“This is a massive win for us as a small business. We are so proudly Australian and we are so grateful to every single one of you that gave us words of encouragement and support,” Walters told Today this morning.
“This little thing,” he added, holding a jar of Vegemite.
“Who would have thought it would be such a massive point of contention?”
The fight to keep serving Vegemite was aided by Albanese, who Walters said “opened doors” for the CFIA to backflip on its ruling.
“Of course the PM did a fantastic job kind of opening doors, getting it in the conversation and honestly, as an Aussie expat on the other side of the world, just building their dream coffee shop it’s very easy to feel far from home,” he added.
“And so this whole experience has basically made me feel right at home all over again. It’s given me a taste of Aussie culture that you guys actually care about us.”
Walters said he has received hundreds of messages from fellow expats who also wanted a taste of home in Canada.
The most popular Vegemite-infused cafe treat are his cheesy scrolls.
“We sell thousands of them every month, and so we’re glad that we’re not going to go to jail for serving them,” Walters laughed.
Albanese earlier described the food authority’s latest decision as “a win for Australian industry”.
“It’s also a win for those people in Canada who get to enjoy this wonderful product that is so much a part of Australian culture and indeed, Australian pride as well,” Albanese said.
“I can report after the discussions that my government has had with the Government of Canada, and I want to thank (Canadian Prime Minister) Mark Carney and his office and his team for ensuring that the Australian cafe owner Leighton Walters can once again have Vegemite back in his cafe, back on the agenda.
“Happy Easter to all those happy little Vegemites out there.”