N.Z. fish pate snapped up

Press, 24 May 1977, Page 15

N.Z. fish pate snapped up

London correspondent A well-known New Zealand rope and twine manufacturer broke into the British market in a big way last week — with seafood pates. Donaghy’s Industries, Ltd, of Dunedin, stole the limelight at an international delicatessen exhibition in London. and its first big shipment was sold within four days. •‘lt was a tremendous boost for us,” said Donaghy’s sales manager in Britain (Nir D. A. Vine). “We should be able to sell about $500,000 worth this coming year, an increase of 300 per cent on the last 12 months.” The London firm of S. Baron, Ltd, delicatessen suppliers. has been appointed marketing agent for the pates, which are sold under the brand name “Lochland.” A gift pack of four 60gm pottles of pates—rock lobster. oyster, scallop, and smoked eel—sells for $4.27, and they are also available singly, or in larger cans.

Mr Vine said that the suc- - cess at the exhibition was - a result of bright, imagina- » tive packaging (by Whit- ■' coulls), and the fact that 1 there were no other seafood pates cm the market. > The design includes the slogan “From the pure ' waters of New’ Zealand,” and ■ attractively printed marine • scenes. r Mr Vine said the New Zea--5 land pates had aroused more interest than any other exhibit, and a steady stream of , visitors to the stand had enj sured that the 96,000 cans in the initial shipment had t been snapped up quickly. Among the big retailers . which had ordered the pates . were Patrick Thomson’s and j Forsyth’s, of Edinburgh, Fort- > num and Mason’s—and even r several large garden centres. ’ Follow-ups would be done i by Donaghys in the next few - weeks, and eventually it is I hoped to break into the Euro- . pean market. However, the > first priority is to consoli'date sales in Britain.