Recession kills off SPICE BURGER

Nolanger

TRADITIONAL IRISH cuisine has been dealt a blow with the demise of the company that invented that staple of chippers nationwide, the spice burger.

Walsh Family Foods closed its doors earlier this month with the loss of 50 jobs and a receiver is to be appointed to the business next week. The company, based in the Poppintree industrial estate in Finglas, could no longer sustain heavy losses caused by the weakness of sterling against the euro and tough competition from UK rivals.

One of its main customers, Tesco, recently cut the number of products it bought from the company from 16 to one, but internal sources said this was not a significant factor in Walsh’s closure.

Spice burgers have been on the Irish market since the early 1950s and were the first product manufactured by Walsh Family Foods. Pork butcher Maurice Walsh developed the product, described on its website as “a delicious blend of Irish beef, onions, cereals, herbs and spices coated with traditional outer crumb,” at the rear of his shop in Glasnevin.

From these humble beginnings, the firm expanded into burgers, garlic mushrooms and another favourite of chip-shop habituees, the onion ring. Maurice Walsh’s son and daughter, Paddy and Helen, joined him in the business as it grew and started to export to the UK and beyond.

The company patented its recipe for spice burgers, but the product’s popularity never really expanded beyond Ireland. It remained the only producer, so future supplies may depend on the ability of a receiver to find new interests to take over the business.

In 2000, the Walsh family sold most of its shareholding in the company to a management buy-in team and ICC Venture Capital. The team, led by Pat McCaughey, former managing director of Boyne Valley Group, purchased a controlling interest for less than €1.27 million. Annual turnover rose to €14 million, of which €4 million was in exports to Britain. However, the company lost heavily on a big contract in the UK where the price was set before sterling weakened. Mr McCaughey could not be contacted yesterday and there was no answer from the company’s telephones. However, a message on its lines on Tuesday stated that a receiver would be appointed on June 22nd. The firm closed after an appeal to Enterprise Ireland for emergency funding was rejected.

“They didn’t want to know,” said an internal company source. “It’s a sad tale.”

Venom

God dammit

Why couldnt it have been Tayto instead :cool:

petes

Make your own spice burgers!

lucylu

sniff

General Zod

Truely a day when Ireland shall weep. The death of the spiceburger.

FlutterinBantam

Great news there pal.

The whiff in the gaff after the morning dump,laced with last nights spiceburgers and beer would strip paint.

Fcukers left a bang all over, and the cludgie was "no go" for at least 2 hours after an evacuation.

No loss at all.

stovelid

Someone will surely step into the breach.

AnonoBoy

Venom wrote: »

Why couldnt it have been Tayto instead :cool:

Them's fighting words Mister.

niceirishfella

I'll survive not having spice burgers in my life but I feel for the 50 people losing their jobs.

Dacelonid

Now what am I going to have for lunch when hungover.
Goddamn recession.

Mossy Monk

Spice burgers are disgusting. I wont mourn them.

ibarelycare

What's even in a spice burger? I tasted one once when I was drunk and it tasted like deep fried stuffing

ronano

I wonder how much it needed to keep ticking over

leninbenjamin

i have never tasted or heard of this spice burger of which you speak.

meh...

lala stone

ibarelycare wrote: »

What's even in a spice burger? I tasted one once when I was drunk and it tasted like deep fried stuffing

Ya they are stuffinng... altho according to OP they have beef in them!! I thought u were a veggie alternative to a quarter pounder! whoops!!

Quazzie

Sounds rank tbh.

50 people laid off is more of a blow.

Degsy

I used to work in Dunnes Stores deli and the number of those things we used to shift was staggering.
About a pallet a week at least!

Venom

Quazzie wrote: »

Sounds rank tbh.

50 people laid off is more of a blow.

If they are cooked right they are awesome unlike Tayto crisps which are burnt husks of crud

Sucks about the 50 jobs tho.

cianl1

NNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They were bloody delicious. I'm a student for Christ's sake! What the hell else am I supposed to eat?!

A National Day of Mourning I say!

lala stone

Degsy wrote: »

I used to work in Dunnes Stores deli and the number of those things we used to shift was staggering.
About a pallet a week at least!

where did it all go wrong???? every chipper in ire used to sell them 2!!

petes

cianl1 wrote: »

They were bloody delicious. I'm a student for Christ's sake! What the hell else am I supposed to eat?!

Beans on toast.

stovelid

lala stone wrote: »

where did it all go wrong???? every chipper in ire used to sell them 2!!

Mine still does.

The battered sausage will probably be the next to go.

jaffa20

http://www.walshfamilyfoods.ie/images/spiceburger_6pk.jpg

Saibh

Sad to hear about more job losses. Never tasted the spice burger.

niceirishfella

Saibh wrote: »

Sad to hear about more job losses. Never tasted the spice burger.

well, its spicey.

Katarn1

its a shame!

they were the type of food i never wanted to know the contents of but they quick and easy!

cabrwab

Nooo not the spice burger i was looking for them in my local dunnes on Friday was dying for one!! That sucks.

Keano

I had never heard of a spice burger until this morning!

Draupnir

A sad day indeed, always been a fan of the spice burger. Originally, I enjoyed them best on a slice of Brennan's pan, rolled up with a dollop of Tomato Ketchup.

More recently, the spice burger got a new lease of life when I discovered the enjoyment of a halved spice burger cooked on a George Foreman grill.

Fingers crossed an alternative brand is available although the Walsh family will be ever remembered as the founder.

monkeyfudge

Can't believe so many people have never tried them.

Perfect coming home from the pub food. Easy to cook... then stick them in some bread with lots of butter and slather in brown sauce and you're in flavour country.

MrMatisse

Doesnt the gehtto suffer enough pain without this!

Saibh

monkeyfudge wrote: »

Can't believe so many people have never tried them.

Maybe we will get a chance to taste them, if the receiver can find someone to take over the business.

cianl1

Insurgent wrote: »

Beans on toast.

Still...

phasers

Spice burgers were made with meat?

I always thought it was bread or something

Degsy

phasers wrote: »

Spice burgers were made with meat?

I always thought it was bread or something

There wasnt much meat in fairness,they were mostly breadcrumbs and onion.

glanman

Never had one, never heard of them too...

Batter burger in Roma II beside whelans in Dublin, mmmmmmmmmmmmmm

GlindaGale

I'm heartbroken.

Spice burgers are the taste of my childhood. My Ma used to cook them for me a lot, she always managed to burn them to a crisp and yet make them really greasy, what a terrible cook. I'll have to get her to make them for me one more time.

Hagar

A sad, sad day for the ordinary man.

joe316

Can we club together a few quid and save the spice burger??

stovelid

joe316 wrote: »

Can we club together a few quid and save the spice burger??

I will sadly have to rule myself out of any management position due to my inability to manage the stock without lashing into it.

Ostrom

Nolanger wrote: »

TRADITIONAL IRISH cuisine has been dealt a blow with the demise of the company that invented that staple of chippers nationwide, the spice burger.

Walsh Family Foods closed its doors earlier this month with the loss of 50 jobs and a receiver is to be appointed to the business next week. The company, based in the Poppintree industrial estate in Finglas, could no longer sustain heavy losses caused by the weakness of sterling against the euro and tough competition from UK rivals.

One of its main customers, Tesco, recently cut the number of products it bought from the company from 16 to one, but internal sources said this was not a significant factor in Walsh’s closure.

Spice burgers have been on the Irish market since the early 1950s and were the first product manufactured by Walsh Family Foods. Pork butcher Maurice Walsh developed the product, described on its website as “a delicious blend of Irish beef, onions, cereals, herbs and spices coated with traditional outer crumb,” at the rear of his shop in Glasnevin.

From these humble beginnings, the firm expanded into burgers, garlic mushrooms and another favourite of chip-shop habituees, the onion ring. Maurice Walsh’s son and daughter, Paddy and Helen, joined him in the business as it grew and started to export to the UK and beyond.

The company patented its recipe for spice burgers, but the product’s popularity never really expanded beyond Ireland. It remained the only producer, so future supplies may depend on the ability of a receiver to find new interests to take over the business.

In 2000, the Walsh family sold most of its shareholding in the company to a management buy-in team and ICC Venture Capital. The team, led by Pat McCaughey, former managing director of Boyne Valley Group, purchased a controlling interest for less than €1.27 million. Annual turnover rose to €14 million, of which €4 million was in exports to Britain. However, the company lost heavily on a big contract in the UK where the price was set before sterling weakened. Mr McCaughey could not be contacted yesterday and there was no answer from the company’s telephones. However, a message on its lines on Tuesday stated that a receiver would be appointed on June 22nd. The firm closed after an appeal to Enterprise Ireland for emergency funding was rejected.

“They didn’t want to know,” said an internal company source. “It’s a sad tale.”

Spice burgers are disgusting

Max Power1

efla wrote: »

Spice burgers are disgusting

BOOOOOOOOOO

the perfect after pub takeaway. Not so much a fan of the microwaveable variety however. It just doesnt recreate the pub variety's taste!

GlindaGale

efla wrote: »

Spice burgers are disgusting

INFIDEL!

monkeyfudge

Oh... a search in google for Spice Burger brings up this thread and another thread on boards as the top results.

I never knew they were such a niche market.

lala stone

joe316 wrote: »

Can we club together a few quid and save the spice burger??

we can!! if we all buy the patent rights we can make and sell them again

well horse

Spice Burger cut horizontaly into two peices and placed between 2 slices of white bread with red sauce; quite nice.

Quint

cianl1 wrote: »

NNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They were bloody delicious. I'm a student for Christ's sake! What the hell else am I supposed to eat?!

A National Day of Mourning I say!

+10000
Spice burgers were great from the chipper, but cooking them at home was actually nicer. Just throw them under the grill for 5 minutes each side and hey presto, food fit for a king

Draupnir wrote: »

A sad day indeed, always been a fan of the spice burger. Originally, I enjoyed them best on a slice of Brennan's pan, rolled up with a dollop of Tomato Ketchup.

I always thought if I went on Masterchef I'd wow them with the spice burger sandwich. Either really fresh brennans bread, or toast. Ballymaloe instead of ketchup if you're feeling posh

Draupnir wrote: »

Fingers crossed an alternative brand is available although the Walsh family will be ever remembered as the founder.

It's won't be the same.
This is the worst thing that's ever happened. EVER.:(

Aidric

I've never eaten one nor had the desire to. In conclusion, I'm devestated by this news.

Par72

I can't believe there was beef in them! I thought they were just stuffing. I used to get them all the time. Some chippers would cut them in half before deep frying them, they would be seriously greasy then.

Tragedy!

Draupnir

All across Ireland there are vegaratians with stomach cramps brought on by the realisation that there was beef in every spice burger they have mistakenly consumed. Anyone else find that hilarious?

ScumLord

We had one of them fancy Italian chippers open up in our town not so long ago and them things where on the menu. Tried a batter burger and thought it was all wrong, it felt like battered sausage but tasted like bad beef it was just wrong. Didn't try a spice burger that just sounded wronger. Eat normal burgers ye weirdos!