N.Z. Food Stand “Worst” In London Fair

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29931, 19 September 1962, Page 9

N.Z. Food Stand “Worst” In London Fair

New Zealand’s display at the British Food Fair, held at Olympia. London, was the worst in the whole fair, says a Christchurch lawyer, Mr T. D. Anderson, writing from England. Mr Anderson, who is on a six months' tour of Britain and the Continent, says in a letter to a friend: "The setting, staging, display stands, and produce were worthy of the highest praise for the countries represented and the local firms participating, with the notable exception of my own native New Zealand, whose display, if one could call the 50ft totally uninspired stand a display, was described by several I spoke to as the worst In the whole fair." Stands by other countries were huge, with information bureaux, and manned by assistants in native costume. “Appalled" “On the first floor, or gallery. I expected to find an extensive Kiwi display. To my consternation I walked almost round the gallery and eventually in the farthest corner from the entrance, next to the British Army cooking display and African crafts, etc., I was appalled to find what was supposed to represent our New Zealand produce.

“A few samples of New Zealand butter and cheese were on display and available fof purchase. The whole stand was uninspired and no part of it caught the eye.” An assistant told him that the New Zealand Government had not contributed anything to the display, Mr Anderson says. “Where were our lamb, our mutton, our beef, our bacon, apples, all our other cheeses and milk products and by-products?” Mr Anderson asks. Downstairs, he says, he found some New Zealand honey among hundreds of obviously better packed foreign brands.. “I wonder just how much overseas exchange that earns as compared with our lamb, mutton, and dairy pror ducts? Outlets for Produce “At a time when outlets for our produce are in the melting pots, when all British people are reading and thinking about entry into the Common Market, I thought someone had let our side down deplorably. “I toured the fair with a London resident and his impression was—and I am sure it was the impression of most—that New Zealand was a small, insignificant country with little to offer by comparison with those products available from other countries,” Mr Anderson says.