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A Legacy of Taste

Amarshi Bhurabhai Shah

Amarshi Bhurabhai Shah, a stowaway to Africa in his young days, returned to India and took up a job in Bombay. He later quit his job, to start on his own.

He started the tea business "Hiralal Pranjivandas" in 1915 (Exports & Wholesale), at Masjid Bunder, the main Tea market of Mumbai. Traders from all over Maharashtra, including retailers, used to buy Tea from his market. This shop has stood the test of time and today it's the only one left in the Tea Market of Masjid Bunder from that era.
Amarshibhai's main export markets were Iran, Iraq & Middle East.

Hasmukhrai & Co. came into existence in 1933. And today the legacy is being carried forward by the 4th generation of Shahs.

75%

In the decades that followed, the family understood the constraints of trading in loose tea, even though it commanded 75% market share. The idea of creating a brand with packaged tea was envisioned in 1989 and so Society Tea was launched in 1990.

We were the pioneers in using Triple Laminated Foil base packing material and later also the Pet Jar.

What made Society Tea a household name in the decades that followed is the attention to quality and consistency that Amarshibhai inculcated in the family in the founding decades of the business.

In those days the Tea shops in Mumbai were not happy with tea blends they were getting as there were huge variations in taste, liquor & colour, which left the customers very dissatisfied. Amarshibhai went around visiting each vendor to understand the type of tea preferred by their customers and then blending accordingly.

This passion towards tea making eventually led to creating a consistent taste for which Society Tea is known for among its loyal customers.

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