Discover a refreshing new world of tea

Dilmah elevates Iced Tea with its Single Origin Ceylon ready to drink Iced Teas

32 years since Merrill J. Fernando launched Dilmah in New Zealand, the family company is offering Kiwis an innovative selection of natural Iced Teas, Low Sugar Tea Sodas & Premium Tea Mixers, extending the promise of taste, goodness and purpose to Ready to Drink teas. The teas are bottled in New Zealand using tea extracted on the Dilmah Family’s Rilhena Tea Garden, honouring the vision of authenticity, quality and integrity of the passionate Ceylon Teamaker who is affectionately known to Kiwis as ‘Mr. Dilmah’.

After nearly a decade spent refining an authentic and unique iced tea that expresses the family’s love for fine tea, the Dilmah team is excited to present the results of their dedicated effort in New Zealand. Merrill’s son and grandson, Dilhan C Fernando and Amrit M. J. Fernando are in New Zealand for the launch.

The Dilmah Family’s passion for tea is aligned with their founding pledge of kindness to people and nature. Merrill J. Fernando’s emphasis on building a business around the family values he cherished means that every sip of Dilmah Tea brings a smile to the faces of less fortunate people. The company has supported Hospice New Zealand for 26 years and in addition to its own work through its MJF Foundation amongst children with disability, youth, promoting nutrition, climate action and biodiversity conservation, Dilmah actively supports children with cancer and their families.

MJF Beverages ANZ, a subsidiary of Dilmah Ceylon Tea Company, islaunching the range of refreshing Iced Teas, unique Low Sugar Tea Sodas and Premium Tea Mixers, which will be available from October 2023.

Dilmah’s Iced Teas include Peach, Blood Orange, Lemon, Grapefruit & Rosemary, and are naturally refreshing, made with real tea that has been handpicked, artisanally and ethically made. The Low Sugar Tea Sodas are crafted with unique brewed flavours – Tropical Hops, Brewed Ginger & Lemon, Yuzu & Elderflower, and the Premium Tea Mixers pair perfectly with spirits to make fabulous, exotic tea cocktails with combinations including Tea with Grapefruit & Cardamom, with Rhubarb, Rose & Ginger, and Ginger, Lemon & Bergamot.

New Zealand will be the first in the world to be able to taste and enjoy these products and serve as a test market for Dilmah Global, which has a presence in over 100 countries around the world.

Merrill J Fernando devoted his life to tea, and pledged to serve humanity through his business. The success of Dilmah Tea is expressed as much in the lives of people who benefit from the educational, mentorship, nutritional and other programmes of the Merrill J. Fernando Foundation as is the Taste and natural Goodness in Dilmah Tea. Honouring that commitment that is founded on integrity and family values means never compromising on quality while using a minimum 15% of the company’s pretax profits for its humanitarian initiatives.

Speaking at the launch, Dilhan commented, “New Zealanders have accepted my father’s invitation to ‘do try it,’ for decades, and made Dilmah their favourite tea. We are genuinely delighted to bring our authentic, Single Origin Ceylon Iced Teas, Tea Sodas and premium Mixers to New Zealand as a delicious, yet healthier, and genuinely tea inspired beverage.”

While hot teas are a staple in most Kiwi households, Dilmah’s new line of premium Iced Teas is unique in New Zealand.
Connecting with New Zealanders’ appreciation of fine tea and the preference of a new generation of consumers for plant based, authentic, ethical and sustainable beverages, Dilmah’s new Iced Teas and Tea Sodas extend this base as better-for-you drinks.

Dilmah will collaborate with local and international mixologists in creating a series of recipes for home mixologists to craft exciting alcohol free, low alcohol and classic cocktails with their new Iced Teas. These will be available from October on Dilmah’s NZ drinks website dilmahdrinks.co.nz.