NEW ZEALAND CHEESE

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 157, 31 March 1937, Page 13

NEW ZEALAND CHEESE

Not Procurable as Such in England

SPECIAL BRAND NEEDED

The method of marketing New Zealand cheese in Great Britain was referred to by Mr. E. F. Hollands, engineer and general manager of the Hutt Valley Electric Power Board, who, with Mrs, Hollands returned to Wellington by the Awatea yesterday from a five-mouths visit abroad. He suggested that exporters might with advantage give serious consideration to the question of selling New Zealand cheese under a distinctive brand that would appeal and be easy for consumers to remember.

“While in England we made it our business to ask for New Zealand produce. especially butter ami cheese,” said Mr. Hollands. “In many of the small towns New Zealand butter was not stocked, and in others we found it had been blended and called Empire butter.

“Although a huge quantity of cheese is exported from New Zealand to Great Britain, it is not sold as New Zealand. In many places we visited they had not heard" of New Zealand cheese. The most striking instance of the lack of knowledge of New Zealand was at a famous restaurant in the Strand, London. After lunch I asked for New Zealand cheese. The waiter brought on a wagon a number of brands of cheese. I again asked for New Zealand cheese. He said, T am sorry, but we do not stock foreign cheese!’ “We found on further investigation,” added Mr. Hollands, “that New Zealand cheese is not asked for or stocked at the leading hotels. It occurred to me that this was due to New Zealand cheese not having a branded name. Why not have a special branded name for New Zealand cheese, a brand name that will appeal and be easy to remember? New Zealand exporters should take this matter up seriously.”