It’s not just about shortbread, Scottish branding is vanishing from English shops

The decision by shortbread maker Walkers to wrap its high-profile, long established Scottish branded products in a Union flag seems almost suicidal! As a Scot in North West England the disappearance from the multiple retailers of virtually all products promoting Scotland as the country of origin and/or the Saltire, is striking. Our local stores include ASDA, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose. Almost every UK originated product in the fresh produce and short shelf life sector is now emblazoned with the union flag but a huge number of them are also marked with the English flag of St George. The cheeses, particularly, car- ry English and Welsh flags and various county options – a few weeks ago we bought a “Cornish Cauliflower” from Morrisons complete with a large Cornish flag boldly printed on the packaging!

Albert Bartlett, the potato packer, recently received a £4 million grant from the Scottish Government yet it is promoting the Union Flag on all products. Our local market offers an extensive range of English and Welsh meat products but not one Scottish product, which is remarkable given the volume of raw meat originating in the country.

The sidelining of Scotland cannot be coincidence. It suggest a form of trade barrier has been introduced against Scottish-branded products. It seems unlikely multiple retailers would have acted in unison without approval from the UK Government.

Why are Scottish growers and processors so willing to have their country of origin removed from their products? Without brands how do they expect wider UK consumers to recognise their products which, by definition, will undermine the value of their brands & lose them market share over the longer term.

If however, the growers and processors are being pressurised by the multiples and/or the UK Government, then the Scottish Government

may well have to intervene.

BOB HAMILTON Dunkirk Road, Southport.

So prominent SNP activist Alison Brown has led an online campaign, strongly supported by fellow nationalists, to attack Walkers Shortbread’s use of the Union flag on part of its product range in some of its geographic markets. Is Ms Brown a qualified and experienced international marketing specialist? Is she an expert in the global food and beverages sector? Perhaps she has a first hand knowledge of Walkers’ marketing tactics and strategy?

If so, fine. If not, she and her band of apparently flagobsessed enthusiasts could be usefully employed leaving Walkers to run its own business.

Then Ms Brown et al could focus on, say, lobbying the SNP administration to be more effective in reversing the damage caused by its lacklustre management of Scotland’s education system over the past ten years.

MARTIN REDFERN Woodcroft Road, edinburgh

I feel very sorry for Walker’s that they felt it necessary to respond to the small minded and churlish criticism that has flooded social media in recent days about the British flag being on shortbread tins, it really takes the biscuit, pun intended !

The shortbread tins were made for the 2012 British Olympics as a commemorative celebration of all things British and were totally appropriate, as Scotland is part of Britain. Thank goodness we did not gain independence if this is the way nationalists are going to behave.

Have people really got nothing better to do with their time than complain about such trivial matters? As a reputable British company with an international reputation for quality I really don’t think they have anything to worry about.

GORDON KENNEDY Simpson Square, Perth