A tweet from the Department for International Trade (DfIT) requesting British jams has caused a major stir on social media.
The DfIT tweeted:
It linked to an advertisement on the “Exporting Is Great” website, which explained: “A fine food representative/agent, with good connections to gourmet distribution and fine food retailers on a national level, is looking for British food & drink brands which offer innovative and high quality jams/marmalades.”
But it seems few people were able to take the appeal seriously, with some suggesting it was straight out of The Thick Of It, while others questioning if the account was supposed to be a parody (it’s not, it’s the verified DfIT account).
Some suggested that trying to flog jam to the French perhaps might not be the best idea...
Others suggested that jam-making extraordinaire Jeremy Corbyn might have some suggestions.
During the “traingate” debacle earlier this year, Jeremy Corbyn was unreachable for some time as he was making jam, according to the Guardian.
During controversy following a statement by Virgin which accused Corbyn of lying about how full a train was, his team had difficulty getting hold of him, the report said.
Questions over who precisely is running the DfIT’s Twitter account were also rife over the jammy tweet...
While many simply wanted to know what specifications jam would need to meet to qualify as “innovative”...
It did not, however, seem that secretary for international trade Liam Fox was pushing the subject too far at the Tory party conference...
The “Exporting Is Great” website advertises export opportunities for all sorts of industries, from medical provisions to foodstuffs.
The punning opportunity was too good for Lib Dem MP Tom Brake to miss. He said: “Liam Fox’s economic credibility is toast. He is clearly spreading himself too thinly and ending up in a real pickle.
“We all want Britain’s jam industry to thrive, but the Government must lift the lid on the issue of Single Market membership that is vital for British businesses.”