Bharat Tea

Bharat is the second largest tea producer in Cameron Highlands, with plantations in Tanah Rata and Tringkap, and their own signature brand 'Cameron Valley' to compete with rival Boh. Its largest tea estate lies along the main road 4km before Tanah Rata, or about 6km after Ringlet town. Lacking a visitor complex and show factory for tourists, Bharat concentrates instead on establishing tea houses (with cafes and shops), while welcoming visitors to walk and explore their tea fields with gazetted sections and pathways. Hence, two separate tea houses can be found along the main road facing Bharat plantation, distanced from each other by a mere 500m.

As the tea houses are perched on hill slopes, the parking spaces provided are limited, sometimes causing massive spillage of vehicles along the narrow strip of main road during peak periods. Each tea house has a cafe, which is essentially a covered terrace that opens up to an impressive view of the Bharat tea plantations. The Bharat Tea company and plantation was first established in 1933 under local management, cultivating raw tea leaves for processing by third parties; full production only began in 1952, with the purchase of a factory. Their first line of tea products were stamped with the 'Chop Rusa' brand; this later evolved into the present Cameron Valley badge, marketed in supermarkets throughout Malaysia.

The selection of food is an eclectic blend of continental and local favourites, ranging from scones, brownies, doughnuts and cakes to traditional pastries such as curry puffs; an oily pastry filled with curried potatoes, sandwiches with a spicy sardine paste filling (a definite local taste) and even 'Nasi Lemak', a light meal of rice with sambal sauce and anchovies, wrapped inside a bundle of banana leaves. Some of the special tea blends offered have been adulterated with spices, such as Masala Chai and Cardamom Tea that each have a spicy zing. Meanwhile, the shops are stocked not just with Cameron Valley tea products, but also gift items such as hampers, books and souvenirs. Bharat Tea is open daily, from 9am to as late as 6pm on busy days.