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The man behind Dilmah is truly inspirational, driven by his deep faith to do good for the community through his life’s work.

Dilmah has come to be a ubiquitous brand name in Australian households, reminiscent of languid afternoons savouring an aromatic brew, or fellowship in church halls with a cup of tea in one hand and biscuit in another. This familiar Ceylon tea was introduced to supermarket shelves by a devout Christian father with a bold vision for an ethical company producing quality beverages.

Merrill J. Fernando was born in 1930 in the fishing village of Pallansena, in British Ceylon (modern-day Sri Lanka). He was one of six children, and his parents were steadfast Christians. Fernando studied at Maris Stella College in Negombo and Saint Joseph’s College in Colombo. He grew up to be one of the first five Ceylonese tea tasters under the British Empire, training at Mincing Lane, London, then the world’s leading centre for the tea and spice trade.

Dreaming Big

Fernando was taken aback by how tea companies exploited farmers, paying less than a living wage, while providing inferior products to customers. He averred, “I wanted to bring my country’s tea — the finest in the world — garden fresh and ethically produced, direct to tea lovers around the world.” In 1974 Fernando purchased his first tea estates to cultivate Ceylon tea, and in 1981 he founded Ceylon Tea Services Limited.

In 1985, Fernando convinced the supermarket retailer Coles to stock his brand of tea, Dilmah. It was a combination of the names of his sons, Dilhan and Malik.

Wikipedia relates how single-origin tea first came to Australian stores:

In 1988 a Melbourne Coles store started stocking Dilmah on its shelves. It eventually spread to 35 other Coles stores in Victoria and then Woolworths started selling the product as well.

Dilmah went on to export the tea to New Zealand — where it became the top-selling brand — as well as Europe and North America. Today, Dilmah is enjoyed in over 100 countries throughout the world.

Fernando says that he owes “everything to Australian consumers” for Dilmah’s resounding success.

Giving Back

The NZ Herald reports:

Merrill J. Fernando, the founder of Dilmah Tea, has an impressive record of philanthropic activities. The Merrill J. Fernando Charitable Foundation is an organisation that reflects Fernando’s belief in his mother’s teaching that one must care and share. He is quoted as saying of Dilmah, now one of the world’s top 10 international tea brands, “If the community in which we exist doesn’t develop with us, then we become a parasite. And we never want to be in that position.”

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Dilmah has a long tradition of looking after the medical, educational and social welfare of the workers on their plantations. As well as this, through their charitable foundation, the company works with the wider Sri Lankan community. They set up a small entrepreneur programme after the 2004 tsunami and this remains the core of Dilmah’s charitable work. They believe in second chances, so this programme targets people in prison and the many war widows — a result of the 25 years of war in Sri Lanka. The programme also focuses on youth and first-time entrepreneurs and community organisations.

Dilmah has a strong belief in empowering the underprivileged so they can gain sustainable and fulfilling employment to secure dignified lives and avoid the spiral of poverty. The creation of the MJF Centre’s Empower Culinary and Hospitality School is one way they are doing this.

The Daily FT adds:

Then there are the multitude of biodiversity conservation, restoration, environmental education and research initiatives of Dilmah Conservation, again endowed by the profits from tea. As the passionate tea man celebrates his 91st birthday, his commitment is undimmed.

In a corruptible and acquisitive society, it is rarely that a successful businessman also becomes a force for the common good. Merrill J. Fernando is clearly one of the very few exceptions.

Guidance from Above

What underpins Dilmah’s ethos? It is Fernando’s strong faith and complete reliance on God. He told the complete reliance on God. He told the Sydney Morning Herald:

“When I wake in the morning and I’m seated in bed, I thank Jesus for all the blessings I receive daily. The last thing at night, I thank Him the same. I am very conscious that God is guiding me. It is the good Lord who led me all the way from the time I was in the little village. He taught me to praise and worship Him, and in return, He gives me everything I need and deserve.”

He reflected:

“There’s one thing I believe: do not envy. It’s a small society when that happens. But I find that if you wish everybody well, all the blessings will come from God. Even enemies trying to destroy you can’t touch you. Wish everybody well.”

The next time you sip a cup of Dilmah, say a little prayer in thanksgiving for the fruitful work and humble witness of its faith-filled founder!

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Photo: Dilmah