Avongrove Tea Estate
{{Short description|Tea garden in West Bengal, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2017}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2017}}
{{more citations needed|date=February 2011}}
{{Infobox park
| name = Avongrove Tea Estate
| alt_name =
| photo = tea hill.jpg
| photo_width = 250
| photo_caption = Avongrove Tea Estate: Tea bushes maintain the contours of the hills
| type =
| location = Darjeeling district, West Bengal, India
| nearest_city =
| map =
| coords = {{coord|26.9388|N|88.2108|E|display=inline,title}}
| area = {{convert|200|ha|abbr=on}}
| open = {{Start date|1889}}
| elevation = {{cvt|670 to 1700|m}}
| operator =
| visitation_num =
| status =
| website = {{URL|https://www.avongrovetea.com}}
}}
Avongrove Tea Estate is a tea garden in the Mirik CD block in the Mirik subdivision of the Darjeeling district in West Bengal, India.
Geography
{{OSM Location map
| width=300| height=320| zoom=10
| coord={{coord|26|54|0|N|88|14|0|E}}| float=left|caption=Places and tea estates in the southern portion of Darjeeling Sadar subdivision (including Jorebunglow Sukhiapokhri CD block), and Mirik Subdivision in Darjeeling district
CT: census town, R: rural/ urban centre, NP: national park/ wildlife sanctuary, TE: tea estate
Abbreviations used in names – TG for Tea Garden (town/village), TE for Tea Estate
Owing to space constraints in the small map, the actual locations in a larger map may vary slightly
|mark-coord1={{coord|26|57|10|N|88|14|17|E}}| label-pos1=right|label1= Rongmook Ceder TG| numbered1=CT| mark-title1= Rongmook Ceder Tea Garden (CT)|label-color1= #800000 |label-size1=11| mark-size1=12|shape1=l-circle|shape-color1= #A40000|shape-outline1=white|label-offset-x1=2
|mark-coord2={{coord|26|56|20|N|88|10|40|E}}| label-pos2=left|label2=Mangarjung TG| numbered2=CT| mark-title2= Mangarjung Tea Garden (Nagri) (CT)
|mark-coord3={{coord|26|57|58|N|88|17|10|E}}| label-pos3=right|label3=Sonada| numbered3=CT| mark-title3= Sonada (CT)
|mark-coord4={{coord|27|0|30|N|88|10|1|E}}| label-pos4=left|label4=Sukhiapokhri| numbered4=CT| mark-title4= Sukhiapokhri (CT)
|mark-coord5={{coord|26|52|25|N|88|10|30|E}}| label-pos5=left |label5=Mirik| numbered5=M| mark-title5= Mirik (M)| shape-color5=#800000
|mark-coord6={{coord|26|57|50|N|88|9|20|E}}| label-pos6=left|label6=Chamong TG| numbered6=R| mark-title6= Chamong Tea Garden (R)| shape-color6=#C42222
|mark-coord7={{coord|26|55|35|N|88|11|40|E}}| label-pos7=right|label7=Dhajea TG| numbered7=R| mark-title7= Dhajea Tea Garden (R)| shape-color7=#C42222
|mark-coord8={{coord|27|1|10|N|88|15|30|E}}| label-pos8=right|label8=Jorebungalow| numbered8=R| mark-title8= Jorebungalow (R)| shape-color8=#C42222
|mark-coord9={{coord|26|58|10|N|88|10|0|E}}| label-pos9=right|label9=Pokhriabong| numbered9=R| mark-title9= Pokhriabong (R)| shape-color9=#C42222
|mark-coord10={{coord|27|0|20|N|88|11|39|E}}| label-pos10=right|label10=Poobong TG| numbered10=R| mark-title10= Poobong Tea Garden (R)| shape-color10=#C42222
|mark-coord11={{coord|26|57|6|N|88|10|34|E}}| label-pos11=left|label11=Sungma TG| numbered11=R| mark-title11= Sungma Tea Garden (R)| shape-color11=#C42222
|mark-coord12={{coord|27|2|20|N|88|10|31|E}}| label-pos12=left|label12=Tumsong TG| numbered12=R| mark-title12= Tumsong Tea Garden (R)| shape-color12=#C42222
|mark-coord13={{coord|26|54|40|N|88|12|10|E}}| label-pos13=right|label13=Nagri Farm TG| numbered13=R| mark-title13= Nagri Farm Tea Garden (R)| shape-color13=#C42222
|mark-coord14={{coord|26|47|0|N|88|14|25|E}}| label-pos14=right|label14=Panighatta| numbered14=R| mark-title14= Panighatta (R)| shape-color14=#C42222
|mark-coord15={{coord|26|50|20|N|88|12|50|E}}| label-pos15=right|label15=Singbulli TG| numbered15=R| mark-title15= Singbulli Tea Garden (R)|shape-color15=#C42222
|mark-coord16={{coord|26|52|0|N|88|12|40|E}}| label-pos16=right|label16=Soureni| numbered16=R| mark-title16= Soureni (R)| shape-color16=#C42222
|mark-coord17={{coord|26|56|25|N|88|12|38|E}}| label-pos17=right|label17=Avongrove TE| numbered17=TE| mark-title17= Avongrove Tea Estate (TE)|shape-color17=black| label-size17=13|label-color17=black
|mark-coord18={{coord|26|55|30|N|88|9|44|E}}| label-pos18=left|label18=Gopaldhara TE| numbered18=TE| mark-title18= Gopaldhara Tea Estate (TE)| shape-color18=#87A96B
|mark-coord19={{coord|26|54|35|N|88|9|20|E}}| label-pos19=left|label19=Okayti TE| numbered19=TE| mark-title19= Okayti Tea Estate (TE)| shape-color19=#87A96B
|mark-coord20={{coord|26|50|15|N|88|11|54|E}}| label-pos20=left|label20=Phuguri TE| numbered320=TE| mark-title20= Phuguri Tea Estate (TE)| shape-color20=#87A96B
|mark-coord21={{coord|26|59|14|N|88|13|22|E}}| label-pos21=right|label21=Pussimbing TE| numbered21=TE| mark-title21= Pussimbing Tea Estate (TE)| shape-color21=#87A96B
|mark-coord22={{coord|26|53|50|N|88|9|50|E}}| label-pos22=left|label22=Thurbo TE| numbered22=TE| mark-title22= Thurbo Tea Estate (TE)| shape-color22=#87A96B
|mark-coord23={{coord|26|45|0|N|88|17|0|E}}|label23= Balason River| label-color23 = #77A1CB| label-angle23=35| label-pos23=top| label-size23=10| mark-size23=0| mark-title23 =none
|mark-coord24={{coord|26|46|30|N|88|11|0|E}}|label24= Mechi| label-color24 = #77A1CB| label-angle24=70| label-pos24=top| label-size24=10| mark-size24=0| mark-title24 =none
|mark-coord25={{coord|26|44|30|N|88|11|20|E}}|label25= River| label-color25= #77A1CB| label-angle25=95| label-pos25=top| label-size25=10| mark-size25=0| mark-title25 =none
|mark-coord26={{coord|27|2|45|N|88|11|37|E}}| label-pos26=right|label26=Mariabong TG| numbered26=R| mark-title26= Mariabong Tea Garden (R)|shape-color26=#C42222
|arc-coordA={{coord|26|48|0|N|88|6|0|E}}|arc-textA= NEPAL| arc-text-colorA=hard grey| arc-angleA=40| arc-gapA=3.5| arc-radiusA=0.4}}
Avongrove Tea Estate, located in the Rangbhang Valley, sits on the banks of the Balason River at {{cvt|670|m}} feet above sea level. This high-elevation estate goes up to {{cvt|1700|m}}. Approximately {{cvt|200|ha}} of land is growing tea, and there are 500 workers who live on the estate to maintain optimal plucking rounds. Avongrove means "Nest of Birds".{{cite web |url=http://www.edenstea.com/ |title=Home |website=edenstea.com}}
Avongrove is certified as an organic tea estate under USA (USA), JAS (Japan), NOP and NPOP (India and the EU).{{cite web |url=http://www.avongrovetea.com/ |title=Home |website=avongrovetea.com}}
Note: The map alongside presents some of the notable locations in the subdivision. All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map.
Production
The factory was built in 1889 and produces {{cvt|60,000 to 70,000|kg}} of tea a year. The estate has a perennial source of water and almost the entire area under tea can be irrigated.
Economy
Approximately 60% of the area under tea has chinary and chinary clonal bushes. Of the 40% that remains, about 20% are hybrid bushes and a very small percentage are pure Assam tea.
Avongrove offers a range of specialty Darjeeling tea, such as the peony rosette and florette, the latter of which expands when allowed to gently brew in a tall container, revealing a flower when the hot water makes the outer leaves unfurl. One woman, working an entire day, can make only six of them.{{Cite news|url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Features/Time_to_sit_up__smell_the_tea/articleshow/3477927.cms|title = Time to sit up & smell the tea!|newspaper = The Economic Times|last1 = Dasgupta|first1 = Reshmi}}
