Watties product closures

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#3472598 23-Mar-2026 14:24

mattwnz:

i do wonder how much lobbying is going on in parliament to prevent this information being provided where they try to use these arguments . UK seems to provide far more info to the consumer and their food prices can far a lot cheaper

Well we know how much kick back there was from the grocery council or whatever they call themselves when it was suggested all packaging adopt a traffic light system to quickly indicate how (un) healthy packaged food is.

The resistance was nothing to do with how profitable the unhealthiest food is, of course.

Anyway, turns out labelling may be the wrong way to head.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/365726/nutritional-labels-on-food-have-little-effect-research

Prevailing thought amongst neo-liberal economists is to use a price signal instead. This is the way to also effect any desired wishes for food security. Imported food would be taxed making it economic to sell the local variety as well (or instead).

But who is going to be in charge of deciding what food is unhealthier and therefore becomes taxed? What a bureaucratic nightmare. Which politician wants to be known for 'taking away toffeepops from hardworking kiwi mums and dads' ?

And who is going to welcome increased food prices during a cost of living crisis that seems to have no end?

Most of the posters in this thread are just like chimpanzees on MDMA, full of feelings of bonhomie, joy, and optimism. Fred99 8/4/21

gzt

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#3472602 23-Mar-2026 14:31

geek3001: Contrast that with the so-called fresh produce at the supermarket, that has been sitting around for days, that is not really fresh.

In the days I worked for a supermarket the produce manager(s) would buy at Turners and Growers in the early morning and the stock would arrive at the supermarket at the same time as the staff and then prepared and shelved before opening ready for the day.

There was not much stuff that survived to go on the shelf a second day. Mostly it was sent out of the store one way or another.

I expect the process has changed a bit since then but probably similar timeframes between harvest and shelf. Pretty darn quick compared to most countries.

geek3001

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#3472607 23-Mar-2026 14:44

gzt:
geek3001: Contrast that with the so-called fresh produce at the supermarket, that has been sitting around for days, that is not really fresh.

In the days I worked for a supermarket the produce manager(s) would buy at Turners and Growers in the early morning and the stock would arrive at the supermarket at the same time as the staff and then prepared and shelved before opening ready for the day.

There was not much stuff that survived to go on the shelf a second day. Mostly it was sent out of the store one way or another.

I expect the process has changed a bit since then but probably similar timeframes between harvest and shelf. Pretty darn quick compared to most countries.

Could well be the case, perhaps dependent upon the store.

May I counter with my own observation regarding fresh greens?

I used to travel to Queensland Australia and would buy fresh greens from Coles or Woolworths, where there were market gardens within an hour's drive of the supermarkets.

Said supermarkets appeared to be sourcing their greens more or less directly from the local growers, rather than some convoluted and time-wasting supply chain. Their fresh greens on sale had sticky sap / plant juices literally oozing from the cut edges, as they had been harvested just a few hours prior.

I cannot remember the last time I saw the same on any fresh veges in the major supermarkets I shop at here in NZ. The cut edge of the produce is usually dried-up suggesting it is days-old.

This is one of the reasons why I have settled on buying frozen vege, as it is often cheaper, certainly convenient, and I have pretty much no waste other than the empty plastic bag.

I will miss Watties frozen veges. I just hope a decent alternative is offered, probably from Australia I expect.

elpenguino

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#3472608 23-Mar-2026 14:44

gzt:
geek3001: Contrast that with the so-called fresh produce at the supermarket, that has been sitting around for days, that is not really fresh.

In the days I worked for a supermarket the produce manager(s) would buy at Turners and Growers in the early morning and the stock would arrive at the supermarket at the same time as the staff and then prepared and shelved before opening ready for the day.

There was not much stuff that survived to go on the shelf a second day. Mostly it was sent out of the store one way or another.

I expect the process has changed a bit since then but probably similar timeframes between harvest and shelf. Pretty darn quick compared to most countries.

Great and that works for some lines, but we all know bananas and pineapple weren't harvested the day before.

And some items have been stored for months since harvest. Any apple eaten in september has been sitting round for months.

That's not the supermarket's fault. That's the reality of seasonal produce.

Most of the posters in this thread are just like chimpanzees on MDMA, full of feelings of bonhomie, joy, and optimism. Fred99 8/4/21

John19612

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#3472695 23-Mar-2026 16:44

For the most part our supermarket fruit and vegetables are utter rubbish. This season the capsicums have been terrible. Cherries are another example, the ones that make it to the supermarket are awful.

We pay top dollar for produce that has sat around for days stuck in the supply chain, and then is plonked in increasingly unrefrigerated bins at the supermarket.

Unfortunately, not all vegetables are suitable for freezing; peas, potatoes, kernel corn freeze really well. On the other hand; onions, capsicums, brussels sprouts (the best vegetable in the world), corn on the cob (for some weird reason), carrots, cauliflower, broccoli just reheat into mush.

Sure, freezing and canning preserves nutrition, but it also often ruins the texture and flavour - vegetables especially.

farcus

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#3472858 23-Mar-2026 18:19

MikeAqua:

gzt: Greggs Instant Coffee .... I doubt it's made in NZ anymore anyway. I'll go get some for nostalgia purposes if I can find it

It's made in Dunedin.

They also make Special Blend instant coffee at the same site.
Pretty sure Consumer (or maybe it was just a Stuff article) rated this the best instant coffee in NZ (tasting the most like coffee of all tested).
This means we will see one of the cheapest instant coffees disappearing from the supermarket shelves.

New World

Shop on-line at New World now for your groceries (affiliate link).

gzt

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#3472862 23-Mar-2026 18:27

farcus: They also make Special Blend instant coffee at the same site.

What? That's nearly half the price of Greggs for the same quantity. I'm semi-astounded. Definitely have to try that anyway now given that consumer review. I don't believe that review at all but I'm curious enough to try.

gzt

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#3472865 23-Mar-2026 18:36

John19612: For the most part our supermarket fruit and vegetables are utter rubbish. This season the capsicums have been terrible. Cherries are another example, the ones that make it to the supermarket are awful.

The 'asian' supermarket at Westgate - Foodie is worth a visit. I certainly did get some excellently priced very good cherries there and a few other things. Kind of uneven of course no different to other supermarkets in that sense just different priorities and competitive advantages.

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#3472897 23-Mar-2026 21:29

gzt:

I expect the process has changed a bit since then but probably similar timeframes between harvest and shelf. Pretty darn quick compared to most countries.

Yes. Over the past ten years (interrupted by Covid) we have done twelve long-term home exchanges in the N Hemisphere (UK, France, Spain, Portugal, USA, Canada).

In all these places we frequented the local supermarkets and were struck by the short home-life of their veges compared to ours in NZ. Eg. onions that would easily last a couple of weeks here if keep cool and dark, would often go off in a few days in those places. Onions are one vege that are meant to keep well.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

eracode

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#3472898 23-Mar-2026 21:37

mattwnz:

a lot of supermarket stuff is chilled for a long time I think. Carrots I think also get soaked. Notice that carrots no longer have green leaves left on them and they ever up going slimy or they wrinkle up now if you keep them a week or so

We buy a lot of fresh carrots from supermarkets and have never experienced anything like that, ever. Carrots will easily last a couple of weeks in the fridge if stored properly.

Have to question where you buy them and how you store them.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

eracode

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#3472900 23-Mar-2026 21:48

John19612:

For the most part our supermarket fruit and vegetables are utter rubbish. This season the capsicums have been terrible. Cherries are another example, the ones that make it to the supermarket are awful.

I am the biggest critic of NZ’s supermarket system - but on this point I cannot disagree more. Of all the many things that our supermarkets do wrong, IMO fruit and vege is not one of them. Eg. recent capsicums have been fine. By what high standard do you judge them?

Have to question where you live and what supermarkets you are referring to. I’m talking about Woolworths, PnS and N World on Auckland N Shore - they’re all good.

OK, tomatoes can very often be utter crap but they’re an exception. Most of the other stuff is great.

We also have a local Fruit World - which also sells Asian goods - a truly excellent shop for excellent fruit and veg and their big range of other stuff.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

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mattwnz

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#3472909 23-Mar-2026 22:19

eracode:

mattwnz:

a lot of supermarket stuff is chilled for a long time I think. Carrots I think also get soaked. Notice that carrots no longer have green leaves left on them and they ever up going slimy or they wrinkle up now if you keep them a week or so

We buy a lot of fresh carrots from supermarkets and have never experienced anything like that, ever. Carrots will easily last a couple of weeks in the fridge if stored properly.

Have to question where you buy them and how you store them.

PnS. Sometimes in the fridge or in a vegetable drawer. Worse if put I in the fridge. I was told that carrots now get soaked in water. Years ago we used to buy sacks of them and they would last a good month. But that was before they started chopping off ll the green leaves of the ends

mattwnz

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#3472912 23-Mar-2026 22:57

The other thing that taste horrible at supermarkets are strawberries. They are bland and bitter. If you grow your own they actually taste sweet like real strawberries.

John19612

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#3472935 24-Mar-2026 06:55

eracode:

John19612:

For the most part our supermarket fruit and vegetables are utter rubbish. This season the capsicums have been terrible. Cherries are another example, the ones that make it to the supermarket are awful.

I am the biggest critic of NZ’s supermarket system - but on this point I cannot disagree more. Of all the many things that our supermarkets do wrong, IMO fruit and vege is not one of them. Eg. recent capsicums have been fine. By what high standard do you judge them?

Have to question where you live and what supermarkets you are referring to. I’m talking about Woolworths, PnS and N World on Auckland N Shore - they’re all good.

OK, tomatoes can very often be utter crap but they’re an exception. Most of the other stuff is great.

We also have a local Fruit World - which also sells Asian goods - a truly excellent shop for excellent fruit and veg and their big range of other stuff.

We'll have to agree to disagree re: capsicums. If I can softly run my thumb against the skin and it wrinkles then it's not fresh, plenty are also starting to rot and/or seed on the inside.

I live in New Plymouth and all of the supermarkets here are well below standard, with the city New World easily being the best of a bad bunch. However, I traveled over almost the entire central and lower North Island (Wellington, Rotorua, Hamilton, Napier, Hastings, Gisborne, Masterton, Wanganui, Palmerston North, Taupo) from mid December to early February, shopping at all manner of supermarkets and a few independent grocers. If I was being generous I'd say perhaps 25% of capsicums were of acceptable quality and size.

Don't even get me started on supermarket bakeries.

Perhaps Aucklanders need to realise that large portions of the country don't have genuine alternatives to the supermarket duopoly. The supermarkets know this and act accordingly.

cddt

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#3472937 24-Mar-2026 07:13

John19612:

For the most part our supermarket fruit and vegetables are utter rubbish. This season the capsicums have been terrible. Cherries are another example, the ones that make it to the supermarket are awful.

Capsicums are also extraordinarily expensive at the supermarket. Of course it's the end of the season now but the local Chinese grocer has had them at $6 for 2 kg (I reckon that's about a dozen) and the condition has been perfect. Likewise other seasonal veges, if they're in season the same shop sells great quality at bargain prices.

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