Where to find Vegemite?
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There was a thread about this on Geoexpat recently - apparently Kraft are no longer selling vegemite in Hong Kong (according to this Blogger who contacted Kraft: http://sungaigweilo.blogspot.com/2008/03/vegemite-not.html)
I've been looking for it in Park n Shop, Great, City Super, Three Sixty for the last 3 weeks and haven't seen it. We've just about run out of ours as well!
Here's the thread on Geoexpat: http://www.geoexpat.com/forum/thread25041.html
I've been looking for it in Park n Shop, Great, City Super, Three Sixty for the last 3 weeks and haven't seen it. We've just about run out of ours as well!
Here's the thread on Geoexpat: http://www.geoexpat.com/forum/thread25041.html
jamesandsimo
Registered User
i am so glad i am not the only one searching. I guess we need to ask visitors to bring it up with them from now on the extra large ones at that!
There is actually an article on the front page of the South China Morning Post today about our missing Vegemite!!!! and it seems the blogger I gave the link to above is incorrect.
The article says that it should be returning to shelves as normal this month.
Here's an extract from the article:
Strewth, where has all the Vegemite gone?
Barclay Crawford
Apr 06, 2008
Soaring rice prices may be worrying many in Hong Kong, but 60,000 Antipodeans are far more worried about the disappearance from shop shelves of another staple food - Vegemite.
Supplies of the black spread, which is usually eaten spread on buttered toast, dried up a month ago - and for true aficionados Marmite, a yeast extract made in Britain and South Africa and, using a separate recipe, in New Zealand, just won't do.
A spokeswoman for supermarket chain Wellcome said its supplier had blamed the shortage on a packaging change in Australia. She said supplies should return to normal this month.
Simon Talbot, spokesman for Vegemite's maker, Kraft, said it was "hard to believe" changes to the packaging had halted supplies.
"Rest assured we will work to ensure Vegemite is back in Hong Kong as soon as possible," he said.
David Atkins, a 10-year-old who attends the Australian International School in Kowloon Tong, was miserable for three weeks when his Vegemite ran out.
His family scoured ParknShop, Wellcome, Great and City'super stores in vain for a jar. "We have some now because Auntie Karen brought some up from Sydney, and they have plenty of Vegemite there."
David loves his Vegemite on toast, on biscuits and with cheese sandwiches. "I love the taste because it's strong and you have to eat it with something else, like butter."
Suzi Vujanovic, director of development and community relations at the school, said the tuck shop had not run out yet, but eventually would. "Kids just love their Vegemite on toast. I've had one parent saying they'd tried Marmite and Promite, but the kids just want their Vegemite. I guess part and parcel of being Australian is having your Vegemite sandwiches."
Candy Man, manager of Chicken on the Run, an Australian take-away food store in SoHo, said she had been bombarded with customers wanting information on where all the Vegemite had gone.
The article says that it should be returning to shelves as normal this month.
Here's an extract from the article:
Strewth, where has all the Vegemite gone?
Barclay Crawford
Apr 06, 2008
Soaring rice prices may be worrying many in Hong Kong, but 60,000 Antipodeans are far more worried about the disappearance from shop shelves of another staple food - Vegemite.
Supplies of the black spread, which is usually eaten spread on buttered toast, dried up a month ago - and for true aficionados Marmite, a yeast extract made in Britain and South Africa and, using a separate recipe, in New Zealand, just won't do.
A spokeswoman for supermarket chain Wellcome said its supplier had blamed the shortage on a packaging change in Australia. She said supplies should return to normal this month.
Simon Talbot, spokesman for Vegemite's maker, Kraft, said it was "hard to believe" changes to the packaging had halted supplies.
"Rest assured we will work to ensure Vegemite is back in Hong Kong as soon as possible," he said.
David Atkins, a 10-year-old who attends the Australian International School in Kowloon Tong, was miserable for three weeks when his Vegemite ran out.
His family scoured ParknShop, Wellcome, Great and City'super stores in vain for a jar. "We have some now because Auntie Karen brought some up from Sydney, and they have plenty of Vegemite there."
David loves his Vegemite on toast, on biscuits and with cheese sandwiches. "I love the taste because it's strong and you have to eat it with something else, like butter."
Suzi Vujanovic, director of development and community relations at the school, said the tuck shop had not run out yet, but eventually would. "Kids just love their Vegemite on toast. I've had one parent saying they'd tried Marmite and Promite, but the kids just want their Vegemite. I guess part and parcel of being Australian is having your Vegemite sandwiches."
Candy Man, manager of Chicken on the Run, an Australian take-away food store in SoHo, said she had been bombarded with customers wanting information on where all the Vegemite had gone.
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THANKS!!There was another article in the SCMP today updating on the re-supply of Vegemite to HK.
According to the article, Wellcome supermarkets should have some supplies next week!
I still find the whole shortage bizarre and the article in the SCMP was certainly bizarre too blaming it on Japanese tourists!!!??
Here's the article:
Vegemite back soon after gaining flavour with the Japanese
Barclay Crawford
Apr 13, 2008
Vegemite addicts, your staple spread will return to Wellcome supermarkets by next week.
Investigators at the product's manufacturer, Kraft, believe Japanese foodies visiting the city may have been responsible for the recent disappearance, rather than any problems with the Hong Kong-based supplier.
Kraft learned about the absence of Vegemite on Hong Kong's supermarket shelves after being contacted by the Post last week following the discovery that desperate consumers were being forced to order special consignments from home.
The black spread is likely to be found in most homes of the city's more than 60,000 expatriates from Australia and New Zealand.
Wellcome claimed the supplier had told them changes to the packaging in Australia had been responsible for the shortfall.
Kraft spokesman Simon Talbot said it was fast tracking about 200 cartons to Hong Kong, which should arrive by next week.
They were bound for Wellcome stores because they sold the most Vegemite. "That's 20,000 jars, so it should keep people happy," he said.
The company believed the shortage could be the result of bulk buying by Japanese visitors, who believe Vegemite's salty flavour falls into a "fifth taste" category called umami.
This roughly translates as "delicious essence" in Japanese and describes a taste set off by the amino acid glutamate found in foods as diverse as breast milk, aged cheese, soy sauce - and Vegemite.
"It is quite quirky for the Japanese to be tasting the product and they have given it a special name, and they think it has a very addictive flavour and unique taste," Mr Talbot said.
"We believe they have been told they can get Vegemite when they are in Hong Kong and Singapore, so that may well be why we have had shortfalls in both those cities."
The Australian International School said the disappearance of Vegemite at least one month ago had become a cause c?l?bre among the school's community.
Vegemite on toast with lashings of butter is a breakfast staple for most Antipodean children.
According to the article, Wellcome supermarkets should have some supplies next week!
I still find the whole shortage bizarre and the article in the SCMP was certainly bizarre too blaming it on Japanese tourists!!!??
Here's the article:
Vegemite back soon after gaining flavour with the Japanese
Barclay Crawford
Apr 13, 2008
Vegemite addicts, your staple spread will return to Wellcome supermarkets by next week.
Investigators at the product's manufacturer, Kraft, believe Japanese foodies visiting the city may have been responsible for the recent disappearance, rather than any problems with the Hong Kong-based supplier.
Kraft learned about the absence of Vegemite on Hong Kong's supermarket shelves after being contacted by the Post last week following the discovery that desperate consumers were being forced to order special consignments from home.
The black spread is likely to be found in most homes of the city's more than 60,000 expatriates from Australia and New Zealand.
Wellcome claimed the supplier had told them changes to the packaging in Australia had been responsible for the shortfall.
Kraft spokesman Simon Talbot said it was fast tracking about 200 cartons to Hong Kong, which should arrive by next week.
They were bound for Wellcome stores because they sold the most Vegemite. "That's 20,000 jars, so it should keep people happy," he said.
The company believed the shortage could be the result of bulk buying by Japanese visitors, who believe Vegemite's salty flavour falls into a "fifth taste" category called umami.
This roughly translates as "delicious essence" in Japanese and describes a taste set off by the amino acid glutamate found in foods as diverse as breast milk, aged cheese, soy sauce - and Vegemite.
"It is quite quirky for the Japanese to be tasting the product and they have given it a special name, and they think it has a very addictive flavour and unique taste," Mr Talbot said.
"We believe they have been told they can get Vegemite when they are in Hong Kong and Singapore, so that may well be why we have had shortfalls in both those cities."
The Australian International School said the disappearance of Vegemite at least one month ago had become a cause c?l?bre among the school's community.
Vegemite on toast with lashings of butter is a breakfast staple for most Antipodean children.