Mad Butcher adds to supermarket bullying row

Mr Morton was not a supplier to Countdown himself. "But I've definitely had comments from suppliers where that has been brought up to me, that they had pressure put on them.''

There was "a culture of bullying within the whole organisation'', Mr Morton said.

The Mad Butcher got "smashed with lawyers' letters'' and complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority when the company engaged in comparative advertising claiming its products were cheaper.

"They come down like a sledgehammer with lawyers letters,'' he said.

"They're being bullies because they believe that they're big and they're powerful, they can send us all these letters, they have lawyers on staff, they have some of the biggest law firms in New Zealand working for them, and they think they can tie you up with that litigation.

"I'm trying to stand up for the little guys here of New Zealand, and say, 'Listen New Zealanders, you should support the little guys here in New Zealand.'''