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​Crisps Pulled From The Shelves As They're Offensive To Welsh People

​Crisps Pulled From The Shelves As They're Offensive To Welsh People

The ‘Collier’s Powerful Welsh Rarebit’ product from REAL Crisps features a photo of a Welsh miner called ‘Rhodri’

Jess Hardiman

Jess Hardiman

A line of crisps has been pulled from shelves following complaints that they are 'offensive' and 'culturally insensitive'.

The 'Collier's Powerful Welsh Rarebit' product from Real Crisps features a photo of a Welsh miner called 'Rhodri'.

A description on the packet reads: "Meet Rhodri. Or Rhondda Rodders to the lads down the Lamp & Helmet. Like his father, his father and his father before him, this 'Real' Welshman was born to swing a pick. But after work he'd rather pick a pack of his favourite Collier's Powerful Welsh Rarebit crisps.

"Forget other flavours, for him it has to be a bag of the black stuff and a taste so strong it'd put a canary on its back."

One person tweeted photos of the packaging, writing: "Dear Real Crisps, I know a Rhodri from the Rhondda & not even his 'real Welsh' father 'swung a pick' because there avn bin a pit in the Rhondda since the 80s. No one's buying nostalgia crisps cause ur grandfather died of pneumoconiosis. Be 'Real'. Sell crisps not bullshit." [sic]

The product features a photo of and story about a Welsh miner called 'Rhodri'.
Twitter

Someone else commented: "Shoot the copywriter + sack the marketing agency for this offensive, BS rehash of a tired Welsh stereotype. And cull all the other caricatures knocking about the brand. Utter tripe.

"Parent company @MrTaytoIreland: have a proper think about what you're doing, is it?"

A third person added: "Pretty sure this is the definition of cultural appropriation."

Real Crisps, owned by Ireland's Tayto, has since apologised - saying the product, which is part of range of character-driven flavours, was meant to be 'tongue-in-cheek'.

"We are sorry for any distress that has been caused by the wording," said Matthew Smith, marketing director.

"We certainly didn't mean to be insensitive. This product was launched over four years ago and until now we had not received any feedback."

He added: "However, recent comments pointing out how the story on the packet could be interpreted now seem really obvious but, unfortunately, we didn't pick this up when we were designing the pack.

"We have taken the comments on board and would like to apologise wholeheartedly. We have also started delisting the product.

"Our customers' opinions are really important to us and I hope they see we are responding to their feedback."

Featured Image Credit: REAL Crisps/Pixabay

Topics: Food, UK News