Doddabetta Tea Factory (Homewood Tea)

Homewood is the retail brand of the Doddabetta Tea Factory, founded by N K Krishnamoorthy, whose own father had earlier planted tea gardens across the Kagguchi and Ketti Palada areas that still supply leaf to the business. The factory sits near Doddabetta, the second-highest peak in South India, at Mel Koddapmund outside Ooty, and the company today runs three linked factories - Nankemp, Kookalhatty and Doddabetta - across different elevations in the Nilgiris. What sets it apart from a standard tea shop is the adjoining Tea Museum, an idea credited to Krishnamoorthy's son Diwakar, a mechanical engineer who wanted visitors to get a firsthand feel for how tea is actually made rather than just buy a packet at the end. The museum traces the history of tea from its early origins in China through its arrival in Europe and Asia, then narrows to the Nilgiris' own tea story from 1835 onward, including the region's GI certification, alongside live demonstrations of the leaf-to-cup manufacturing process. Homewood's product range covers strong, cardamom, masala and green teas plus Lemon Black, but its signature is Silver Tips - a high-grown, hand-rolled white tea made from single buds picked at high elevation. Handmade chocolates and spices round out the catalog. Museum entry runs roughly ₹20 per person, open daily.