Tea has always had a special significance with our Dormer family. Mike’s Dad, Ormond Edmund “Ormy” Dormer was a tea taster and trader – he learned his skills with the Bell Tea company in Dunedin. We have his scales and tasting cups to this day.
When Mike had the pleasure of meeting Merrill he had such delight in showing Merrill his father’s buying manuals showing purchases from the Ceylon Tea Trading Company; and even discovered Merrill’s name on some of the documents. And so a wonderful friendship developed between Mike and Merrill. Both men visited each other in Sri Lanka and New Zealand. Merrill, with family and friends, visited The Willows on many occasions and with him he brought the Dilmah tea and cups which add a very special dimension to the hospitality offered at the Club. Merrill also visited our office of Independent Provedoring in Lyttelton. He sat with us and shared his passion for working together and subsequently Dilmah tea is the tea of choice for our customers too.
The legacy of Merrill is huge. In 1988 he launched Dilmah as a “genuinely ethical, sustainable, farmer owned” brand. As well as a world famous tea brand Merrill founded the MJF Charitable Foundation in 2022. The aim of the Foundation was to support youth, first-time entrepreneurs, community organisations, incarcerated people and war widows in Sri Lanka. 15% of pre-tax profits from Dilmah fund this work. In 2019 Merrill received an honorary doctorate from Massey University, an acknowledgement of his life-long commitment to ethical business.
His relationship with The Willows Cricket Club has been equally treasured. Merrill and his sons Dilhan and Malik have helped provide financial and logistical support for nine Willows Youth Tours to Sri Lanka and the sub-continent, as well direct support to Alexander Reese and the formulation of the Cricket Live Foundation (CLF) in 2014. The aim of which is to offer “life through cricket” and in 2024 alone will enrich the lives of over 1620 girls and boys in Sri Lanka. This year CLF celebrates its 10th anniversary and over that period 17 Willows coach educators have had direct input into the programme established by Sanjeewa Silva and his team over there.
Another great initiative which stemmed from the Fernando and Dormer families came in the final years of both men. In 2021 the Mike Dormer Annual Awards were created in Sri Lanka as a tribute to Mike’s dedication to developing youth, especially those requiring a helping hand in life. The recipients (two girls, two boys) each receive: a financial contribution to their savings account; educational materials including “dry rations for nutrition”; and cricket equipment. In March each year the winners are presented. And as Dilhan says “I have no doubt that Mike and my father will be watching from Heaven, while sipping on some fine tea and appreciating the opportunity that these young boys and girls will receive as a result of their efforts”.
Merrill was a kind and humble man with a gentle encouraging manner. Thank you Merrill – you succeeded in making the world a better place.