Ordinary Gweilo

Anyone who has lived in Hong Kong for very long will be familiar with the problem of favourite products disappearing from supermarket shelves.  Sometimes they are back a few weeks later, sometimes they are gone permanently.

A few weeks ago there was the great “Egg Nog” scandal, when Nestle Dairy Farm decided not to bother manufacturing it in Hong Kong any more.  The same company also seems to have stopped distributing cottage cheese to almost all the supermarkets I visit. 

All part of life in this great city of ours. I know it’s tough, but somehow we manage to survive.

So what do we find on the front page of Hong Kong’s leading English newspaper this morning?  What big scoop does ace investigative reporter Barclay Crawford have for us?

Yes, that’s right, the second lead on the front page today is that there is a temporary shortage of Vegemite in Hong Kong.  Some Australians are distraught.  Oh dear.

If they are really planning to run a front-page story every time a favourite gweilo food goes missing from the shelves of Hong Kong’s incredibly well-run supermarkets there really won’t be room for anything else.

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.