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T
he news came in the form of a
pleasant email. Gisovu had
been awarded the 2015
aylors of Harrogate ‘Supplier of the
Year’ Award.This prestigious award is
in recognition of the tireless efforts
and hard work by the entire Gisovu
team especially our Tea makers, the
logistics team, Field staff and most
importantly our Coothegim farmers
who supply our fine green leaf.Taylors
established the award five years ago
and chooses their winner after a
stringent selection process, based on
an eight-point criteria list – Quality
within Origin, Consistency, Service,
Social and Environmental work,
Food Safety, Quantity purchased,
Communication and Personal service
over and above the norm.
The three-day Supplier of the Year
event was held in Harrogate where
we experienced the famous Yorkshire
hospitality, were introduced to
various aspects of their tea, coffee and
bakery operations, culminating in the
presentation ceremony in Harrogate
on 9 September 2015. The event
provided a great opportunity for us to
interact with the coffee supplier
winners and people from various
parts of the Taylors operations that
we normally do not get to meet.
The presentation made by me
on behalf of the Company was
different from the typical corporate
presentations that tend to focus on
resource utilisation, streamlining of
manufacturing process, industrial and
field output etc. We focussed instead on the human
aspect of the industry and its socio-economic impact on
the people in the community.The presentation was well
received by the delegates who appreciated the work that
goes on in a remote estate in Africa to produce the
famous Gisovu tea.
Though we were always aware of and confident about
our quality, seeing Gisovu Tea being recognised as a fine
tea by our customers filled us with a sense of pride. I
would like to share a couple of experiences...
On our first day in Harrogate I had gone to Bettys Café
Tea Rooms with a colleague and asked the waitress to
kindly recommend a tea. Without any hesitation, she
pointed to the menu and remarked, “My favourite is the
single estate Gisovu!”The words on the menu say it all.
“
We have been buying teas from this lovely tea
garden for over 35 years. Deliciously crisp and
refreshing with a rich golden colour, this really
is one of the world's finest black teas.
”
On another occasion while visiting Bettys in York, I
came across a gentleman buying Gisovu tea and when
asked why he was buying this particular tea, his prompt
~ Surender Jhijaria
Gisovu T.E.
The Jubilant Gisovu Team
44 January 2016
January 2016 45