Akbar Tea is a Sri Lankan

tea Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of '' Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of south-western China and nor ...

brand owned by Akbar Brothers Ltd, along with Alghazaleen Tea. The company produces a range of tea bags, loose teas and gifts including:

black tea Black tea (also literally translated as red tea from various East Asian languages) is a type of tea that is more tea processing, oxidized than oolong, yellow tea, yellow, white tea, white, and green tea, green teas. Black tea is generally st ...

green tea Green tea is a type of tea made from the leaves and buds of the '' Camellia sinensis'' that have not undergone the withering and oxidation process that creates oolong teas and black teas. Green tea originated in China in the late 1st millenn ...

flavoured tea Twinings Lady Grey tea which is a flavored tea blend containing bergamot oil, citrus peels and flowers Chinese Jasmine tea, a popular scented tea in East Asia. The tea leaves are scented with jasmine flowers. Traditionally, the flowers are no ...

s, and

herbal tea Herbal teas, technically known as herbal infusions, and less commonly called tisanes (UK and US , US also ), are beverages made from the infusion or decoction of herbs, spices, or other plant material in hot water. Often herb tea, or the plai ...

s. Akbar is Sri Lanka's largest tea exporter.

History

Akbar Tea was formed in 1969 when Tyeabally Shaikh Hebtulabhoy's grandsons: Abbas Akbarally and Inayet Akbarally resigned from Hebtulabhoys and Co. establishing Akbar Brothers. The family has been in the food business since 1864, when Shaikh Hebtulabhoy (1834-1897) migrated from India to Sri Lanka, establishing a food import/export company based in

Pettah Pettah may refer to: * Pettah of Ahmednagar, a fortified town outside the Fort of Ahmednagar stormed by British soldiers in 1803 during Second Anglo-Maratha War * Pettah, Colombo, a neighborhood in Colombo, Sri Lanka located east of the City cent ...

. His son, Tyeabally Shaikh Hebtulabhoy (1888-1928), established the tea company, M. S. Hebtulabhoy and Company Limited, which commenced shipping tea overseas in 1907. Within three years Akbar Brothers were exporting to major tea markets in the Middle East and other parts of the world. In 1972 Akbar Brothers Limited was incorporated and their father, Shaikh Akbarally (1911-2003), retired as the chairman of Hebtulabhoys and Co. joining his sons. The firm is still owned and managed by members of the family and is Sri Lanka’s largest tea exporter. The company operates a 276,000 sq.ft. manufacturing facility in the

Kelaniya Kelaniya ( ) is a suburb of Colombo in the Western Province, Sri Lanka, Western Province, Sri Lanka. Located from Colombo Fort, it is known for the Buddhist temple built on the banks of the Kelani River, which divides the suburb from Colombo Di ...

district of Colombo. The parent company, Akbar Group, is also involved in property development, healthcare, and electricity generation. In July 2022, the company expanded its operations to Oman.

References

{{reflist Tea brands Sri Lankan tea Sri Lankan brands Tea companies of Sri Lanka