TV legend and musician Kamahl has opened up about his stormy relationship with Dilmah tea founder Merrill J Fernando.
Kamahl, 88, expressed his sympathies when Daily Mail Australia broke the news to him 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 ad for Dilmah which featured the singer travelling to Sri Lanka and drinking the now-iconic brand of tea.
Kamahl said: ‘How can I put it without putting my foot in it … I’m really very 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 televised ad for Dilmah which featured the singer travelling Sri Lanka and drinking the iconic tea
‘The story goes that way back in 1988 – and I don’t know whether this is hearsay – but I heard that Merrill wanted to do the commercial with John Farnham.
‘I don’t know who, but somebody said “I don’t like Kamahl and I don’t like tea, but Kamahl and tea go together like horse and carriage”.
‘That’s how I was designated to do the commercial.’
After a dispute over the ad between Kamahl and Mr Fernando over usage of the ad, the TV legend cut ties with the tea brand before reuniting 25 years later.
‘It got a bit ugly and things were never the same after that.’ Kamahl said. ‘Our relationship waxed and waned.
‘We discontinued the relationship, although for the 25th anniversary I did go out of my way to help them.
‘I would have liked to have worked with him closer, put it this way.
‘Given that he is passed away, I want to express my condolences. Maybe it’s not the time to talk about what might have been.
‘I think it’s best to simply say that I’m very sorry to hear that. And I was grateful for the opportunity to work with him and his family.’
After some misunderstandings Kamahl ‘discontinued’ their relationship before returning to help the tea brand with their 25th anniversary celebrations
Merrill J Fernando was surrounded by his sons and grandchildren when he died 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 was in his invincible faith, his integrity and love for tea & family’.
‘With devotion 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 on Thursday. Above, in one of the company’s famous promotional stills
The founder had helped create the brand’s first Single Origin Tea in 1988, and worked up until he was 91.
Mr Fernando also founded the Merrill J. Fernando Charitable Foundation, which supports youth, entrepreneurs, community organisations, incarcerated people 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 surely 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 up 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 the Sri Lankan brand expanded to with its packaged tea – rather than bulk sales – which is now sold in 104 countries across the globe.
While Dilmah remains the 10th biggest tea brand in the world, it hasn’t made a cent in Australia since 2009.
Chief executive Dilhan Fernando earlier told Daily Mail Australia Dilmah continues to operate in Australia because of the ‘debt of gratitude’ the company owes to the country.
The tea became a staple in Australia in 1985 when Dilmah made its first deal with Coles
‘We have a very sentimental link with Australia because it’s where my father (Merrill) launched Dilmah,’ he said.
‘We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the Australian consumer, which is why we’ve been following… what would seem on the outside to be a foolish decision to stay on.’
Dilhan said Dilmah has been operating at a loss in Australia for so long because they refuse to cut quality in order to give the big discounts retailers expect.
‘You can go into any store and you can find you will be lured by 50 per cent off, 40 per cent off. But when you focus on quality, that’s really not a possibility,’ he said.
‘It’s not possible because ultimately, every discount comes off the back of either workers or comes off the back of the environment.
‘And when you refuse to compromise, as my father insists that we maintain our principles, it’s very hard in this current environment.’
Dilmah tea also holds a special place in the hearts of Kiwis.
In 2019 Mr Fernando was awarded an honorary doctor of science degree by New Zealand’s Massey University.
‘When I brought Dilmah to New Zealand, Kiwis made my tea a cup of kindness,’ he said at the time.
‘The cup of kindness grew the philosophy which I extended to my business, making my business a human service.’
Dilmah tea’s history in Australia
Dilmah has been a staple in Australian kitchens since it was first sold here in Coles in 1985.
Company founder Merrill Fernando had been supplying bulk tea to many Australian importers and said it was a logical extension to package it himself.
Dilmah tea (pictured) has been a staple in Australian kitchens since 1985
Initially, the company did so for private label teas, such as supermarkets’ own lines.
But then he had the idea of offering his own brand, which he called Dilmah after his sons Dilhan – who is now the chief executive – and Malik.
‘It wasn’t easy because it was not an accepted thing at the time for a grower to be offering their produce direct to market, so he had a very challenging time,’ Dilhan said.
‘But in September 1985, by the grace of God and by the Australian consumers’ reception for tea picked and packed at source that is not blended, Dilmah was born in Australia and went on from there to nearly 100 countries since then.
‘Of course, we are not big, we are niche and people say we are amongst the top 10 in the world, but we maintain our quality and we are still very much a speciality tea in most markets.’
Dilmah’s success has allowed it to build many schools and two hospitals in Sri Lanka.
