NEW ZEALAND BUTTER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21938, 23 October 1934, Page 13

NEW ZEALAND BUTTER

Sir, —Incredible though it may seem, during the three and a-lialf years 1 spent in England and Scotland I had the greatest difficulty in procuring genuine New Zealand butter. In many cases the grocers seemed to be under the impression that Now Zealand was part of Australia and were incredulous when it was pointed out that there was a distance of 1281 miles between New Zealand and Australia. On many occasions in London and in the large provincial towns, such as Manchester, Leicester, Newcastle and Birmingham, when I asked for New Zealand butter the grocer's assistant cut a pound from a large block which was labelled "Empire Butter." After tasting it I felt somewhat doubtful of its origin and when next purchasing I asked to see the box in which the grocer had received it. The butter had come from Australia, and in my opinion was inferior to the New Zealand product. I have heard of many similar cases and surely this is detrimental to the New Zealand butter trade. In Liverpool, at the large store of Messrs. Lewis, I was very pleased to sec that the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company had demonstrators selling "Anchor" butter in quarter, half and one pound cartons, and on inquiring from an assistant I was told that the butter was selling exceedingly well. Surely a country with such fine pastures should be capable or making butter of superior quality and have the credit of doing so. It seems rather hard that unsuspecting housewives should have other butter foisted on them as a New Zealand product. M. It. Mackenzie.