Tea is a quintessential part of any adda session. At The Bhawanipur House, one can now host tea-tasting sessions and private tea parties at the newly unveiled Tea Lounge.
Featuring a range of premium Darjeeling tea from Dorje Teas, the cosy and exclusive space is perfect for enjoying with family and friends.
The Bhawanipur House is a culmination point between classic architecture and contemporary tastes at the heart of the modern city and The Tea Lounge carries the same aura.
With limited seating of up to 15 to 20 people, the space is homely, warm, and welcoming.
“Calcutta has been a hub for tea lovers but now, over the years and with the younger generation, the importance of tea is gradually fading out. So, we thought why not revive the love for tea and adda in Calcutta? We curated this separate space for a variety of tea-related activities and sessions, separate from our walk-in sections. We were following Shark Tank and got to know about Dorje Teas and since we were focusing on Calcutta and its connection with tea and these guys are from here, we decided to collaborate with them and bring their experience and heritage to the mix. We want people to feel like this is their preferred home, is what I like to say. We want everyone to be comfortable,” said Vishnu Sureka, co-founder, The Bhawanipur House.
A quick chat with Sparsh Agarwal, co-founder, Dorje Teas
How has the experience been after Shark Tank?
The response has been phenomenal. We have had comments, orders and love pouring in from everywhere. As a brand, it was very important for us to create awareness and educate Indian consumers regarding Darjeeling tea. The platform that Shark Tank has provided to us for that is just phenomenal. Moreover, we have gotten three sharks who deeply care about our product and our model. We also have people at the tea garden to whom this means a lot. We had a special screening of the episode at the tea garden and I could see how visibly moved everyone was.
How did the collaboration with The Bhawanipur House come about?
Mr Sureka and I have been talking about doing something in collaboration for a few months now. I had seen the space since it was being developed and I was very impressed with the panache and elegance with which they were making it. When he initially told me about a Tea Lounge, I was not sure of it. My ambivalence was born out of the fact that a tea lounge needs to be a certain way but he asked me to come and have a look at the space. When I saw it and heard their plans, I was convinced. For a long time, in Calcutta, you had Dolly’s Tea House which was a good place for good tea and adda. Now, the baton has to be passed on. For young people to go have gupshup over chai, you need a space and this is how Darjeeling tea could be getting more popular among the younger crowd.
Choose from a wide range of flavoured and regular teas from Dorje Teas while you are at the Lounge. The Kashmiri Kahwa, one of the bestsellers from the brand, has a subtle but eclectic flavour of spices. For a fresh and light taste with subtle floral notes, try the First Flush. The Monsoon Flush provides a stronger and bolder taste that is a must-try
A tea-tasting session in progress at the launch of the tea lounge with Sparsh Agarwal at the helm.
The Tea Tasting Room beside the Lounge exudes old-world charm with a wide display of teas from Dorje Teas.
Sparsh Agarwal, co-founder, Dorje Teas; Vishnu Sureka and Vishal Sureka, co-founders, The Bhawanipur House; Ishaan Kanoria, cofounder, Dorje Teas
A delicate aroma of jasmine awaits with every cup of the Jasmine Tea. Light but subtly sweet and flavoursome, the tea is perfect for a refreshing cup
What is the aim that you have with this collaboration?
The association of Darjeeling teas with romance, like on a date, or with the activities of the young crowd, doesn’t exist today. My larger vision is that more than anything else, the Tea Lounge at The Bhawanipur House should be a spot for friends to meet over gupshup, a place for lovers to be spending an intimate afternoon over cups of second flush Darjeeling tea, a first date spot where people can go and experiment with different kind of flavoured teas. That’s what my vision would be for the tea lounge. It is supposed to be unpretentious and not intimidating yet elegant and have a certain charm to it.
Some of the teas are marked with birds and animal names. What is the story behind that?
We stay at the tea gardens itself and right now, we are the only owners in Darjeeling who actually stay at the gardens. When we started our entire wellness range, our flavoured teas, we decided that we are going to make each of the flavoured teas inspired by an element or an entity that is part of the wilderness of the tea garden. So, for example, our Kashmiri Kahwa tea is inspired by the great Asiatic elephant.