Kamahl opens up about his stormy relationship with Dilmah tea founder Merrill J Fernando after he featured in the first ever Australian ad for the brand – as tea king dies aged 93
TV legend and musician Kamahl has opened up about his tempestuous relationship with Dilmah tea founder Merrill J Fernando.
Kamahl, 88, offered his condolences when Daily Mail Australia broke the news that Mr Fernando, 93, had passed away on Thursday surrounded by family in Sri Lanka.
Kamahl first met Mr. Fernando in 1988 when the pair shot the first TV advert for Dilmah, which featured the singer traveling to Sri Lanka and drinking the now-iconic brand of tea.
Kamahl said, “How can I say it without putting my foot in it… I’m really, really sorry to hear that.”
“We had a business relationship and it could have been so much better.”
Kamahl first met Merrill Fernando in 1988 when the pair shot the first television commercial for Dilmah which featured the singer traveling around Sri Lanka drinking the iconic tea.
“The story goes way back to 1988 – and I don’t know if this is hearsay – but I heard Merrill wanted to do the commercial with John Farnham.
“I don’t know who, but someone said, ‘I don’t like Kamahl and I don’t like tea, but Kamahl and tea go together like a horse and carriage.’
‘That’s how I was assigned to do the commercial.’
After a dispute over the ad between Kamahl and Mr. Fernando over the use of the ad, the TV legend cut ties with the tea brand before reuniting 25 years later.
“It got a little ugly and then it was never the same again.” Kamahl said. Our relationship grew and declined.
“We broke off the relationship, although I did my very best to help them for the 25th anniversary.
“I would have liked to have worked more closely with him, so to speak.
“Since he has passed away, I would like to express my condolences. Maybe it’s not the time to talk about what could have been.
“I think it’s best just to say I’m really sorry to hear that. And I was grateful for the opportunity to work with him and his family.”
After some misunderstandings, Kamahl “broken off” their relationship before returning to help the tea brand celebrate their 25th anniversary.
Merrill J Fernando was surrounded by his sons and grandchildren as he passed away on Thursday in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
He is known throughout Australia and New Zealand for his iconic ‘do try it’ slogan.
The tea company announced Mr Fernando’s death, saying his “greatness lay in his unconquerable faith, his integrity and love of tea and family.”
“With dedication and urgency, he pursued his desire for integrity and quality with humility and kindness,” the company said.
Merrill J Fernando was surrounded by his family when he passed away on Thursday. Above, in one of the company’s famous advertising photos
The founder had helped create the brand’s first Single Origin Tea in 1988 and worked until he was 91.
Mr. Fernando also founded the Merrill J. Fernando Charitable Foundation, which supports youth, entrepreneurs, civil society organizations, detainees and war widows in Sri Lanka.
His son, Malik J Fernando, shared a heartfelt tribute to his father on LinkedIn.
“He was such a towering figure in our lives; we never thought he would leave us,” he wrote.
“He is certainly in the arms of the Lord today. My brother and I, and our children, pledge to strengthen his legacy and further his mission. RIP darling Thathie (father).’
The founder had helped create the brand’s first Single Origin Tea in 1988 and worked until he was 91 (pictured is Dilhan Fernando and his father Merrill Fernando)
Dilmah’s dominance of Australian supermarkets
The tea became a staple in Australia in 1985 when Dilmah made its first deal with Coles.
Australia was the first country to which the Sri Lankan brand expanded with its packaged tea – rather than bulk – which is now sold in 104 countries around the world.
While Dilmah remains the 10th largest tea brand in the world, it hasn’t made a penny in Australia since 2009.
Chief executive Dilhan Fernando previously told Daily Mail Australia that Dilmah will continue to operate in Australia because of the “gratitude” the company owes the country.
The tea became a staple in Australia in 1985 when Dilmah made its first deal with Coles
“We have a very sentimental relationship with Australia because my dad (Merrill) launched Dilmah there,” he said.
“We owe the Australian consumer a huge debt of gratitude, that’s why we’re following… what on the outside seems like a foolish decision to stay on.’
Dilhan said Dilmah has been loss-making in Australia for so long because they refuse to cut quality to provide the big discounts retailers expect.
“You can go into any store and you’ll find yourself lured in with 50 percent off, 40 percent off.” But if you focus on quality, that’s really not possible,” he said.
‘It’s not possible, because in the end any reduction comes at the back of the employees or at the back of the environment.
“And if you refuse to compromise, as my father insists that we uphold our principles, it’s very difficult in this current environment.”
Dilmah tea also holds a special place in kiwi hearts.
In 2019, Mr. Fernando was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Science from Massey University in New Zealand.
“When I brought Dilmah to New Zealand, Kiwis turned my tea into a cup of kindness,” he said at the time.
“The cup of kindness grew the philosophy that I extended to my business, making my business a human service.”
The History of Dilmah Tea in Australia
Dilmah has been a staple in Australian kitchens since it was first sold here in Coles in 1985.
Company founder, Merrill Fernando supplied tea in bulk to many Australian importers and said packing it in-house was a logical extension.
Dilmah tea (pictured) has been a staple of Australian cuisine since 1985
Initially, the company did this for private label teas, such as supermarkets’ own lines.
But then he got the idea to offer his own brand, which he named Dilmah after his sons Dilhan – who is now the CEO – and Malik.
“It wasn’t easy because at that time it wasn’t common practice for a grower to offer his produce directly to the market, so he had a very challenging time,” said Dilhan.
‘But in September 1985, by the grace of God and the Australian consumer’s reception for tea picked and packaged at source and not blended, Dilmah was born in Australia and has since gone to nearly 100 countries.
“Of course we’re not big, we’re a niche and people say we’re in the top 10 in the world, but we keep our quality and we’re still a specialty tea in most markets.”
The success of Dilmah has made it possible to build many schools and two hospitals in Sri Lanka.