of the entire journey.

The team travelled deep into the heart of Dimbula to visit St Andrews Estate, the very estate where Down Hall Hotel's signature tea is crafted. Managed by our long-time friend Thilina, St Andrews occupies a unique position among Sri Lanka's tea estates that are found across Dimbula and Dick Oya. While many producers in the region focus on smaller leaf grades, St Andrews continues to champion traditional leafy orthodox manufacturing techniques.

The result is extraordinary.

The combination of high elevation, cool nights, and expert craftsmanship creates Orange Pekoe teas with the unmistakable rosy aroma that made Ceylon Tea famous around the world.

This is the tea served at Down Hall. Not a blend assembled from multiple origins. Not tea sourced through anonymous supply chains. But tea grown, hand-picked, manufactured, and packed at source on a single estate in Sri Lanka, crafted to the exact requirements that Down Hall want. 

For Erhan and Leah, seeing the estate firsthand created a powerful connection between the tea gardens of Dimbula and the guests they serve in Essex.

Sustainability is an important part of Down Hall's philosophy, making our next stop especially relevant. At Bearwell Estate, the team explored innovative sustainability initiatives that are helping shape the future of tea production. From extensive solar installations to aerial transport systems that eliminate hundreds of kilometres of diesel-powered transport each week, the estate demonstrates how modern technology can coexist with traditional tea craftsmanship. The visit also provided an opportunity to witness the production of one of the world's most exclusive teas: Silver Tips. Made entirely from hand-selected buds, Silver Tips requires extraordinary patience and precision. Watching its production offered a deeper appreciation of the skill and dedication involved in crafting rare luxury teas.

Our final stop in the hill country was the award-winning Mattakelle Estate. Here, Erhan and Leah witnessed the production of Mattakelle Golden Curls, an award winning celebrated artisanal tea. From the careful selection of the first two leaves and bud to the meticulous hand-rolling process, every stage reflects a level of craftsmanship rarely seen in modern food production.

Experiences like this help hospitality professionals understand what true luxury means. It is not simply a premium price point. It is dedication, expertise, patience, and an unwavering commitment to quality. After seven days in Sri Lanka's tea country, it was time to return to Colombo. Back in our tasting room, the learning continued.

Together, we reviewed dozens of teas collected during the journey, discussing flavour profiles, guest preferences, menu opportunities, and future innovations. We explored potential additions to Down Hall's tea offering and even began creating bespoke blends designed specifically for upcoming menus. This collaborative approach is what makes our hospitality partnerships unique.

We don't simply sell tea. We curate experiences.

We partner with hotels and help them build meaningful tea programmes that enhance the guest experience and establish memorable stories.

Luxury hospitality today is about authenticity. Guests increasingly want to know where products come from, who made them, and what stories lie behind them. By investing in experiences like the ‘University of Tea’, Down Hall Hotel & Spa demonstrates an extraordinary commitment to understanding every aspect of its Afternoon Tea offering.