Dilmah vs Stir Tea:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Dilmah had more branded searches than Stir Tea among tea brands in New Zealand. Dilmah had about 2,280 branded searches, while Stir Tea had 110. Dilmah made up 15.7% of all tea brand searches we track, and Stir Tea accounted for 0.76%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about tea brands, Dilmah appeared in three of the five answers and Stir Tea in two. Dilmah was mentioned before Stir Tea in three out of four answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Dilmah, about 21 searches for every 1 for Stir Tea
Who does AI mention more?
Dilmah, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Stir Tea in 2
Who does AI recommend more?
Dilmah, named ahead of Stir Tea in 3 of 4 answers
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Top tea brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Dilmah was mentioned in three out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Stir Tea was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Dilmah was listed before Stir Tea in three out of four answers that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Tea Total5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Zealong5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Bell Tea4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- Dilmah3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Stir Tea2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Healtheries1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Twinings1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
T20 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Pukka0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Lipton0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about tea brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which tea brand should I buy in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best tea brands in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best tea brand in New Zealand for everyday drinking?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“tea brands nz”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“tea nz”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 21, 2026.
Is Dilmah or Stir Tea more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Dilmah and Stir Tea by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten tea brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for Dilmah, Stir Tea. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Healtheries | Tea Total | Dilmah | T2 | Twinings | Pukka | Zealong | Lipton | Bell Tea | Stir Tea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 18.5% | 13.6% | 13% | 22.7% | 8% | 6.2% | 9.3% | 3.9% | 3.6% | 1.2% |
| Nov 2025 | 15.8% | 15.6% | 11.8% | 30.5% | 5.2% | 4.4% | 8.5% | 3.5% | 3% | 1.7% |
| Dec 2025 | 12.4% | 15% | 10.3% | 36.1% | 4.9% | 4.4% | 10% | 2.8% | 2.6% | 1.6% |
| Jan 2026 | 18.6% | 14% | 14% | 20% | 6.9% | 5.4% | 11.8% | 4.1% | 3.9% | 1.3% |
| Feb 2026 | 21.9% | 14.3% | 14.5% | 16.3% | 7.1% | 4.2% | 11.6% | 5.1% | 3.7% | 1.5% |
| Mar 2026 | 23.2% | 14.9% | 13.1% | 17% | 7.6% | 5.4% | 7.8% | 4.9% | 5.1% | 1.1% |
| Apr 2026 | 22.2% | 18.8% | 13.1% | 16.6% | 7.1% | 5.4% | 7.8% | 4.2% | 3.9% | 0.86% |
| May 2026 | 17.9% | 22.6% | 13% | 13.7% | 10.2% | 4.4% | 10% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 0.88% |
| Jun 2026 | 18.5% | 19.1% | 13.5% | 17.8% | 9% | 5.5% | 6.6% | 4.2% | 4.8% | 0.92% |
| Jul 2026 | 18.3% | 19.9% | 14.3% | 14.7% | 9.8% | 5.9% | 6.9% | 5% | 4.3% | 0.96% |
| Aug 2026 | 19.9% | 18.6% | 15.1% | 14% | 9.8% | 5.5% | 5.7% | 6.5% | 4% | 0.9% |
| Sep 2026 | 21.6% | 16.5% | 15.7% | 14.6% | 9.1% | 6.7% | 6% | 4.7% | 4.3% | 0.76% |
How has the Dilmah and Stir Tea comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Dilmah was ahead of Stir Tea in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Dilmah’s share of searches among tea brands in New Zealand moved from 13% to 15.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.8K to 2.3K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Stir Tea’s share of searches among tea brands in New Zealand moved from 1.2% to 0.76%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 170 to 110.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand tea brands in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Dilmah gained share of searches among tea brands in New Zealand, from 15.1% to 15.7%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Stir Tea in New Zealand fell 35.3% over 12 measured months, from 170 to 110 in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
8 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Dilmah’s and Stir Tea’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
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