The Earliest Form of Tea Auctioning
The Auction Candle
A large candle was lit at the beginning of an auction and bidding for each lot went on for as long as it took for an inch of wax to burn away.
Ruth Momanyi is a tea industry professional with a Bachelor of Science in Food Science and Technology. She has extensive experience spanning tea manufacturing, quality assurance, operations management, and business development. Her career has been built on delivering operational excellence, driving continuous improvement, and creating value across the tea supply chain.
She has extensive expertise in CTC, Orthodox and Specialty teas production, with a deep understanding of tea processing, quality management, factory operations, and market requirements. Throughout her career, she has successfully led tea factory teams, improved product quality, and ensured compliance with international food safety and quality standards.
In her current role as Manager Sales and Business Development, Ruth combines her strong technical background with commercial expertise to drive market growth, strengthen customer relationships, build strategic partnerships, identify new business opportunities, and expand the company’s presence in both local and international markets. Her unique ability to bridge tea production knowledge with market intelligence enables her to deliver solutions that benefit producers, buyers, and the business alike while driving sustainable business growth.
Caroline is a graduate of Bachelor of Business Administration –Sales and Marketing option (Kenyatta University, Msa Campus) and Diploma in Public Relations Management (PRM) from Kenya Methodist University.
Caroline has 8 years experience in tea quality evaluation operations having been a junior tea executive in charge of Tea tasting and reporting of all teas handled by ATB.
Currently part of the sales team.
He brings over 38 years of senior leadership experience in East Africa, primarily in Kenya, with regional exposure in Tanzania and Zimbabwe. His career spans executive and general management roles within large-scale agricultural and agribusiness organizations, with a strong focus on operational excellence, governance, and commercial performance.
He has held senior management positions with leading regional and international firms, including Socfinaf, C. Dorman, ECOM, Finlays, and Segera, developing deep expertise in managing complex business units and high-performing teams. This extensive background underpins his strategic oversight and leadership philosophy.
He currently serves as Chairman of the ATB Group of Companies, providing governance, strategic direction, and stewardship of the Group’s tea brokerage operations.
Mr. Yogesh Shanghvi is the Group Managing Director of Africa Tea Brokers Limited, with over 40 years’ experience in tea broking and corporate leadership.
Having progressed from Finance Director to Group Managing Director, he provides strategic oversight across governance, finance, risk, and market development, making Africa Tea brokers Ltd a leading, independent, transparent and professional tea broker in the market.
He role encompasses strategic direction, financial oversight, risk management, market development and stakeholder stewardship, with strong focus on strengthening financial resilience and expanding the global reach of east African teas.
Mr. Shanghvi holds a Doctorate in Business Administration, is a Member of The Chartered Institute of Marketing, and has a strong academic and professional background in Finance. He is widely respected for his independent leadership, sound governance and long-term strategic vision.