Story of a tea brand that's rooted in Jafflong

Tea is one of those products that hardly needs an introduction in Bangladesh. It is part of everyday life, from the first cup in the morning to the tea breaks that punctuate a busy day. But behind that familiar cup is a market where brands are constantly trying to win over consumers with taste, consistency and variety.

There is a story behind the name Jafflong.

The name comes from Jafflong Tea Garden in Gowainghat, Sylhet, a tea-growing area known for its lush landscape and long association with tea. Orion acquired the garden in 2005. Twelve years later, in 2017, the company introduced Jafflong as a tea brand.

Since then, the name has gradually found its way beyond the garden itself and into tea cups across Bangladesh. What began with black tea has since expanded to include green tea as well, reflecting how the country's tea-drinking habits are changing.

Today, Jafflong has 22 SKUs across its black and green tea ranges. But the numbers tell only a small part of the story. At its heart, the brand remains connected to something much simpler — the leaf, where it comes from, and the familiar pleasure of a good cup of tea.

Today, the brand has two categories, 10 product lines and 22 SKUs. Black tea makes up the larger part of the portfolio, with eight product lines and 19 SKUs. Green tea accounts for two product lines and three SKUs.

For a market where black tea remains a staple, the decision to add green tea reflects a change that has been taking place gradually among consumers. More people are looking at what they drink and are exploring alternatives to their usual cup of tea.

OTCL introduced Jafflong Green Tea with that changing preference in mind, while continuing to build its core business around black tea.

But having a range of products is only one part of building a tea brand. The bigger challenge is making sure consumers know what to expect every time they open a pack.

That is where the company places considerable emphasis on the leaves and the manufacturing process. Jafflong tea is made from selected leaves and processed using modern technology, with the aim of retaining the freshness and flavour of the tea.

For a product that is consumed regularly, consistency can matter as much as anything else. A consumer may try a tea because of its packaging or brand name, but whether they buy it again often comes down to the taste in the cup.

According to OTCL, customer response over the years has been driven by the taste, flavour and freshness of its tea. The company also credits its team for maintaining the standards it has set for the brand.

There is another part of the Jafflong story that the company is keen to highlight — its reach beyond Bangladesh.

OTCL says its tea has also received a response from consumers outside the country. While the domestic market remains central to the business, that response points to the possibility of taking a Bangladeshi tea brand to a wider market.

The journey has been relatively short compared with the long history of tea in Bangladesh. Jafflong was introduced as a brand in 2017, while its name traces back to a tea garden acquired more than a decade earlier.

That combination of an established connection to tea cultivation and a relatively new consumer brand has shaped Orion's approach.

The company is not trying to reinvent tea. Instead, it is working within a product that Bangladeshis already know well, while giving consumers more choices within the category.

Black tea continues to form the backbone of Jafflong's range. Green tea gives the brand a presence in a segment that has gained attention among health-conscious consumers. Together, the two categories give the company room to serve both traditional tea drinkers and those looking for something different.

For Orion, the story of Jafflong is therefore closely tied to a simple idea: building a tea brand around a name that has its roots in Sylhet, while gradually taking that name beyond the tea garden and into more homes.

From a tea garden in Jafflong to a growing range of products, the brand's nine-year journey reflects Orion's attempt to establish its own place in Bangladesh's crowded tea market — one cup at a time.