New Zealand company My Food Bag has given a tongue-in-cheek response to a German multinational corporation's threat of legal action over the use of the word 'hello'.

Photo: Supplied

My Food Bag received a cease and desist order from Berlin-based food delivery service HelloFresh, via law firm Bird & Bird, requesting it refrain from using the phrase "Hello Fresh" in any of its branding.

HelloFresh has operations in the US, Europe, Canada and Australia and took issue with My Food Bag's use of the phrase in its 'Hello Fresh Start the Programme.'

My Food Bag sent a flippant response to the cease and desist order, which read like this:

Kia ora Herr Griesel and Herr Ries,

Greetings from Aotearoa.

We don't often get heavyweight German multinational corporations taking the time to write to us Kiwis. Ka pai. It's pretty cool that you've heard of our awesome Fresh Start programme down here in NZ.

What's not cool is you fellas trying to stop us saying 'hello' to our Fresh Start family. That's just not the Kiwi way. In fact, we thought you guys must be pulling our leg?! Down here in God's Own, all of us have the right to say hello, kia ora or g'day. Just ask Winston.

It sounds like something is weighing on your mind, so we're sending you our Hello Fresh Start pack, so you can kick start your health goals and say hello to a new you.

So in short we've decided "yeah, nah", and we wish you fellas a good day. Otherwise our lawyers, Gumboot & Gumboot are always good for a yarn. They're top draw red bands.

Haere rā,

The My Food Bag Family

My Food Bag chief executive Cecilia Robinson said while the response was tongue-in-cheek, she believed the German company's actions were unwarranted.

"Who would've thought a simple 'hello' could get you in so much trouble?

"This is a word we have used in our communications with customers since we first launched My Food Bag in 2013 - surprising as that may be - and we will continue to do so," Ms Robinson said.