The Pickle Switch | Heinz pickle vending machine
On Thursday 15 August, the ‘picky pickle’ eaters among us can visit Diego’s Burgers in Rotterdam from 12.00pm. Here, Heinz is launching the new ‘Pickle Switch’, where you can throw in the pickle from your burger as payment, in exchange for a free 220ml bottle of Heinz Tomato Ketchup Pickle flavour. A pickle swap, while stocks last!
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The ‘Pickle Switch’ at Diego’s Burgers in Rotterdam
The Pickle Switch descends in Rotterdam for one afternoon and is a playful response to new research (July 2024, conducted by YouGov on behalf of Kraft Heinz) among 2,000 Dutch adults. This shows that 38% of Dutch people prefer to remove the pickle from their burgers even before they take their first bite. When asked why they commit such a culinary crime, 26% cited texture – not taste – as the main thing that keeps them from pickles. And don’t be alarmed, because the ‘Pickle Switch’ actually has someone swapping your pickle for the new Heinz Tomato Ketchup Pickle flavour.
Pickle flavour
Scientists claim that the strong flavour of pickles perfectly counterbalances the umami flavour of other ingredients on a burger such as meat, tomatoes and cheese. The University of Oxford (England) has stated that keeping pickle on your burger is the best way to optimise its flavour. This is because the acid of pickles cuts through the rich umami, creating a harmonious flavour mix.
The nickname of founder Henry J. Heinz was ‘The Pickle King’
Heinz knows this all too well, as this is where passion and love for pickles has reigned for more than 150 years. And not without reason, as founder Henry J. Heinz even bore ‘the Pickle King’ as a nickname. What if there were a way for the pickle-loving company to remove the barriers of texture and colour as well as turn pickle-phobia into true pickle fans? Heinz thinks it has the solution.
Mirthe Enklaar, Senior Brand Manager at Heinz says: “At Heinz, we believe that pickles and burgers belong together like Batman and Robin. The love of pickle is rooted in Heinz’s DNA, with founder Henry J. Heinz being a huge fan. To continue to surprise consumers with innovation in flavour, without denying our DNA, that’s partly why we launched our Heinz Tomato Ketchup Pickle flavour.”
“We want to make the taste of pickle accessible to everyone, which is why we developed the Heinz Pickle Switch. An attempt to show the world that even those who are far from embracing the texture of pickle, irrationally love Heinz Tomato Ketchup Pickle flavour. With Heinz’s Pickle Switch, Dutch people can exchange their pickle slices from their burger for a free bottle of Heinz Tomato Ketchup Pickle flavour. Whether pickle haters are put off by the texture, with Heinz’s Pickle Switch, pickle-curious people can enjoy all the benefits of the amazingly fresh delicious flavour, without the perceived disadvantages of the small but mighty pickle.”
Website: Heinz in the Netherlands