Premier Foods supplier row sparks Twitter storm
Barry Sheerman, Labour MP for Huddersfield, said Premier Foods was acting like “food mafia”, while other commentators called for a boycott of the manufacturer’s products.
Food commentator Jay Rayner described Premier Foods’s demands for investment payments as “brutal” and said the firm came across as “a bunch of shysters”.
‘Mr Kipling takes exceedingly large bribes’
Displaying a little more humour, Bob Hawkins tweeted: “Mr Kipling takes exceedingly large bribes”.
Dan Crossley of the Food Ethics Council said the story revealed why Britain needed a Food Power Adjudicator.
The comments followed a BBC TV Newsnight investigation about the firm’s supplier investment strategy. One contributor said the manufacturer’s action was like having “a gun held to your head”.
But a Premier Foods spokeswoman told FoodManufacture.co.uk the company had done nothing wrong.
Mr Kipling takes exceedingly large bribes#r4today#premierfoods
— Bob Hawkins (@salvatorRosa) December 5, 2014Premier Foods story shows why we need a Food Power Adjudicator, rather than just a GCA (only 10 biggest retailers)! http://t.co/mEH0JXHaXZ
— Dan Crossley (@dan_crossley) December 5, 2014Premier Foods,one of the UK's biggest manufacturers, has been asking suppliers for payments to continue doing business with them.SCANDALOUS!
— Michael Cashman (@mcashmanCBE) December 5, 2014Premier Foods brands you may wish to boycott include: AmbrosiaBatchelorsBistoLoyd GrossmanMr KiplingOXOSharwood's#premierfoods
— GB Stamp (@GB_Stamp) December 5, 2014Dear Premier Foods, If you wish to continue to supply my household with OXO cubes, please pay £200 immediately. Thank you. #PremierFoods
— Jason Lee (@JasonLeeGYUK) December 5, 2014#PremierFoods: "investments" required of suppliers = BRIBES!Are your own CEO, chairman and board required to invest 100% of their salaries?
— Matthew Slyman (@MatthewSlyman) December 5, 2014Premier Foods asking suppliers to make an 'investment' is like blackmail. Doesn't help the Procurement profession. http://t.co/JN4C1n9ADV
— Tina Fegent (@tinafegent) December 5, 2014Premier Foods acting more like a food mafia well suited to their awful #KraftFood friends @BBCr4today
— Barry Sheerman MP (@BarrySheerman) December 5, 2014Premier Foods is operating a protection racket with 'pay to stay' supplier blackmail scam - boycott Oxo Mr Kipling Batchelors Sharwoods etc
— Journalism Centre (@journocentre) December 4, 2014Brutal @BBCNewsnight report on @PremierFoods_FS who come across technically speaking, as a bunch of shysters. Total legal of course. Perhaps
— Jay Rayner (@jayrayner1) December 4, 2014So is payment for opportunity to supply massively different to donations to political parties which secure access to senior figures.
— Terry Jones (@terry_PTF) December 5, 2014
