Plucking tea leaves is the first and most important step in determining the quality and type of tea. There are two ways in which tea is plucked in Assam. For the classic black tea that goes through the CTC (Cut Twist Curl) process it is plucked with two leaves and a bud with longer plucking time gaps. For the orthodox tea type, softer buds and leaves are chosen. A lot of care is given in both our processes by experienced pluckers. The tea plucking process happens only during certain times of the year. The term 'Flush' is associated with the plucking season of tea. There are two flushes in Assam, which is quite unique in the world. We specifically buy tea from our growers during the second flush as the quality is much better. 

All our tea leaves are hand picked and the entire plucking process is not automated. RGS tea is picked by highly skilled pluckers by hand. We believe in sustainability and hence rotate in how our tea is plucked. 

We welcome you to visit our Royal Tea Gardens if you enjoy our tea.  Please contact us using the Tea Tourism Page and we can organize a grand tea tasting and tea plucking session for you in Assam. Please note booking needs to be done in advance as there are limited spots and we require that you fill in your profile if you aren't already a member of our RGS TEAM Global.