“Our father’s life story is a classic tale of a young man with ambition beyond what convention dictated, and offers an inspirational guide to ordinary women and men who have big dreams…”

These introductory words to the book by his two sons Dilhan and Malik set the pace for what was to follow. They are an integral part of the legendary tea tycoon’s story as the brand Dilmah is derived from their first names.

So what’s the secret to Merrill J. Fernando’s success?

He reveals: “I was deeply disturbed by the colonial British domination of an industry built on the sweat and toil of our people. The tea produced by our workers was fed into a value chain, which has no link with this country.”

What irked him most was that the fruits of all the unique characteristics of Ceylon Tea were enriching groups of already affluent people who lived outside the country. So he promised himself that he’d develop his own brand from produce grown only in this country and produce pure quality Ceylon Tea someday.

It took him four decades to deliver on that promise – and today, Dilmah Ceylon Tea is sold in over 100 countries.

He is an outstanding spokesman for his cause; and where necessary, Fernando has been critical of both state and private enterprises. His story is dedicated to young entrepre­neurs around the world in the hope it would encourage them to pursue their passion, and frame it with integrity and quality.

Dilmah’s strength is that it’s the achievement of one man against seemingly impossible odds. It was like David taking on Goliath, which comprised the corporate giants of the tea world. They tried hard to sabotage his efforts especially in overseas supermarkets.

But while they promoted ‘Ceylon tea,’ which contained many blends from different countries, Dilmah promoted the island’s finest from local estates.

Fernando designed a marketing strategy that established a niche in supermarkets despite negative responses from them initially. But perseverance paid dividends; his advertising campaigns had his face on the packaging with the words: ‘Do try it.’

The impact of this personal touch was amazing.

“I think what captured the attention of the general public was the story of a small man from a small Asian country taking on the corporate giants in the West in their own stronghold,” he explains.

When reading autobiographies, I always look for details of the person’s early life as they provide context to what he or she has achieved. Fernando acknowledges that from an early age, his mother taught him that moral values can’t be compromised under any circumstances.

When he was quite young, his father wanted him to become a priest. The experiment was unsuccessful; and after a four year stint, Fernando was released since he did not possess the qualities needed to be a man of the cloth.

He spent some time on tea estates of affluent friends during his school holidays, and this gave him exposure to the tea industry and lives of plantation workers. Early in life, Fernando decided to apply for training in tea tasting.

The British, who dominated the tea industry, felt that locals did not have the palate to make good tea tasters as they ate too much spicy food! But the onset of World War II meant that some British planters had to leave to join their army. This opened the door to locals to enter the exclusive field of tea tasting.

Meanwhile, the holidays Fernando spent with a Sri Lankan family that owned tea plantations helped him start a small tea business. The supply of bulk tea to retail shops in Negombo and the fact that he selected his tea carefully guaranteed he was delivering quality tea.

This modest beginning and some months spent in London helped him realise that while the then Ceylon exported millions of pounds of tea, what was eventually marketed as ‘Ceylon tea’ was mixed and blended with cheaper teas.

This was when his dream began to manifest itself.

He witnessed the devastation of the country’s plantations under hastily created takeovers by politicians. “The damage to the well regulated plantations industry, caused by the deeply flawed implementation of a broad initiative configured ostensibly for national benefit, was irreparable,” he laments.

Though Fernando received generous support from the heads of banks, there were uncooperative executives who remained critical and obstreperous. This made him realise he needed to build a strong cash base to minimise his dependence on loans and overdrafts, which he describes as being ‘exploitative’ even at their most beneficial.

This is a book worth reading as it tells the story of one man’s successful battle against multinationals.

The British, who dominated the tea industry, felt that locals did not have the palate to make good tea tasters as they ate too much spicy food