Recession kills off SPICE BURGER

CCCP^

skyhighflyer wrote: »

Does anybody remember they used to give out free rubber erasers for school in packs of spice burgers in the early 90's? They smelt like spiceburgers too!

Tell you what mate they didnt ****ing taste like spiceburgers

Tar.Aldarion

rubadub wrote: »

The chippers are all walshes that I ever got, some even had walshes posters up. The ingredients are vague, IIRC beef, breadcrumbs, onions, "herbs & spices", I always read labels. They have a VERY distinct smell, I remember my mother banned my father from getting them! we had secret ones in sealed tubs to hide the smell.

Since it is patented I expect they want it secret, or since it is patented would it have to be disclosed somewhere?? I expect not or coke and other "secret" recipies would be known.

I don't know anything about patented food but wouldn't they have to say the ingredients and can withhold amounts methods or whatever, dunno, they might just say spices in that too.

Saibh

This thread got a mention in the Independent

Abi

Fewkin media comin' in here stealin' our threads.

rubadub

antiskeptic wrote: »

Actually they were pretty innocuous in the ingredients department.

Can you name any of them?

antiskeptic wrote: »

I wouldn't worry too much about them disappearing for good. They were a very profitable product so they'll be snapped up by one or other food company when the receiver gets around to selling off the companies assets.

My brother said he heard on the radio that Big Al's might take them, makes perfect sense, their frozen range is very similar to walshes. I think there were frozen spiceburgers out recently, I think all big als stuff is frozen, I hope they do fresh ones though.

Though no doubt people will say they don't taste the same.

whodoo

2 posts for the price of 1....

i hate the independent

but god damn i love spice burgers.....

wardie214

I have been looking for Spice Burgers for weeks and now I find out why I couldn't get any.

I was raised on a Spice Burger spread on a slice of toast with a sausage and or a rasher and topped off with a dollop of tomato ketchup. Absolute heaven.

I personally will miss them a LOT.

scop

God darn it! Taste of my youth to be honest. Its a bit of an estate thing, but its the little things that remind you of home and this has made me all nostalgic.

Red Sleeping Beauty

wardie214 wrote: »

I have been looking for Spice Burgers for weeks and now I find out why I couldn't get any.

I was raised on a Spice Burger spread on a slice of toast with a sausage and or a rasher and topped off with a dollop of tomato ketchup. Absolute heaven.

I personally will miss them a LOT.

Does that mean they're gone completely ? My local Fun Stores had zilch and not a sign of them

monkeyfudge

Some chippers still seem to have them.

But haven't seen them in the shops for a good while.

Red Sleeping Beauty

I only had a few there maybe 6 weeks ago. Ah man this is a real kick in the nads. What was it for a 6 pack ? about a fiver or so ? Better than 3quid for one out of a chipper. I think I'll have to go on a mission and see if anywhere has em.

Red Sleeping Beauty

Are all the Spice Burgers gone from all the supermarkets ?

I think the news reports said that because Tescos cut their delivery order it led to Walsh's going outa biz.

I can't find them anywhere. Because they weren't frozen they only stayed on the shelves for a short while before they were sold off closer to the best before

cabrwab

Alan Rouge wrote: »

I think the news reports said that because Tescos cut their delivery order it led to Walsh's going outa biz.

+1,

Expect to see loads more of irish companies going this route, thanks to tesco's treatment of the irish companies.
ah well, it'll be missed!

tallus

R.I.P The wonderful Spiceburger.....They will be sadly missed.

dylano_k

Fcuk sake now i want one, loadsa vinegar

YT

tallus wrote: »

R.I.P The wonderful Spiceburger.....They will be sadly missed.

A moment of silence in memory of the spiceburger please.

..

Tried to get one in the chipper last night, in my foolish drunken state I was convinced they might still have some

Red Sleeping Beauty

I can't find one anywhere. I think all the chippers and supermarkets are completely sold out

These will now become collectors items! Some bastard has about a million of them in his freezer somewhere and is going to sell them on gee-bay.

ronaneire

Just heard on 98FM that Spice Burger is to be saved

chopperbyrne

ronaneire wrote: »

Just heard on 98FM that Spice Burger is to be saved

Best news of the year!

Red Sleeping Beauty

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2009/0703/1224249968829.html

Spice burgers back on the menu due to popular demand
PAUL CULLEN, Consumer Affairs Correspondent

THE HUMBLE spice burger, one of Ireland’s few original contributions to world cuisine, has been saved.

After an extraordinary outpouring of support for Walsh Family Foods, the sole manufacturers of the product, it started making spice burgers again yesterday, just a fortnight after the Finglas-based firm closed with the loss of 50 jobs.

Its demise provoked a huge show of sympathy from disappointed fans after the news was revealed in The Irish Times last month. Newspapers and Facebook groups campaigned to “save our spice burger”, while internet forums were filled with nostalgic recollections of the product’s unique place in Irish food history.

The publicity also stoked the interest of catering distributors and retailers, who have placed sufficient orders with the company to justify a resumption in production.

“The level of interest has been extraordinary,” said Reg Power, finance director of Walsh Family Foods. “Mothers have called to say how disappointed they were that they couldn’t get spice burgers anymore for their kids in the local chipper. Three of the multiples have been on to place orders. Well-known companies have said they’re interested in the brand.”

For now, receiver Kieran Wallace of KPMG is allowing production for just two days a week and 20 workers have been re-employed.

“We’ve got to walk again before we can run,” said Mr Power, “but if we can pull this off, we have other products we’d like to bring out.”

Spice burgers, invented in the early 1950s, were the first product manufactured by Walsh Family Foods. Its founder, pork butcher Maurice Walsh, developed the product at his shop in Glasnevin and production later moved to Poppintree industrial estate.

From modest beginnings, the firm expanded into burgers, garlic mushrooms and onion rings.

It patented the recipe for spice burgers, which it describes as “a delicious blend of Irish beef, onions, cereals, herbs and spices coated with traditional outer crumb”.

Takeaways report that even those who normally preferred vegetarian food were sometimes tempted.

The Walsh family sold the company to a management buy-in team in 2000 and production and exports grew for some years. Recently, however, the firm sustained heavy losses caused by the weakness of sterling against the euro and tough competition from UK rivals.

Enterprise Ireland offered financial support but the company was unable to find the required matching private equity and had to go into receivership, according to Mr Power.

Now that it has been given a second change, he wants everyone to know about the spice burger: “It’s a beautiful product that has stood the test of time and hasn’t changed over time. There’s nothing like it.”

BlackWizard

I just came here to post that.

It's back!

i-digress

Not only do we have our beloved spiceburger back, twenty people are now re-employed. Hurrah!!

Sean Quagmire

Great news.

Im'a buy my first spice burger tonight. MMM poppa likes him some chicken

Degsy

Pity we couldnt launch such effective campaigns to get rid of the government!

dr.bollocko

\o/
I hate spice burgers but it is a great story.

Paparazzo

Alan Rouge wrote: »

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2009/0703/1224249968829.html

Spice burgers back on the menu due to popular demand
PAUL CULLEN, Consumer Affairs Correspondent

THE HUMBLE spice burger, one of Ireland’s few original contributions to world cuisine, has been saved.

After an extraordinary outpouring of support for Walsh Family Foods, the sole manufacturers of the product, it started making spice burgers again yesterday, just a fortnight after the Finglas-based firm closed with the loss of 50 jobs.

Its demise provoked a huge show of sympathy from disappointed fans after the news was revealed in The Irish Times last month. Newspapers and Facebook groups campaigned to “save our spice burger”, while internet forums were filled with nostalgic recollections of the product’s unique place in Irish food history.

The publicity also stoked the interest of catering distributors and retailers, who have placed sufficient orders with the company to justify a resumption in production.

“The level of interest has been extraordinary,” said Reg Power, finance director of Walsh Family Foods. “Mothers have called to say how disappointed they were that they couldn’t get spice burgers anymore for their kids in the local chipper. Three of the multiples have been on to place orders. Well-known companies have said they’re interested in the brand.”

For now, receiver Kieran Wallace of KPMG is allowing production for just two days a week and 20 workers have been re-employed.

“We’ve got to walk again before we can run,” said Mr Power, “but if we can pull this off, we have other products we’d like to bring out.”

Spice burgers, invented in the early 1950s, were the first product manufactured by Walsh Family Foods. Its founder, pork butcher Maurice Walsh, developed the product at his shop in Glasnevin and production later moved to Poppintree industrial estate.

From modest beginnings, the firm expanded into burgers, garlic mushrooms and onion rings.

It patented the recipe for spice burgers, which it describes as “a delicious blend of Irish beef, onions, cereals, herbs and spices coated with traditional outer crumb”.

Takeaways report that even those who normally preferred vegetarian food were sometimes tempted.

The Walsh family sold the company to a management buy-in team in 2000 and production and exports grew for some years. Recently, however, the firm sustained heavy losses caused by the weakness of sterling against the euro and tough competition from UK rivals.

Enterprise Ireland offered financial support but the company was unable to find the required matching private equity and had to go into receivership, according to Mr Power.

Now that it has been given a second change, he wants everyone to know about the spice burger: “It’s a beautiful product that has stood the test of time and hasn’t changed over time. There’s nothing like it.”

I cried reading that. WE DID IT! It's now our duty to buy at least 1 spice burger a week to keep the company going. I don't know about you, but god dammit, i'll do my bit

sunnyjim

i-digress wrote: »

Not only do we have our beloved spiceburger back, twenty people are now re-employed. Hurrah!!

A spiceburger a week will keep them employed hopefully!

Their demise proved to be an inadvertant marketing coupe!

scop

Paparazzo wrote: »

I cried reading that. WE DID IT! It's now our duty to buy at least 1 spice burger a week to keep the company going. I don't know about you, but god dammit, i'll do my bit

That is all.

daveyboy_1ie

Yeah great story and hoepfully things wil work out for them, 20 people getting jobs albeit for 2 days a week is better than nowt

Spastafarian

And now for Spice Burger world domination, it's also been reported by Reuters India!