Amagi Aria joins hands with Illy Coffee and PMD Tea for tourism empowerment

Amagi Aria in Negombo has taken on a unique scope of food and beverage offerings for local and foreign guests, commencing with the recent induction of partnerships with Ceccato Colombo (Illy Coffee) and P.M. David Silva & Sons. 

“Ceccato Colombo Ltd. is a BOI company which was established in 2001 with a 100% Italian investment. The vision for Ceccato is to become a one-stop-shop creating an authentic Italian experience for our clients and to become a leading brand in Sri Lanka. We are pleased to announce the beginning of a collaboration between Ceccato, the sole agent for Illy Coffee brand and Amagi Aria, a prestigious hotel located in Negombo. Ceccato decided to collaborate with Amagi Aria because we recognise its key location, beautiful structure, professional management and believe that they are capable of mirroring our values and our image. We are pleased to commence what we hope will be a long and fruitful collaboration for both our companies,” said Ceccato Colombo General Manager Salvy de Bellis.

P.M. David Silva & Sons was established in 1945 during the Plantation Raj in Ceylon’s world famous Dimbula Valley. Today three generations on, P.M. David Silva & Sons remains a family company. “Our teas are found globally in hotels of The World Leading Hotels and Small Luxury Hotel Groups, Harrods of London and the Queen of England’s Royal Farm Shop in Windsor. 

“Sri Lanka has become a ‘must visit’ destination for the global traveller. Partnering with a brand like Amagi that is quality focused and always looking to enhance the customer experience, fits in with our company values and vision. We are partnering with Amagi hotels because there is a shared synergy between our two brands. We aim to both provide quality products whilst promoting our island nation. Whether a first time traveller to Sri Lanka or a local, visiting Amagi Aria and sampling the tea selection allows guests a chance to taste the time-honoured tradition of true Ceylon Tea,” said P.M. David Silva & Sons Managing Director Dananjaya Silva.

Amagi Aria is set to introduce an exquisite tea and coffee based cocktail menu as well as other promotional offers such as high tea on the lagoon deck and tea tasting sessions on a catamaran where guests will be able to sample and taste the different varieties of teas whilst a tea sommelier encapsulates on a tea education angle. Special tea and coffee induced drink and food items will be included in the hotel’s al a carte menu and wedding menus for a further emphasis on the values of these two commodities, specifically in the line of promoting tea as a prominent essence of Sri Lanka. 

The F&B team at Amagi Aria will be taken through an extensive training programme for both tea and coffee, which will include a hands on approach to the process of tea and coffee preparation from its root stages. 

P.M. David Silva & Sons will involve the hotel’s F&B team in a separate programme which will enhance the knowledge of the history and making of tea at a 10-day retreat in various estates, in order to further enhance the knowledge of the team so that they can be direct educators when serving guests – a symbolic approach to empower Sri Lanka as a tea tourism destination.

“Both tea and coffee complement each other in a very unique way,” said Amagi Hotels General Manager Marketing and Operations Renuke Coswatte. 

“Being a destination that enjoys both these products, our aim is to bring to the table a direct and diversified way for our foreign as well as local guests to savour and enjoy both tea and coffee here in Negombo. We are very pleased to be partnering with both Cecatto and P.M. David Silva & Sons for their quality products and dedication in taking these products to the furthest level in the tourism segment, especially here in Negombo, where as a destination itself, we have so much to offer all our visitors. We invite everyone to come and enjoy a great cup of tea or coffee made to perfection, here at Amagi Aria”.

The afternoon continued with a six-course tea and coffee induced lunch at the Moya fine dining seafood restaurant, prepared by the hotel’s new Executive Chef Brandi Kumara which included unique dishes such as lobster cappuccino soup, Ceylonese Tea smoked scallops, king prawns served with shallot and coffee pomelo comfit and cold coffee soufflé.