Branston Pickle Panic

image A fire at the only factory that produces Branston Pickle reportedly sparked panic buying of the popular brown relish, spurred on by a comment from Premier Foods (its manufacturer) that within two weeks stock levels would run out. So sellers of Branston Pickle began asking as much as £16 or £25 for the stuff on eBay (a jar usually sells for less than £1). For Americans who don't know what this stuff is, it's kind of like a savory brown chutney, very popular in Britain, and often spread on ham and cheese sandwiches. It's good stuff. But now it seems that Branston Pickle isn't in imminent danger of disappearing from stores. Premier Foods will be able to maintain supplies of it. And this article in The Guardian implies that the Branston Pickle Panic never really materialized anyway. Buyers weren't flocking to the stores to snatch up the last remaining jars of the stuff. The Branston Pickle panic was mostly an invention of the media.

Food Mass Delusion

Posted on Mon Nov 08, 2004



Comments

Brown relish? Chutney? I must not be shopping in the same condiment isle as everyone else.
Posted by Maegan  on  Mon Nov 08, 2004  at  12:35 PM
It's pickle (sing.), Paul. And yes, a lot of companies make it, but Branston's has a taste and texture which is different to others. OK, it's probably a difference which you wouldn't care to comment on if you haven't been brought up on the stuff, but have you never heard Brits and Ozzies debating the relative virtues of Marmite and Vegemite?

Some things are important.
Posted by paul in prague  on  Tue Nov 09, 2004  at  06:04 AM
I think Claussen's are the best pickles. Or real honest-to-goodness deli pickles. Not when the deli just buys a case of pickles, but when they're made themselves. Every deli has it's own flavor.
Posted by Maegan  on  Sun Nov 14, 2004  at  10:36 AM
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