ABOUT VEGEMITE
What Is It?
What’s dark brown, very high in Vitamin B, gets
made at a rate of 4 jars per second and is found
in 9 out of 10 homes in Australia? Why, Vegemite
of course!!
Never tried it? Then you’re in for an exciting new flavor! It’s a food spread extracted from yeast that has
a very unique hard-to-describe flavor. Frequently used as a topping on bread or toast, it has a salty
taste that is quite strong, so – “spread thinly”. Some have described it as having a flavor that reminds
them of bouillon although it contains no meat products. If you have never tried it before, proceed as
follows: Spread butter or margarine on your bread, toast or cracker, followed by a very thin layer of
Vegemite (not enough to make a continuous dark brown coating) and – enjoy! Remember – it’s
concentrated so don’t try eating it by the spoonful, and don't spread it thickly like jam or peanut butter!
What’s In It?
Ingredients: Yeast extract, salt, potassium chloride, malt extract, caramel color, natural flavor,
nicotinamide, thiamine hydrochloride, riboflavin, sulfur dioxide.
Nutritional facts (per 1 tsp (5g) serving):
Calories 10
Total Fat 0g
Sodium 160mg (7% DV)
Potassium 65 mg (2% DV)
Total Carb. < 1g
Protien 2g
Calcium (2% DV)
Iron (2% DV)
Thiamine (35% DV )
Riboflavin (45% DV)
Niacin (25% DV)
Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Yeast is a natural source of the Vitamin B complex which includes biotin, folate, niacin, pantothenic acid,
pyridoxine, p-amino benzoic acid, riboflavin, thiamine and other compounds. Yeast extract concentrates
this healthy combination making it one of the richest known sources of the vitamin B group. Vegemite also
contains other essential proteins and minerals – all of which make it an excellent addition to your diet.
The Vegemite Story
How It All Started
Vegemite was first produced in Australia to compete with an already established food spread from
England – Marmite. In 1922 a chemist named Dr. Cyril Callister was hired by Fred Walker to develop a
spread from brewer's yeast, one of the world’s richest natural sources of the vitamin B group. Dr.
Callister developed a tasty spreadable paste that was marketed in a two ounce (57g) amber glass jar
capped with a Phoenix seal and a label that read "Pure Vegetable Extract". Walker then turned to the
Australian public to name his spread by conducting a national trade-name competition offering a
handsome 50 pound prize pool for the finalists. It is no longer known who won the prize but it was Walker's
daughter, Sheilah, that picked the winning name of “Vegemite” out of the hundreds of entries.
The company described it as "Delicious on sandwiches and toast, and improves the flavour of soups,
stews and gravies" but the product sold poorly. Several years later Walker tried changing the name to
Parwill to help improve sales, but with no success.
About this time an agreement between Walker and the firm of James L. Kraft from Chicago, Illinois led to
the making of processed cheese in Australia. A sister company called the Kraft Walker Cheese Co. was
established alongside Fred Walker and Co. In 1935 the company launched a 2-year coupon redemption
plan that gave away a jar with every purchase of the already-successful cheese products. Australians
tried Vegemite and loved it. Sales soared and were boosted even more with other innovative promotions,
endorsement by the British Medical Association and by the growing public awareness of the value of
vitamins. This allowed Vegemite to be advertised in the Australian Medical Journal and for medical
professionals to recommend it to their patients as a nutritionally balanced food that was Vitamin B rich.
Off to War!
By the beginning of World War II Vegemite had become a popular item on Australian tables but the war
brought short supply for the civilian market as it had to be rationed on a strict per capita basis to meet the
demand of the Armed Forces. Because of the product’s nutritional value, the Forces were buying
Vegemite by the ton in seven pound (3.2kg) and eight ounce (227g) tins and in 1/2 ounce (14g) individual
portions. By keeping Australians aware of why Vegemite was in short supply, and by continuing to
promote its health virtues, the company generated a great deal of goodwill for the product which provided
a huge post-war market for Vegemite.
Happy Little Vegemites
A decade later the company, now called Kraft Foods Limited, came out with a Vegemite theme song that
has literally become Australia’s second national song. The Happy Little Vegemite song, performed by a
bright trio of little singers, first aired on radio in 1954 and has played a significant part in the company’s
advertising since then. It has been used in different forms down through the years on both radio and TV
and in 2003 it was again chosen for the background music for the new “Spread the Smile” campaign. You
can enjoy the Vegemite jingle using the audio player at the top of the page.
What’s dark brown, very high in Vitamin B, gets
made at a rate of 4 jars per second and is found
in 9 out of 10 homes in Australia? Why, Vegemite
of course!!
Never tried it? Then you’re in for an exciting new flavor! It’s a food spread extracted from yeast that has
a very unique hard-to-describe flavor. Frequently used as a topping on bread or toast, it has a salty
taste that is quite strong, so – “spread thinly”. Some have described it as having a flavor that reminds
them of bouillon although it contains no meat products. If you have never tried it before, proceed as
follows: Spread butter or margarine on your bread, toast or cracker, followed by a very thin layer of
Vegemite (not enough to make a continuous dark brown coating) and – enjoy! Remember – it’s
concentrated so don’t try eating it by the spoonful, and don't spread it thickly like jam or peanut butter!
What’s In It?
Ingredients: Yeast extract, salt, potassium chloride, malt extract, caramel color, natural flavor,
nicotinamide, thiamine hydrochloride, riboflavin, sulfur dioxide.
Nutritional facts (per 1 tsp (5g) serving):
Calories 10
Total Fat 0g
Sodium 160mg (7% DV)
Potassium 65 mg (2% DV)
Total Carb. < 1g
Protien 2g
Calcium (2% DV)
Iron (2% DV)
Thiamine (35% DV )
Riboflavin (45% DV)
Niacin (25% DV)
Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Yeast is a natural source of the Vitamin B complex which includes biotin, folate, niacin, pantothenic acid,
pyridoxine, p-amino benzoic acid, riboflavin, thiamine and other compounds. Yeast extract concentrates
this healthy combination making it one of the richest known sources of the vitamin B group. Vegemite also
contains other essential proteins and minerals – all of which make it an excellent addition to your diet.
The Vegemite Story
How It All Started
Vegemite was first produced in Australia to compete with an already established food spread from
England – Marmite. In 1922 a chemist named Dr. Cyril Callister was hired by Fred Walker to develop a
spread from brewer's yeast, one of the world’s richest natural sources of the vitamin B group. Dr.
Callister developed a tasty spreadable paste that was marketed in a two ounce (57g) amber glass jar
capped with a Phoenix seal and a label that read "Pure Vegetable Extract". Walker then turned to the
Australian public to name his spread by conducting a national trade-name competition offering a
handsome 50 pound prize pool for the finalists. It is no longer known who won the prize but it was Walker's
daughter, Sheilah, that picked the winning name of “Vegemite” out of the hundreds of entries.
The company described it as "Delicious on sandwiches and toast, and improves the flavour of soups,
stews and gravies" but the product sold poorly. Several years later Walker tried changing the name to
Parwill to help improve sales, but with no success.
About this time an agreement between Walker and the firm of James L. Kraft from Chicago, Illinois led to
the making of processed cheese in Australia. A sister company called the Kraft Walker Cheese Co. was
established alongside Fred Walker and Co. In 1935 the company launched a 2-year coupon redemption
plan that gave away a jar with every purchase of the already-successful cheese products. Australians
tried Vegemite and loved it. Sales soared and were boosted even more with other innovative promotions,
endorsement by the British Medical Association and by the growing public awareness of the value of
vitamins. This allowed Vegemite to be advertised in the Australian Medical Journal and for medical
professionals to recommend it to their patients as a nutritionally balanced food that was Vitamin B rich.
Off to War!
By the beginning of World War II Vegemite had become a popular item on Australian tables but the war
brought short supply for the civilian market as it had to be rationed on a strict per capita basis to meet the
demand of the Armed Forces. Because of the product’s nutritional value, the Forces were buying
Vegemite by the ton in seven pound (3.2kg) and eight ounce (227g) tins and in 1/2 ounce (14g) individual
portions. By keeping Australians aware of why Vegemite was in short supply, and by continuing to
promote its health virtues, the company generated a great deal of goodwill for the product which provided
a huge post-war market for Vegemite.
Happy Little Vegemites
A decade later the company, now called Kraft Foods Limited, came out with a Vegemite theme song that
has literally become Australia’s second national song. The Happy Little Vegemite song, performed by a
bright trio of little singers, first aired on radio in 1954 and has played a significant part in the company’s
advertising since then. It has been used in different forms down through the years on both radio and TV
and in 2003 it was again chosen for the background music for the new “Spread the Smile” campaign. You
can enjoy the Vegemite jingle using the audio player at the top of the page.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tea, Marmite and more... |
 |  |  |  |  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
