सिंहदरबार संवाददाता
Kathmandu. Chatting over a sip of tea is a Nepali habit. Tea is also an excuse to meet friends, relatives, and acquaintances. That is why tea shops of various brands have opened everywhere these days, and people are seen flocking to those shops.
The tea culture is not new for Nepalis. Even adults and the elderly take a sip of tea. There are those who analyze that tea neither satisfies hunger nor nourishes, but it keeps relationships warm. Therefore, tea is also considered a means of killing fatigue, eliminating stress, reducing stress, or becoming ‘fresh’.
Therefore, Bagrelti tea brands have opened in the city markets. Tea seller, tea shop, tea world, madka tea etc… One of these is ‘Pokharel Matka Tea’. Rajesh Sharma (Pokharel Dai) has established a traditional tea shop as a new brand in a different style for the past one year.
This shop located in Anamnagar, East Gate of Singha Durbar, has started to become a favorite of those who visit it. Not only madka, but also 19 types of tea are available, so there is a rush of customers here. This shop has become a topic of discussion among leaders, artists, lawyers, journalists and tea connoisseurs.
According to Shambhu Baral, Ward Secretary of Kathmandu Metropolitan City-29, around 100 tea shops have opened in the ward. Some of them are registered as ‘tea shops’, but most of them are operating under the names of bakeries, cafeterias, etc. He said that the attraction in the tea business has increased recently and tea shops of various brands are opening.
Pokhrel, whose ancestral home is in Syangja, has had a long struggle to establish this ‘brand’ of tea. Having been in business since the age of 13, he started a tea shop in Anamnagar in 2057 BS.
Before that, he also operated Gandaki Guest House, a grocery store and a paan shop in Nawalparasi. Then he joined a tea shop, but after not getting any benefit from it, Sharma wandered around various countries in Europe for employment.
‘I went abroad to join my friends’ business in Europe, compared investments abroad and Nepal. I saw risks abroad,’ he said. Sharma got the opportunity to learn new tea making techniques in Denmark, Belgium, Portugal, and the Netherlands, and said that he has been establishing the same skill as a new tea brand in Nepal for a year.
To attract the attention of tea connoisseurs, Pokharel posts various slogans in tea shops and social media. ‘Let’s have fun, not cry over tea. ‘A cup of a thousand happiness, Pokharel tea your satisfaction’ These and other symbolic slogans also make Pokharel Matka Tea different from others in Anamnagar.
Nineteen types of teas
In Pokharel Matka Tea, you can find 19 different flavors of spices in 19 types of teas. ‘We also have 19 types of milk-based and other different water-based teas, we also offer teas according to demand, including redcurrant, lemongrass,’ said Pokharel.
A mixture of different spices, that’s why he charges Rs 25 to 130 for a cup. He said that customers come to him not only from the Anamnagar area but also from places like Kalimati, Swayambhu, PepsiCola, Balaju, Putalisadak.
He said that leaders such as Nepali Congress General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa and Nepal Communist Party (UML) leader Thakur Gaire drink his tea occasionally. Sharma said that this has helped the family’s expenses and provided employment to five people.
Pokharel’s Matka Tea ‘chain’, which was operated with an investment of about Rs 2 million, is also expanding. He informed that there are plans to expand branches in Qatar and various places in Kathmandu soon.
Sharma, who has been selling tea for the past 25 years, has planned to offer 10 varieties of tea, including Arabic, Iranian, and rose, at other branches. He also serves bakery items, ma:ma, chowmein, fried and boiled corn, dry millet bread, mohi, curd, etc. with tea, according to the customer’s wishes.
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