POPULARISING NEW ZEALAND MEAT.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9359, 7 March 1896, Page 5

POPULARISING NEW ZEALAND MEAT.

TO THS EDITOR OF THB PRK _. Sib, —Having just received the whole of the correspondence in connection with Mr Nathan's scheme with regard to frozen mutton from an anonymous gentleman, and for which I take this opportunity of thanking him, induces mc to resume the subject. From the tone of the correspondence, it appears there is no question that something should ba done, but the difficulty appears to find some oue to bell the cat. In previous letters, I have urged tha necessity of advertising in some way, and people here say you can sell any rubbish by advertising and nothing without it. There are a large number of businesses here which have retail shops to serve as advertisements for their wholesale houses, and as an illustration at your own door the Gas Company has a shop for the sale of gas stoves of various kinds, knowing that if they sell these they are sure of selling more gas. In the same way the New Zealand farmers require restaurants for the sale of their' mutton, served up as nicely grilled chops, | _c, with New Zealand butter, cheese, and any other produce of a like nature. If such restaurants were started in various parts of London it would be the means of introducing these commodities into private houses which never think of using them at present, as there is great prejudice against chiefly the mutton, on account of so much inferior meat being sold as New Zealand; but once it was found through the restaurants that good food was being offered to the public it would come much more into consumption in private houses. From the foregoing, I do not wish yon to think I propose that several restaurants should be started at once, because I think, on the contrary, only one should be started and made to pay before there was any thought given to starting others. A lunch composed of a _lb chop, potatoes, roll and butter could be sold for la, inclusive of every charge, and a lunch ; of this kind, nicely served up, would create a larce number of consumers. As soon as this No. 1 restaurant bad been made to pay the others could be started. The next step would be to have a central depot connected with these restaurants by telephone, so that customers could order the same class of food for their own bouses, which orders could be delivered by London carriers at a nominal charge. At the same ttme batchers in various parts of London could be advertised on the walls of the, resUurants as supplying the same quality Ql toad M *W%d ptlaaa, n

Ia this letter I do not pretend to give more than a rough outlioe of the scheme, but I think it is evident tha6 if the Cioy man could get a good bona tide New Zealand mutton chop for his lunch at a cheap rate he would want the same mutton on his own table, but at present he looks upon it as iuferior meat not worth eating. It would require about £1.00 to start the restauraut, that is to say, as it mignt not pay for the first few montns it would require some money to carry it on during that time. Iv case people m New Zealand may think there are auoh re9iaurauta iv existence at the present time, 1 say here there is not a restaurant in Loudon iuto which a business man would care to go where he can get the lunch I describe for leas than Is 3d, aud that i_ without any beverage, and these Now Zealand restaurants could very well afford to give a bottle cf light beer aa well, so that anyone going in would know that be could get a good lunch for la incluaive of everything. This in itself would act aa a great draw. By workinp on these lines, and slowly but surely building up tbe business as it were brick by brick, I feel sure that in three or four years a couaiderable number of restaurauts could be established which would pay iv themselves, besides being so mauy sp.endid advertisements for New Zealand produce. It appears to mc that the Christchurch Farmers' Association might very well take this subject up, or if tney cauuot do it a small Limited Liability Company might be formed. 1 shall conclude by quoting the old aaying, *' God helps chose tvuo heip themselves," and the New Zealand farmers cau be quite sure that if it is not to their interest to push ou the sale of their own produce, it certainly is not to the interest ot the London salesmen, who are not different to tho New Zealand farmers in wautiug to buy iv the ctiaapest market and sell in the highest.—Yours, _c, E. F. Wright. London, January 4th, 1896. The Ag.ut-U.ueral'. office will always find mc.