Welcome to the Dilmah family!

Dilmah is the product of a lifetime devoted to tea. Founder of Dilmah, Merrill J. Fernando embarked on a quest to bring quality back to tea when in the 1950s, he witnessed the concentration of ownership in the tea industry into the hands of a few large corporations and as a result, the 'commoditisation' of tea. As one of the first Ceylonese to have the opportunity to be trained in tea, Merrill harboured a dream since his initiation in the world of tea, to launch his own brand of tea, and to offer consumers the choice of something truly different. His dream took over three decades to come true, and in 1988 he launched his own brand - Dilmah, coined from the names of his two sons Dilhan and Malik. Dilmah introduced lovers of fine tea to the concept of tea 'picked, perfected and packed' at origin. Being owned and managed by a tea producer, Dilmah is also a role model for producing countries. Merrill pioneered the concept of 'Single Origin Tea,' choosing to remain faithful to Ceylon Tea, acknowledged the finest tea on earth.

In 2005 Merrill celebrates 55 years in tea. His Dilmah brand has now become a family passion, with the small upstart from Ceylon (now called Sri Lanka) becoming the favourite of discerning tea drinkers around the world. Merrill's fledgling tea company has now grown into a business that is fully integrated, caring for your tea 'from the plant to the pot'. In tea there is nothing more important, for second to quality, which comes from the expertise of our tasters, there is freshness which guarantees a satisfying cup, rich in healthful antioxidants. Dilmah Tea is packed in Sri Lanka, in a facility that is recognised as one of the best in the world for manufacturing excellence, having ISO 9002:2000 and HACCP certification. The Dilmah Tea Gardens, Printing and Packaging and Packing facilities are joined by one very important member - the Merrill J. Fernando Charitable Foundation. Founded on the principle that the success of Dilmah is the result of co-operation amongst Dilmah workers, staff and the community, the Foundation is a charity that channels a part of the profits of Dilmah back to the community. To learn more about the Foundation, please visit www.mjffoundation.org.

Merrill J. Fernando, his sons and the Dilmah Team today focus on offering tea aficionados around the world a truly different experience in tea. Dilmah presents an unmatched collection of teas, each tasted and selected with the benefit of decades of experience in tea, and most importantly with a passion for quality. Dilmah's success is a tribute to the tastes of tea drinkers around the world who, have made Dilmah, and the MJF Charitable Foundation a reality.