What cheek, Aussie entrepreneur Dick Smith is slagging off New Zealand grown beetroot, claiming it's not up to the quality of Australian beetroot. The label on the cans of Mr Smith's beetroot says ''When American-owned Heinz decided to move its beetroot processing facility from Australia to New Zealand causing hundreds of lost jobs, we decided enough is enough. So we are fighting back against poor quality imported product.''
Every can of Mr Smith's "magnificent sliced beetroot" has a photo of Mr Smith on the label, so you don't mistake it for any inferior brand.
This, of course, has not gone down well with Heinz, who are threatening to sue. I imagine that this is what Mr Smith planned all along, and the whole thing is a marketing ploy, and a damn good one at that.
On talkback radio this morning Mr Smith dug himself in further, "And I'm fighting back against low quality imports. Now people could say New Zealand is as good of quality as Australia well that's debatable. I want to know why all of you New Zealanders are coming to live in our country, I reckon it's to get the good beetroot here."
Of course! That explains the exodus of Kiwis to Australia, nothing to do with jobs...it's all about the beetroot!
I'll stick to Wattie's.
Have you done a product test? I wouldn't have thought one beetroot is any better than another. Maybe the canning process is different, but even then....
ReplyDeleteI've never had canned beetroot; I buy mine vacuum packed (if I don't have any in the garden).
No such thing as vacuum packed beetroot here, I wish there was! I quite like the canned product, it's a Kiwi tradition! When I'm really feeling virtuous though I buy raw beets from the greengrocer and pickle my own. And I also like them roasted, raw (baby ones) or beetroot crisps. It's a versatile veg.
DeleteI wonder he hasn't commenced a rant about the Americans skimming the best beets to make beetjuice to treat roads in winter. It's true; they mix beetjuice with the salt and the roads stay snow free twice as long.
ReplyDeleteGood lord! How amazing. A truly versatile veg!
DeleteAussies! Pah!
ReplyDeleteRoasted beet root....mmmmm...yum!
I saw something about our beetroot on Seven Sharp the other night!
ReplyDeleteWhat a storm in a tin! Of course our Beetroot is far, far superior to his. Pffffft. lol
Dick Smith has his face on tin cans? Wasn't having it on electronic bits n bobs enough? I bought a DS product of such high quality a few weeks ago that I had to return it!
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