STiR coffee and tea magazine

34 STiR coffee and tea / Issue 3, 2017 (June/July) By Jane Pettigrew NANDI HILLS, Kenya At the Gold Medal Tea Competition for specialty teas held in San Antonio, Texas, in 2015 organized by the American Tea Association and the Canadian Tea Association, Kenyan tea makers Emrok Tea's special finest tippy golden flowery orange pekoe 1 (SFTGFOP1) black orthodox tea made from one bud and a leaf was awarded best specialty tea from Kenya. An impressive achievement for a factory in a country where cut, tear, and curl (CTC) black teas have dominated since the 1950s. Emrok Tea is owned and operated by Robert and Emily Keter, whose family has decades of experience making tea in Kenya, and who were told for years that Kenya would never be able to produce high grade orthodox teas. But with a state-of-the-art factory, a skilled manager from India, well-plucked leaf, and focused, determined work, the factory is now making a full selection of whole leaf black teas ranging from neat, well-twisted pekoes to SFTGFOP tippy teas with flashes of golden and silver buds. These teas earn between $7 and $55 per kg, as against an average of $2.75 for Kenyan CTC black teas. Given the glut of teabag-type CTC teas on the world market and the low prices fetched by them, the Keters recognized the value of producing quality spe- cialty teas for a growing global market. Emrok, with its surrounding Ogirgir Tea Estate, is situated in Nandi County in Kenya's Rift Valley region at an altitude of 6,561 feet (2,000 meters) above sea level where the cool climate and rich volcanic soil is perfect for tea cultivation. Ogirgir was founded in 1960 by Finlay Compell but was sold shortly after to Henry Kenneth Bar- rows from Tanzania who extended the farm to 1,000 acres planted with clonal cuttings from Tanzania. In 1979 Barrows sold the land, and the estate was sold again in 2002 to the Keters. The new Emrok factory was built in 2012 and is today one of the most modern tea factories in the African region. Of the 1,000 acres, 836 are planted with tea The world's largest tea auction is located in Mombasa and for the first time offers purple, green, and orthodox lots in its weekly auctions this year. Demand for specialty loose leaf teas globally has led a few East Africa producers to add orthodox black, green, and white varieties to their range. Emrok Tea Factory, one of the most modern in Kenya, is attracting a good deal of attention with its prize-winning whole leaf teas. Emrok's Modern Approach to Orthodox Ogirgir Estate in the Nandi Hills, Kenya Robert Keter at a the opening ceremony at New Ngererit Primary School in 2011

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