Canada goes nuts for... French's Ketchup?

Started by Barrister, March 30, 2016, 12:32:27 PM

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Barrister

March 30, 2016, 12:32:27 PM
So there's a weird viral "thing" going on right now in Canada over ketchup, of all things.

It started out with Heinz closing a plant in Leamington, Ontario where it's famous Heinz ketchup was made from local Ontario tomatoes.  Now, all ketchup in Canada was going to be made in the US.  There were some grumbles from the local people in Ontario who were thrown out of work, but this was a year or two ago, and life largely went on like normal.

French's (the mustard people) moved in and bought the plant in Leamington, but again this really did not register.

But then a month ago some guy in Ontario posted on Facebook extolling the virtues of French's Ketchup.

Quote
Brian Fernandez
about a month ago
Since Heinz decided to pull the plug on its Canadian plant in Leamington, 740 jobs were lost. Heinz decided to make its ketchup solely in the USA. Then, French's ( known for its mustard) stepped in and decided to make ketchup. They also decided to use those same Leamington tomatoes from Canadian farmers. The result: A ketchup .... free of preservatives. Free of artificial flavours. Also, free of high fructose corn syrup!! We bought a bottle. Absolutely love it!! Bye. Bye. Heinz.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/craigsilverman/of-ketchup-and-canadian-economic-nationalism#.bdDzlxEl25

This was shared apparently 90,000 times, and went viral (such as the buzzfeed article I linked to).

Now everyone is going nuts for French's ketchup.  Loblaw's (a large grocery chain) actually announced plans to stop carrying it (apparently sales were eating into sales of their own house-brand), but the public outcry caused them to reverse course less than 24 hours later.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/frenchs-ketchup-canadiana-1.3491952

And now A&W (which is a much bigger deal in Canada than the US) has announced they will switch to French's ketchup exclusively.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/frenchs-ketchup-a-w-1.3510278


It still feels weird to me to get all nationalistic over ketchup, of all things.  In particular when French's is an American company now owned by a UK conglomerate.  But I did buy a bottle of French's ketchup on the weekend.  :huh:
Posts here are my own private opinions.  I do not speak for my employer.

Savonarola

#1
March 30, 2016, 12:37:25 PM
:Canuck:

Could you tell the difference between French's and Heinz?
In Italy, for thirty years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, they had five hundred years of democracy and peace—and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock

Valmy

#2
March 30, 2016, 12:37:59 PM
Wait so French's is not French? :weep:

But rather it is both British and American at the same time?

I haven't been this misled since discovering Sir John French wasn't French.
Quote"This is a Russian warship. I propose you lay down arms and surrender to avoid bloodshed & unnecessary victims. Otherwise, you'll be bombed."

Zmiinyi defenders: "Russian warship, go fuck yourself."

Norgy

#3
March 30, 2016, 12:41:53 PM
Quote from: Valmy on March 30, 2016, 12:37:59 PM
Wait so French's is not French? :weep:

But rather it is both British and American at the same time?

I haven't been this misled since discovering Sir John French wasn't French.

:console:

Mayonaisse is still kind of French(ish).

Valmy

#4
March 30, 2016, 12:43:33 PM
So long as I can rest secure in the knowledge French Fries are an authentic piece of French culture I will be ok.
Quote"This is a Russian warship. I propose you lay down arms and surrender to avoid bloodshed & unnecessary victims. Otherwise, you'll be bombed."

Zmiinyi defenders: "Russian warship, go fuck yourself."

garbon

#5
March 30, 2016, 12:43:43 PM
French's ketchup? :x
"I've never been quite sure what the point of a eunuch is, if truth be told. It seems to me they're only men with the useful bits cut off."

I drank because I wanted to drown my sorrows, but now the damned things have learned to swim.

Barrister

#6
March 30, 2016, 12:44:27 PM
Quote from: Savonarola on March 30, 2016, 12:37:25 PM
:Canuck:

Could you tell the difference between French's and Heinz?

You know what I forgot to do a taste test! :frusty:

I needed the ketchup for some home-made barbecue sauce.  So I can report French's made a perfectly serviceable barbecue sauce.
Posts here are my own private opinions.  I do not speak for my employer.

Barrister

#7
March 30, 2016, 12:46:38 PM
Quote from: Valmy on March 30, 2016, 12:37:59 PM
Wait so French's is not French? :weep:

But rather it is both British and American at the same time?

I haven't been this misled since discovering Sir John French wasn't French.

Made by brothers George and Francis French, and first sold at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French%27s
Posts here are my own private opinions.  I do not speak for my employer.

Savonarola

#8
March 30, 2016, 12:46:49 PM
Quote from: Valmy on March 30, 2016, 12:37:59 PM
Wait so French's is not French? :weep:

But rather it is both British and American at the same time?

French in name only, but really simultaneously British and American; what could possibly be more Canadian than that?  :Canuck:
In Italy, for thirty years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, they had five hundred years of democracy and peace—and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock

Valmy

#9
March 30, 2016, 12:47:03 PM
Quote from: garbon on March 30, 2016, 12:43:43 PM
French's ketchup? :x

Right? I thought they just made mustard.
Quote"This is a Russian warship. I propose you lay down arms and surrender to avoid bloodshed & unnecessary victims. Otherwise, you'll be bombed."

Zmiinyi defenders: "Russian warship, go fuck yourself."

Norgy

#10
March 30, 2016, 12:47:18 PM
Quote from: Valmy on March 30, 2016, 12:43:33 PM
So long as I can rest secure in the knowledge French Fries are an authentic piece of French culture I will be ok.

Well, either French cultural imperialism has great clout, or they're actually more Dutch and Belgian. And the Germans fry just about anything.
I've actually never seen pommes frites in France.

Valmy

#11
March 30, 2016, 12:47:25 PM
Quote from: Savonarola on March 30, 2016, 12:46:49 PM
French in name only, but really simultaneously British and American; what could possibly be more Canadian than that?  :Canuck:

:lol:
Quote"This is a Russian warship. I propose you lay down arms and surrender to avoid bloodshed & unnecessary victims. Otherwise, you'll be bombed."

Zmiinyi defenders: "Russian warship, go fuck yourself."

Valmy

#12
March 30, 2016, 12:48:59 PM
Quote from: Norgy on March 30, 2016, 12:47:18 PM
Quote from: Valmy on March 30, 2016, 12:43:33 PM
So long as I can rest secure in the knowledge French Fries are an authentic piece of French culture I will be ok.

Well, either French cultural imperialism has great clout, or they're actually more Dutch and Belgian. And the Germans fry just about anything.
I've actually never seen pommes frites in France.



Yes I am aware they are Belgian :lol: But much closer to actually being French than French's Mustard. Or Sir John French.
Quote"This is a Russian warship. I propose you lay down arms and surrender to avoid bloodshed & unnecessary victims. Otherwise, you'll be bombed."

Zmiinyi defenders: "Russian warship, go fuck yourself."

Malthus

#13
March 30, 2016, 12:51:30 PM
Condiment nationalism!

As sensible as any other kind!
The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane—Marcus Aurelius

Eddie Teach

#14
March 30, 2016, 12:52:09 PM
Quote from: Savonarola on March 30, 2016, 12:37:25 PM
:Canuck:

Could you tell the difference between French's and Heinz?

Why I buy store brands.
To sleep, perchance to dream. But in that sleep of death, what dreams may come?
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