Kiwis vote with their taste buds

Media Release 1 December 2010

New Zealanders have voted with their taste buds

“Sunday Roast (the crispy bits left in the pan)” takes top spot as
Bluebird’s next great chip flavour

New Zealand chip lovers have decided with their taste buds. Sunday Roast (the crispy bits left in the pan) has been revealed as the winning flavour in Bluebird’s Do Us A Flavour competition, beating three other finalists Cheesy Garlic Bread, Butter Chippin’ and Paua Fritters with Lemon Wedges.

New Plymouth family man, David Martin, has won $20,000 and two percent of future sales of his chip flavour and a place in New Zealand history books as the creator of the next big chip flavour. His winning flavour is set to hit the shelves in supermarkets, dairies and service stations across the country from mid December.

David’s flavour took out top spot based on a combination of sales and votes cast by the public on the Bluebird website. The four finalist flavours – selected from close to 30,000 entries – were produced as a special offer so that New Zealanders could sample them and vote for their favourite.

On a combination of votes and sales, Cheesy Garlic Bread came in second followed by Butter Chippin’ and Paua Fritters with Lemon Wedges.

David said he is thrilled with the win. “I still can’t believe it. I took the competition very seriously and put in a lot of effort to drum up support from my local community. But I never dreamt my flavour would be the winner. I am really proud to put a Sunday Roast chip flavour on the map and it will be great to see my packets on shelves as part of the Bluebird range for the foreseeable future.”

"I am so grateful for the public's support and all their votes. Everyone loves chips and everyone loves Sunday Roasts – it’s the perfect Kiwi combination!”
To thank the nation for getting behind his flavour, David has pledged 10% of his cash prize and 10% of future earnings to Surf Life Saving NZ. Bluebird will match David’s pledges, dollar for dollar, and also donate the proceeds to Surf Life Saving NZ.

Head judge and acclaimed chef Al Brown who was enlisted to judge the four finalists and provide flavour expertise, says David’s chip is a great flavour combination.

“Sunday Roast is a kiwi tradition and I don’t think there would be a person in the whole of New Zealand that doesn’t LOVE the crispy bits left in the bottom of the pan. Just thinking about the crunchy bits of veges, caramelised meat, rosemary and garlic that stick to the pan is enough to make your mouth water. I can see why this flavour won – it appeals to a wide variety of palettes, is a great flavour combination and I think will have longevity on the shelf,” said Brown.

Bluebird Managing Director, Gerard Smith, says “From the outset, Kiwis really embraced Do Us A Flavour submitting close to 30,000 entries for the competition. This is the first time we have handed our flavour development over to the New Zealand public and we have been overwhelmed by the quantity and quality of entries we received. David’s Sunday Roast flavour will be a welcome addition to the Bluebird range and I am sure will become a favourite of many consumers.”

ENDS

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