Two years after opening its doors with the dream of bringing a fresh cuppa of Darjeeling tea – from the estate direct to the customers – Jay Shree Tea shuttered its flagship store in Lalbazar, central Kolkata, last week.
Shops in the area claim to be selling "Darjeeling" tea, but at a much lower price. With a high cost of production, the Jay Shree store could not compete at that price point.
“They blend teas from Nepal and Darjeeling and sell it as Darjeeling. The Jay Shree Tea shop sold only its own garden teas, no blends of other origins.