Friday, August 5, 2011

Kerrygold: Just Another Big Company?

Unfortunately, it seems like it's not just the American public that is getting screwed by the big food companies.

This comment was just left on a recent post I wrote about Kerrygold butter:
A pity that in the UK, softer 100% butter is no longer available for spreading (though it is in Ireland).

They want us to buy this crap instead:


Kerrygold Spreadable with Irish Butter & Olive Oil 500g:

Butter (69%), Vegetable Oils (20%), Water, Olive Oil (5%), Buttermilk, Salt (1.3%), Milk Proteins, Vitamin E, Colour (Carotenes).

69% butter = bigger profits.

They've lost the plot!


https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bring-Back-Kerrygold-Softer-Butter-in-the-UK/250272418331018
The Kerrygold websites (different sites for different countries) confirm the different formulations for the softer, spreadable butter available in Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Furthermore, the UK description mentions only butter and olive oil as ingredients, leaving out the other items mentioned by the commenter above.

3 comments:

Viv Messiah said...

Didn't know you were out there, Rob! Found your blog while searching for a Kerygold butter retailer. As a foodie, I support your ethos about industrial food - I read all ingredients now!
I can vouch for all of the previous comments. I was so incensed that I could no longer buy the original product that I wrote to Kerrygold (something I never do!) and told them what I thought. The gist of it was that that they had sold out and joined the others producing 'food-like substances'. I confirmed that they had lost my custom, and that there would surely be others who felt the same way. They replied by saying that it was not commercially viable to produce softer butter in the same quantities, but smaller retailers would still sell it (via cash and carrys), Well, good luck if anyone can find these retailers - I have tried Makro (a major supplier to the trade), no luck. My next stop is Bookers. Oh, and I was sent a £1voucher to spend on their new product! Yeh, right.
Keep up the good work... Viv

Chef Rob said...

Viv,

Thanks for sharing. The whole process is mind-boggling. But at least you got a £1 voucher (which you'll never use) for your troubles.

Rob

Anonymous said...

From digging around it sounds like they're loosing money as the large stores are pricing the butter at a lower price than they can afford to manufacture it, so the stores have stopped selling it? I've joined the facebook group - very disappointed! Hopefully the stores get the idea if enough people complain!