Pre-Budget southern snack courts controversy

As the Finance Minister prepares to deliver the Wellbeing Budget this afternoon, he is drawing sustenance from a very southern snack from a popular St Clair cafe.

Finance Minister Grant Robertson tweeted a picture of himself and the Prime Minister with a copy of the budget, as well as a plate of cheese rolls, made by Starfish Cafe in Dunedin.

"Budget Day tradition- cheese rolls, this time from Dunedin itself, specifically Starfish cafe. Really looking forward to delivering the #WellbeingBudget from 2pm,'' Mr Robertson tweeted. 

Mr Robertson courted controversy by selecting cheese rolls made with rye bread and by suggesting Dunedin is the "home" of cheese rolls and commented on the choice in a pre-Budget video.

"Special story about this year's cheese rolls, they have been brought up from Dunedin, arguably the home of cheese rolls.

"Apologies to the people of Southland."

He said Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was worried about him spilling cheese on the Budget day tie she had gifted him.

Ms Ardern said she would "withhold" her judgement on the selection of rye bread after last year's cheese rolls attracted controversy for being garnished.

People on social media were also questioning the choice of rye for the the plate of southern sushi.

Dunedin man Hamish McNeilly took to twitter to decry the inclusion of brown bread cheese rolls alongside the more traditional white bread offerings, posting a tongue-in-cheek call for Mr Robertson's resignation.

"BROWN BREAD CHEESE ROLLS. RESIGN!!,'' Mr McNeilly tweeted. 

Questions over the inclusion of brown bread cheese rolls as a pre-budget snack continued to roll in this morning.

Auckland man Ollie Ritchie described their inclusion as a ''massive call'' on twitter.

Starfish Cafe could not be reached for comment this morning.