Latke lovers are in crisis after food company Rakusen’s shelved Britain’s most popular kosher frozen potato products.
Fans of the treat have said that Chanucah will never be the same after Rakusen’s ended production of its Mister Rak’s range.
Leeds-based Rakusen’s said it could no longer supply its mini-latkes or triangle latkes due to “issues with the manufacturer”. Managing director Alan Pridmore said it was unlikely that the brand would be resurrected with another manufacturer. “We obviously make decisions with our rabbis and commercially, and for a wealth of reasons it was not possible to continue with the latkes.
“We are sorry about it because we have been selling them for many years. Things have a natural life, and often through no fault of your own that has to stop.”
Consumers, shocked to discover supermarket freezers bereft of the Rakusen’s products, took to Twitter to bemoan the loss, using hashtags including #latkeloss and #potatopanic.
Rakusen’s fan David Zysblat said he was “devastated” by the development: “Rakusen’s latkes cannot be matched by any of their competitors. The little round latkes, and even the big triangles, have been an institution in my life since an early age. My Tuesday night meal of viennas and latkes was a staple part of my diet — now what?”
A number of firms are hoping to fill the gap. Tesco confirmed this week that its own-brand, London Beth Din-supervised kosher mini-latkes are on sale all year round. A McCain spokesman confirmed the company had previously produced the latke range for Rakusen’s, but said the arrangement had ended last year for commercial reasons.
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