Madura is Tamil for ‘Paradise’, and that’s exactly what you’ll find at our Tweed Valley plantation – a sub-tropical garden paradise.

Our paradise comprises in part, 250,000 tea bushes, nestled in a region of pristine rainforests, streams and rivers on the outskirts of Murwillumbah in northern New South Wales. It is here – at Australia’s only sub-tropical tea plantation – that we grow, blend and pack Australia’s leading range of exquisite specialty teas.

The Madura estate was established in 1978 by a third-generation tea planter from Ceylon, Michael Grant-Cook, and his wife Norma. From the outset, Mike’s vision was to blend his own tea with other premium teas from around the world to produce a unique brew unrivalled in flavour and aroma. He chose the Tweed Valley for its ideal climatic conditions and geographical resemblance to Assam in north east India – the home for thousands of years -to one of the unique species of tea.

Michael’s business philosophy was simple: All product development, tasting, grading, blending and packing must be done on the estate to ensure the quality from plantation to cup. The masterful art of identifying and securing compatible teas at their peak of quality from other leading producer countries to combine with Madura’s tea is faithfully followed in accordance with Michael’s vision.

A tea purist at heart, Michael was also an Australian pioneer of sustainable tea farming, taking early steps to nurture the delicate ecosystems that supported his tea plantation. Today, the Madura estate continues to operate in harmony with the natural environment and is also home to an abundance of Australian native plants and wildlife. Madura is now well recognised for best-practice in sustainable tea farming and production.

Madura’s environmental management plan is available for download here.

In the late 1980s, Madura introduced Australia’s first green tea to the market. It was an instant success with local tea drinkers who enjoyed the subtle flavour of a green tea developed specifically to please their palate  - a sweeter, less astringent tea. To this day, Madura is Australia’s most popular green tea.

In 2000, Madura established one of the most modern tea packing facilities in the southern hemisphere to implement its own innovative concepts and pioneered the concept of sealing its teas in barrier film to guarantee  freshness and flavour – a concept now copied by most other tea marketers, but nonetheless a compliment indeed to Madura’s innovative ways. As a key employer in northern NSW, the Madura ‘family’ comprises more than 50 staff working diligently to produce Australia’s leading specialty tea. The quality of Madura tea is now appreciated across the globe.

When you taste our tea you will discover why Madura means ‘Paradise’