Dilmah dazzles in third year at Art Deco Festival

Under a picturesque marquee, people sipped on tea cocktails, and indulged in macaroons to celebrate the third year of Dilmah tea at the Tremains Art Deco Festival.

Since 2015 Dilmah founder Merrill J. Fernando has been returning to Napier for the festival, to engage with the public and share the ethical mission of his product.

The festival's international ambassador said while he had never heard of Art Deco before initially being invited, Mr Fernando said he now "enjoyed this event very much".

"They are getting more and more people here. I'm amazed at the way people treat me and talk to me, they treat me as a long-lost friend," the Sri Lankan native said.

In previous years, Mr Fernando has been joined in Napier by his son Dilhan and Malik - the renowned tea brand was named using the first syllables of their names.

This year Malik was not able to attend, however yesterday Dilhan said he was happy to have returned to Hawke's Bay's "unique celebration".

"People are here because they love the occasion," he said. "There's a sincerity in the people, it's a celebration of their city's history".

Mr Fernando said during the festival he saw things he could not witness anywhere else - from the Deco costuming, to the vintage cars on show.

"Dilmah tea is playing a role in this," he said. "Last year we had two marquees sold out and this year we had 250 guests at the [Dilmah High Tea Affair]".

The annual High Tea on Saturday saw punters enjoying an array of tea, joined by celebrity Chef Brett McGregor, and Global High Tea Competition winners Laurent Loudeac and Camille Furmineaux.

This year two new events were on offer - on Saturday people were able to pop in to the new Dilmah Tea Lounge at the soundshell for macaroons and a snack, to sip an iced tea or tea cocktail.

Today the marquee was cleared to make room for a band for the new Dilmah Gatsby Tea Dance, where people converged on the dance floor at the lounge to dance the Charleston.

As well as enjoying the festival, Mr Fernando said the spirit of the occasion had similarities with the Dilmah brand.

"Art Deco has established certain traditions which they follow rigorously and religiously," he said. "Similarly with Dilmah we are a traditional tea, the only such tea in the world today.

"All other brands of tea are by traders who squeeze the supply and the growers buy as cheap as possible. We are farmers, we grow tea, we do everything with tea all in-house and when we bring a packet of Dilmah tea out it is the only ethical tea in the world."

This was echoed by his son. Dilhan said unlike celebrations he had attended elsewhere in the world, there was a sincerity about the Art Deco festival which he felt aligned with his father's company.

While the tea lounge was packed this afternoon, he said Dilmah did not see their presence at the festival through a "commercial lens".

"[Napier] is a place we love to be. It's great to see the past and present meet, and it's incredible to be here."

Mr Fernando said even if he could not attend the festival next year, his son Dilhan would definitely return.