He was known for introducing single-origin tea to an international market, and for conducting his business using the principles of social responsibility.

[6][7] He also studied for four years to be a priest, at the St. Aloysius seminary in Borella, but was eventually rejected by the brothers there as a candidate.

The tea was bought cheaply, with branding and packaging taking place in Europe and the UK, returning small profits to Sri Lankan tea producers while middlemen (wholesalers and resellers, mainly a few large corporations) reaped the lion's share of the profits.

[3] In the mid-1980s, he started negotiations with the Australian supermarket retailer Coles, eventually persuading them to stock his tea.

[3] The MJF charitable foundation uses 15% of the pre-tax profits of Dilmah and related companies to provide nutritional, educational, and other support to disabled children, the elderly, and youth in marginalised communities.

[17] In 2018, Fernando received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the World Association of Chefs' Societies.

[16] In August 2019, Dilmah's founder was honoured with the second highest Sri Lankan national award, having the title of "Deshamanya" bestowed upon him.

He had had an association with the university since the late 1990s, when he worked with Distinguished Professor Paul Moughan at the Riddet Institute.