Do we like them?

Do we like Dilmah?

Ceylon tea brand (teas, tea bags, cafés) founded in Sri Lanka in the 1980s; based in Colombo, sold worldwide.

Our score: 7 out of 10. We'd lean towards backing them. They are family-owned and give a fixed share of profit to charity. The main worry is the labour conditions on Sri Lankan tea estates in their supply chain.

Dilmah was started by Merrill J. Fernando, who put his own family name on the tea instead of selling it in bulk to big blenders. He stepped down as CEO in 2019 and his son Dilhan took over. Merrill died in July 2023, aged 93.

It's still a family business. A 2016 Daily FT piece said the Fernando family controlled the listed company through MJF Teas and MJF Exports. It was renamed Dilmah Ceylon Tea Company that year. Those figures are old, so treat them with care.

The good bit is the MJF Charitable Foundation. A minimum of 15% of Dilmah's pretax profits goes to it. It covers scholarships, nutrition, vocational training, disability care and mental health work.

The less comfy bit: in March 2025 ABC's Foreign Correspondent visited eight Sri Lankan estates on the supplier lists of Lipton, Tetley, Twinings, Yorkshire Tea and Dilmah. Workers described poor conditions. Dilmah said it runs its own checks and random audits. A Sri Lankan column called the report one-sided.