SPREADABLE BUTTER.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 140, 12 June 1908, Page 7

SPREADABLE BUTTER.

A gentleman who had a long connection with the butter trade of this country and has had an opportunity of investigating the business in London, had some interesting things to say on the "spreadable" butter question. Our butter opens up in the London shop, he told a '\N~.Z. Times" representative, as hard as rock, and this can be easily understood when it is remembered that the outside temperature is probably between forty and fifty degrees. Butter in such a condition is, of course, not spreadable, and consequently would not appeal to the consumer. He, himself, had been able to secure some New Zealand butter in London for his friends, but it was so much harder than the butter they were used to they did not want any more of it. He does not argue from this point that we should make, if it were possible, a more spreadable butter. He realises, as have so many others who have studied the Home end of the business, that it is useless our attempting to sell our butter to British consumers for what it is. Our natural customer is the Home grocer, who never sells butter under its original designation, but under his own brand. He blends butter for this purpose, generally using only the best descriptions. New Zealand butter is a pure article, and consequently it suits his purpose admirably. Methods were instanced of one of the principal retail dealers in butter in London, which our informant had an opportunity of studying, to show how butter is sold at Home. This dealer, or company, has four hundred and fifty retail establishments and sells onlr tea, butter and egs. He has a magnificent connection, as he sells nothing but the finest descriptions of goods. Now, this dealer does not sell anything but Danish' butter and eggs, but probably not a single one of his thousands of customers knows that it is a Danish article he or she is buying. Everything is sold under the firm's brand. The Danes do not object. They get a highly-profitable price, and they are satisfied. When the manager of this great business was asked by the New Zealander if he had ever tried New Zealand butter he replied he had not, for the simple reason he had to supply a good and absolutely uniform article throughout the whole year; and the Danish article was the only one which enabled him to do this. It is absurd, continued this gentleman, to think -we can hope to educate British consumers to show a preference for our butter. They are used to a different class of butter, and as our supplies to their market are but a driblet compared to the total importations, it is impossible for us to oust the popular brands. In his opinion we should continue the manufacture of an absolutely pure article and be satisfied to allow the London grocer to sell our butter under -what brand he liken so long as he is prepared to pay well for