Our expert tea buyers are used to discovering talented people with quality products when they’re travelling the world. Usually it’s tea they’re after - but in the case of the Bodo Handloom Scheme in Assam, we simply had to make an exception!

From left to right: Homeshwari, Mina, Rita (wearing the Yorkshire Gold Apron!) and Tulu of the Bodo Handloom Scheme

The Bodo (pronounced Bo-ro) people are an indigenous ethnic group from the north bank of Assam’s Brahmaputra river. The ladies of the Bodo people are incredible weavers and make the most intricate, colourful designs with a handmade bamboo handloom. The amazing thing is that none of their many designs are written down or recorded anywhere. Instead they’re passed from generation to generation through the female members of the household.

The Bodo Handloom Scheme was established in 1995 at the Borengajuli Tea Estate to promote the ladies’ traditional weaving skills and provide access to market for generating extra income. It’s a not-for-profit scheme funded by estate owners McLeod Russel India Ltd, with the ladies earning over 40% of the total cost of the finished product.

We started working with the scheme a year ago, when we asked them to use traditional Bodo designs to produce beautiful aprons with colour schemes that match Yorkshire Tea and Yorkshire Gold. Tea buyer Suzy took time out from her recent training in Assam to visit the villages of Borengabari, Nisputla and Tutlapara so she could meet the ladies in person, see them at work, and have a look at the finished results.

Suzy with Rehama Dwiamary, one of the talented ladies who made the fabric for the Yorkshire Gold Aprons

“I’m not sure I have the right words to do the enormous skill of the Bodo weavers’ justice,” says Suzy. “The aprons are 100% natural cotton and made from 100% sheer skill! To achieve a golden colour that matches our Yorkshire Gold, the ladies blend yarn together. The weave starts out as a red, light weave and when yellow is woven over the top diagonally you get a gold effect. ”

From what started as a cottage industry supplying the local tea fraternity of Assam, we’re proud to bring the work of the Bodo Handloom Scheme to the UK for their international commercial debut. We’re covering the cost of production of the aprons and all profit made through the sale of these traditionally woven items will go directly back to the scheme to help secure sustainable long term production, assisting the livelihoods of these incredibly talented women.

Meet Annie and Horen. Annie co-ordinates the scheme: arranging orders, sourcing the yarn and putting together the colour combinations and styles for market. Horen makes sure the finished products are perfectly packaged and ready to go.

We’re hoping that the first batch will arrive in Harrogate soon, and they’ll be available to buy on our website shortly, priced at £12. Or come along and find our Yorkshire Tea trailer at any of the events we’re attending and you can pick them up for a bargain £10 each!

Huge thanks go to all the people at the Bodo Handloom Scheme and McLeod Russel India Ltd for helping to turn this lovely idea into a reality.