I was talking to my relatives back in India when I found out that Longview Highlands Tea Garden has a mishap recently. The factory of Longview Estate, completely burned down as a result of a huge fire. Fire brigade from Mirik and Siliguri were pressed into action but the factory turned into ashes before they could get there!

My Uncle Mr. R. S. Tiwari is currently overseeing the refurbishment of the entire tea plantation, and the factory was apparently undergoing major repairs. It appears that the cause of the fire was a short circuit in the electrical systems, and one reason why the blaze spread so quickly was that the factory was quite old and made of wood.

Thank fully, I learned that the engine room was saved by the factory employees, who rushed to the site in the middle of the night, to help out.

This is a major set back for Longview Tea Garden, one of the largest in the Darjeeling region, and one of my favorite places to visit. The FF seasons picking will start in March, and unless the company can get the factory up and running quickly, the estate is likely to see an impact on its production.

We carry some tea from the Longview Highlands, but I hope to have some nice new FF later but the quantity we’ll buy will depend on the demand for the tea. So, please, lets create some demand for Longview Highlands Estate tea so that we can support them in the time of their need.