Tea in the First Sense

Bree Hutchins
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Bree Hutchins

Bree Hutchins is an Australian-based travel and food photographer, who has eaten her way across six continents, invited herself into countless kitchens and gathered recipes from across the globe.

A qualified lawyer, who ditched the legal profession for the uncertain path of freelance travel and food photography; Bree’s bold leap of faith has been rewarded at every turn. In 2013 she wrote and photographed her first book, Hidden Kitchens of Sri Lanka – sponsored by Dilmah and published by Murdoch Books. Combining photography with writing has given Bree the freedom to do projects that really interest her and pursue her life long passion for travelling and cooking.

Her vivid photographs are recognisable for their honest, human element and depth of emotion. Drawn strongly to the people behind the food, Bree has a unique ability to connect with her subjects and capture their character. For Bree food is a universal language that has connected her with people from diverse backgrounds, carved lifelong friendships and opened doors around the world.

When she is not traversing the globe, Bree can be found in her kitchen, creating fresh and healthy recipes inspired from her travels.

Tea in the First Sense

Dilmah tea, the symbol of Pure Ceylon Tea in over 100 countries around the world, unveils Tea in the First Sense, an innovative endeavour by the family tea company Dilmah, in their mission to bring the beauty of tea, nature’s finest beverage, to the world.

Tea in the First Sense is an art and photography exhibition featuring tea plantations in Sri Lanka. The exhibition, commissioned by Dilmah, will tour the world as part of a Dilmah mission to share with a global audience the aesthetic beauty of tea.

This project has a deeper significance for it is part of a Dilmah effort to highlight the inequity in the tea category. A brand known for its integrity, Dilmah sought to overturn a system in which the producer became an exploited raw material supplier. In 1988 Founder of Dilmah Merrill J Fernando launched his Dilmah brand, in Australia, subsequently reaching over 100 countries in the world. Dilmah is today recognised as a role model in ethical trade.

The Company strives to bring quality back to tea and in so doing to improve the fortunes of Ceylon’s historic tea industry and its workers. Engaged in extensive social welfare via the MJF Charitable Foundation (www.mjffoundation.org). Dilmah is convinced that by making consumers appreciate Ceylon and her teas, demand for quality Ceylon Tea can be increased, helping tea producers get a better price for their crop. Ultimately that is fairer than any notion of fair-trade and is the most tangible way of bringing a smile to the faces of workers in the industry and their families. Dilmah is also working towards a more sustainable use of the environment through Dilmah Conservation which is promoting biodiversity, species/habitat protection & awareness of sustainability by encouraging a harmonious co-existence of man and nature (www.dilmahconservation.org).

Tea in the First Sense is part of a project to highlight the heritage of Ceylon Tea and educate consumers on the health and other benefits in quality Ceylon Tea. The first stage of this project was the History of Ceylon Tea website which preserves in one of the world’s largest internet tea websites, a century of literature on Ceylon Tea. Tea in the First Sense captures through both brush and lens, the endearing character and charm of the Sri Lankan Tea plantations.