Butter Trade

Feilding Star, Volume XIV, Issue 115, 18 March 1893, Page 2

Butter Trade

On the subject of Australian and New . Zealand butter, the Australian Trading World, a journal published in London, j says : — " Australian and Now Zealand! butter has met with every consideration at the hands of the British provision merchants— both wholesale and retail, — that it could fairly ask for, in fact we ~ may say that there has been and remains a desire to cultivate the trade to the utmost, other things being equal. It is not to be expected, however, that merchants will make a loss foe the benefit of colonists, but the new butter has been received with a much more kindly did* position than new articles usually get. Those interested in the produce should not shut their eyes to the faot that there are two difficulties in the way of thebusiness which we do not think are insurmountable, but whioh need attention. The first is that these large shipments of butter come upon the market during only a limited season and in very large pal 1 -: eels ; this will naturally be more felt as the quantity increases. Whether some system of storage cannot be devised re* mains to be seen, but it would greatly aid the profits of the trade if the supplies could be spread over a longer period. The second difficulty is that the butter is not precisely to the taste of the large class of metropolitan consumers. On this point we have had the advantage of consulting the manager of the business of Messrs Fitch and Son, of Biehopsgate, who, from their large wholesale and retail trade in this article, are in ready touch with the retail sellers, and with the consuming public. Mr Jones, the courteous manager for this firm, pointed out in reply to our enquiries that the Colonial butter, although erideutl/ pure, well made, and not over salted, does not in point of flay, our exactly meet public taste. This gentleman said : "Of late years the public demand baa run mostly on fresh butter, a butter without much flavour. Some years ago about one fourth of the butter we sold was fresh butter, the other three-fourths being salt ; but publio taste has changed and now fully half tho butter sold for the metropolitan trade is fresh." " Speaking as an expert," said Mr Jones, " I highly approve the flavour of the Australian butter — you can taste the grass in it, and it is of the highest quality— but it is just this full flavour which comes out both m taste and smell, and which is so agreeable to the expert, hut the public does not care for it. If that is the case said our representative, one or two things will have to be done, either the public must become educated to the pure grass flavour, or the butter makers must manage to meet the taste of the public. Whioh is it to be ? Mr Jones said "The makers must try and meet the public taste, it takes a long while to alter the fashion, and if Australian butter could be sent to makers all the year round, and iv sufficient quantity the public taste might alter, but there does not seem much ptobability of this." These facts should be fully considered by the dairymen in Australia and New Zealand, as it is io attention to these matters of detail that the largest profit and the most flowing trade will result. As we have said the disposition towards the trade is a very liberal one, and merchants and shopkeepers will do all they can to help it. It remains with the producers to endeavour in overy way to meet their customers proolmties*" .