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Brand · Dilmah
Dilmah
Single-origin Pure Ceylon, Sri Lankan family-owned and ethically sourced.
Dilmah is the family-owned Sri Lankan tea brand founded by Merrill J Fernando to bring single-origin Pure Ceylon tea direct from Sri Lankan estates to international markets, cutting out the middlemen. Known for ethical sourcing, single-origin integrity, and a strong export presence.
Asia
Family-owned
Single-origin
Fair Trade
In stock at teas.co.uk · 5 products
Founded1988
OriginSri Lanka
SpecialitySingle-origin Pure Ceylon tea
In stock at teas.co.uk
5 products
Chosen before it earns its place
Curator says · Lee on Dilmah
4.5
Curator rating
Dilmah is the Sri Lankan family-owned brand that built a global business by keeping the tea single-origin and the supply chain short. The Premium Ceylon is a clean, bright Ceylon black tea; the t-Series varietals (Brilliant Breakfast, Italian Almond) are properly considered blends. Ethical sourcing baked in, not a marketing afterthought.
Lee Samuel Tucker · Curator, teas.co.uk
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Dilmah Premium Ceylon Black, 25 Tea Bags 50g
£7.00
£5.60
Add +
Founded 1988 · Sri Lanka
About Dilmah
Dilmah set out to put the grower's name back on the box. Merrill J. Fernando, a Sri Lankan tea taster, had spent decades watching the value of Ceylon tea flow to multinational packers rather than the country that grew it. In 1988 he launched Dilmah, named after his sons Dilhan and Malik, on a then-radical promise: single-origin tea grown, picked and packed at source in Sri Lanka, sold under the producer's own brand. It was one of the first producer-owned tea brands to reach global retail, and it is still run by his sons.
The range is rooted in pure Ceylon black tea, brisk, bright and golden, alongside Earl Grey, green and a flavoured line that stays closer to real ingredients than most. Because the tea is single-origin and packed at source it avoids the long blend-and-rebag chain that flattens mainstream tea, and the freshness shows in the cup. The MJF Foundation and Dilmah Conservation are funded directly from the business, supporting schooling, disability care and environmental work across Sri Lanka. For our shelf Dilmah is the textbook Ceylon cup with a genuine conscience attached: the Pure Ceylon Black is the reference for what Ceylon tea should taste like, clean and brisk with no off notes, and the flavoured range is more honest than its price suggests. Few global brands can say the grower, the packer and the name on the box are the same hand. Dilmah genuinely can.
Key facts
Innovation Pioneers Known for bringing single-origin Ceylon tea to the world market, Dilmah pioneered the garden-fresh philosophy that all leaves are packed at source within weeks of plucking.
Family Owned Three generations of the Fernando family steward the company, with Dilhan and Malik Fernando continuing the founder's commitment to ethical tea.
Master Blenders Decades of expertise sit behind every batch; the master blenders quality-check each lot to ensure consistent strength, character and garden-fresh taste.
Garden-Fresh Single Origin Every leaf is sourced from selected Sri Lankan estates and packed at origin, never blended with cheaper teas from elsewhere or sent to overseas re-packing plants.
1988 → 2026
Brand timeline
1988
01
Merrill J. Fernando founds Dilmah
Merrill J. Fernando launches Dilmah to pack Sri Lankan tea at origin; the name joins those of his sons, Dilhan and Malik.
2026
02
Stocked at teas.co.uk
Single origin Ceylon from a family firm, added for its bright, clean everyday cup.
Certified, not implied
Sustainability
Dilmah is a pioneer in sustainable Sri Lankan tea production, with ethical sourcing built into the business model rather than bolted on as a marketing afterthought. A meaningful share of every pack funds the Merrill J Fernando Charitable Foundation, which channels brand profits into plantation-worker welfare, schools, hospitals and conservation projects across the tea-growing regions. The brand is a long-standing member of the Ethical Tea Partnership and is independently audited for wages, working conditions and environmental management on the estates that supply its leaf, and every component of the finished product, from the leaf itself to the bag, the carton and the inks, is chosen with that same standard in mind.
Single-Origin Sri Lankan
100% Pure Ceylon tea grown in Sri Lanka's highland and lowland estates, with full traceability back to the growing region.
MJF Foundation Welfare
A portion of every pack funds the Merrill J Fernando Charitable Foundation, which supports plantation workers, their families and rural communities.
Packed at Source
Blended, flavoured and packed within Sri Lanka by Dilmah's own team, retaining freshness and keeping value in the country that grows the tea.
Ethical Tea Partnership
Dilmah is a long-standing member of the Ethical Tea Partnership, audited for wages, working conditions and environmental management on the estates.
Curator picks
Top picks
The four Dilmah products we recommend most often.
Dilmah Premium Ceylon Black, 25 Tea Bags 50g
£7.00
£5.60
Add +
Dilmah Premium Ceylon Black is single origin Sri Lankan black tea, picked, withered, rolled, oxidised, dried and packed at the source by the family owned Dilmah operation. No port blending, no commodity…
Dilmah Ginger and Honey, 20 Tea Bags 30g
£6.75
£5.40
Add +
Caffeine: the Ceylon leaf brings caffeine, though we give no milligram count. The brew is two layered: bright lifted ginger on top, soft honey underneath. Aroma fills the cup immediately as the…
Dilmah Earl Grey, 20 Tea Bags 30g
£6.75
£5.40
Add +
Dilmah Earl Grey takes the Dilmah single origin Ceylon black tea base and adds bergamot oil for the classic Earl Grey character. Single origin Sri Lankan leaf gives the cup a cleaner…
Dilmah Ceylon Pure Green Loose Leaf Tea, 100g
£8.00
£6.40
Add +
Dilmah Ceylon Pure Green Loose Leaf is single origin Sri Lankan green tea, sold as 100g of unpacked loose leaf rather than bagged. This is the cleanest cup expression from the Dilmah…
5 products · in stock
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Before you buy
Dilmah: Frequently Asked Questions
teas.co.uk stocks 5 Dilmah products, with live prices and stock shown on this page. UK delivery is free over £35.
Dilmah set out to put the grower's name back on the box. Merrill J. Fernando, a Sri Lankan tea taster, had spent decades watching the value of Ceylon tea flow to multinational packers rather than the country that grew it. In 1988 he launched Dilmah, named after his sons Dilhan and Malik, on a then-radical promise: single-origin tea grown, picked and packed at source in Sri Lanka, sold under the producer's own brand. It was one of the first producer-owned tea brands to reach global retail, and it is still run by his sons.
Dilmah was founded in 1988 in Sri Lanka. Merrill J. Fernando launches Dilmah to pack Sri Lankan tea at origin; the name joins those of his sons, Dilhan and Malik.
Dilmah is a pioneer in sustainable Sri Lankan tea production, with ethical sourcing built into the business model rather than bolted on as a marketing afterthought. A meaningful share of every pack funds the Merrill J Fernando Charitable Foundation, which channels brand profits into plantation-worker welfare, schools, hospitals and conservation projects across the tea-growing regions. The brand is a long-standing member of the Ethical Tea Partnership and is independently audited for wages, working conditions and environmental management on the estates that supply its leaf, and every component of the finished product, from the leaf itself to the bag, the carton and the inks, is chosen with that same standard in mind.
Use fresh, just-boiled water for black teas (around 100°C) and slightly cooler water (75 to 85°C) for green and white teas, steeping 2 to 4 minutes to taste. See the teas.co.uk brewing calculator for the ideal temperature and time for each tea.
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