DOMINION BUTTER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22866, 22 October 1937, Page 14

DOMINION BUTTER

SALES IN ENGLAND Jt PREJUDICE IN THE NORTH '-Mm ' DANISH PRODUCT FAVOURED RETAILERS' HELP NEEDED Although New Zealand butter enjoys considerable popularity in many parts of the United Kingdom, there is still a definite bias aguinst it in the North of England, according to Mr. M. McG. Cooper, a 1933 Rhodes Scholar from Massey Agricultural College, who returned by the Rangitiki from London yesterday after having spent three years at Oxford University. While there he made a study of the Datura; of the demand for butter and cheese in the United Kingdom and he is now to spend two years in New Zealand with the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. In the north -of England, said Mr. Cooper, there was a prejudice against- * any butter which their traditions and upbringing did not lead housewives to think was the best. The prejudice dated 'back at least 59 5-ears and if the butter was not Danish, people did not think it was good. White Butter Favoured "Unemployed in tb.<3 North would rather buy margarine and then have a splash on a pound of Danish buttQr than buy any other kind of butter all the time," said Mr. Cooper. "In the North there is a strong preference for white butter and people will not buy yellow. This is in spite of the jact that it has been proved by experimeut that they cannot find any difference in taste between white and yellow. If they do. taste it they' imagine there is something wrong with the yellow." Mr. Cooper gave an instance of a woman who had gone into a shop and bought a pound of New Zealand butter. She told shopkeeper it was for cooking and inferred that it was not good enough for the table, but it was, quite obvious that she had taken the butter h6me and used it for the table. She would not admit it because her prejudice would not allow her to do so. Assistance 0! Retailers "In the North you will find those funny littlo snobbishnesses." said Mr. I Cooper. "The people are quite different i from those in the south and are almost a different race. To go from Wales to the North is like going from one country to" another. There is always a tremendous amount of bias in purchasing goods of any sort and although the sales and distribution of New Zealand butter and cheese in the United Kirtgdom are very impressive we still have to solve this problem. I feel that our butter is well advertised, but we will have to get the retailers to do morjs for I,s -" . . _ When he was taking his degree at Oxford Mr. Cooper wrote a thesis on the nature of the demand for butter and cheese in the United Kingdom and he also conducted a consumers' survey of Oxford, attempting to analyse the purchasing motives of the consumers of the city. After spending two vears in New Zealand he will probably return to England act as liaison officer between the New Zealand and British departments.