Fray Bentos "Bully Beef" - was it just salty muck?

[Guest]

One of those "what-ifs".  If only they had researched this BEFORE the Dardanelles campaign.  I'd rather have what the Indians were having at ANZAC...

- 16 Oct 1915: Report on 7 brands of canned meat in use here, viz:

1. Libby McNeill and Libby (Chicago); 2. Davis (Toronto); 3. Plate brand (La Plata S.A.); 4. Clark (Montreal); 5. Cudaby Pkg Co. (Omaha, Neb); 6. Fray Bentos (Oxo Ltd, London); 7. Harrison Brand Boiled beef (Chicago).

Of these No.7 was found much the best. The others were all superior to Fray Bentos (N.6), which is overcooked, lacks flavour and is saltier than the others. Assistant Director of Medical Services, 2nd Australian Division, War Diary, October 1915, item no. 26/19/2, page 4.

And this was the author.

[Diary entry 16 Oct 1915] Spent most of the morning examining and comparing seven brands of tinned meat, owing to complaints about one brand called Fray Bentos made by Oxo Ltd.  Non one loves this and tins, unopened, are lying all over the place. Reginald Jeffrey Millard, personal diary, held by AWM, Accession Number RCDIG0000181.

Edited 1 October , 2021 by Guest
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