Du Maurier cigarettes are made in Canada by Imperial Tobacco Canada, a wholly owned subsidiary of British American Tobacco (BAT). White Birch Post carries du Maurier in its brand-name range, and this guide covers where the brand came from, who owns it today and the formats it's sold in.
Who owns du Maurier today?
Imperial Tobacco Canada makes and sells du Maurier in Canada. The company is headquartered in Montreal and is the largest tobacco company in the country. Its parent, British American Tobacco, is a UK-based multinational that owns the du Maurier trademark internationally.
That means the chain of ownership looks like this:
- Brand owner: British American Tobacco (BAT)
- Canadian manufacturer and marketer: Imperial Tobacco Canada
- Sister brands in Canada: Player's, John Player Special, Pall Mall, Matinée, Vogue and the Canadian Marlboro
If you're trying to sort out which Canadian brands belong to which company, our guide to who makes Canada's cigarette brands has a full brand-to-maker lookup.
Where does the du Maurier name come from?
The brand is named after Sir Gerald du Maurier, a well-known British stage actor and theatre manager of the early twentieth century, and the father of novelist Daphne du Maurier. The name was a paid endorsement arrangement rather than a product he designed.
The brand was launched in Britain around 1930 by Peter Jackson, a London tobacco company. Through a series of takeovers, the overseas rights ended up with British American Tobacco, and Imperial Tobacco Canada became the home of the brand in this country.
Is du Maurier still sold in the UK?
No. Du Maurier is no longer sold in the United Kingdom, where it started. Today it's most strongly associated with Canada, where Imperial Tobacco Canada has made it for decades.
Is du Maurier a Canadian brand?
It's British in origin but Canadian in practice. The name came from London, but the cigarettes sold here are manufactured and marketed in Canada by a Canadian company. For most Canadian smokers, du Maurier is simply one of the household brand names alongside Player's and Export A.
Before federal rules restricted tobacco sponsorship, the du Maurier name was attached to arts festivals and a major women's professional golf championship in Canada. Those sponsorships ended once the restrictions came into effect, and tobacco brands can no longer advertise that way.
How is du Maurier different from native brands?
The difference is the manufacturer, not the basic product. Du Maurier is a brand-name cigarette made by a multinational-owned company. Native brands such as dM or Canadian Goose are made by independent First Nations manufacturers, mostly in Ontario and Quebec.
Both are blended tobacco in paper with a filter, sold in regular and king-size formats. Our guide to native vs brand-name cigarettes walks through how the two groups differ in maker, tax treatment and distribution. The health risks of smoking are the same whichever company makes it.
What formats does du Maurier come in?
Du Maurier is sold in the standard Canadian formats. You'll typically see:
- Regular and king size. Regular cigarettes are roughly 70 to 73 mm long; king size are roughly 83 to 85 mm. See king size vs regular cigarettes for the details.
- Packs of 20 and 25. Federal law sets the minimum pack size at 20 cigarettes.
- Cartons of 200. A carton is ten packs of 20 or eight packs of 25. Our explainer on what a carton of cigarettes is covers the counts.
The exact options available at any time are listed on our du Maurier product page.
Why does the du Maurier pack look plain?
Every cigarette pack in Canada has been plain since 2019. Under federal plain-packaging rules, the brand name appears in a standard font on a drab brown pack, with large health warnings and no logos or brand colours. Since 2023, health warnings have also been phased onto individual cigarettes. Our article on Canada's cigarette packaging rules explains what's required.
That's why du Maurier, Player's and Belmont packs look so similar on the shelf: the name and the product details are the main things that tell them apart.
How does du Maurier compare with Player's and Next?
Du Maurier and Player's share a maker; Next does not. Du Maurier and Player's both come from Imperial Tobacco Canada, while Next is made by Rothmans, Benson & Hedges, the Canadian affiliate of Philip Morris International. We set out the history and formats side by side in du Maurier vs John Player's vs Next, and you can read more about the Player's line in who makes Player's cigarettes.
Can I order du Maurier online?
Yes, if you're 19 or older. White Birch Post sells du Maurier online with same-day delivery in Greater Sudbury on orders placed before the daily cut-off. Local drivers check government-issued photo ID at the door. Orders to the rest of Canada, except Nunavut, ship by tracked Canada Post Xpresspost. Our guide to ordering tobacco online in Ontario covers age checks and shipping.
The bottom line
Du Maurier is a British-born brand that's been made and sold in Canada by Imperial Tobacco Canada, part of British American Tobacco, for decades. It's sold in regular and king size, in packs and cartons, in the same plain packaging as every other Canadian brand. You'll find it alongside the rest of the Imperial, RBH and JTI-Macdonald lineups in our brand-name cigarettes section.
White Birch Post sells to adults 19 and over only. Smoking is harmful to your health. If you're thinking about cutting back or quitting, our responsible use page lists free Canadian support services.