UK: Marmite, Bovril? Anyone Eat It Now?
 

Last December at my B&B breakfast table in Eltham, suburban London where mainly Brits stay (21 pounds with breakfast!) as usual there was a bottle of Marmite on the table along with other condiments for toast.
And as usual it appeared to have not been used in ages - the top stuck as i opened it telling me it hadn't been opened for many a month - dried Marmite was caked on the jars lid. The expiration date on the jar - in 2003 - told me more - it was still nearly full, with just a few scrapes taken out of it.
I actually used it daily, spreading some on my toast with peanut butter - as a way of getting my vitamin B overdose. (Contents are basically yeast my souvenir bottle at home says and contains all kinds of vitamin Bs.
But even then the stench of its yeast taste was not appealing - tolerable with peanut butter but not really by itself.
This has been the case in virtually every of the 100s of British B&Bs i've been in - Bovril or Marmite or Sainsbury's generic brand sitting there forlorn, rarely it seems seeing the light of day.
Q - does any Brit eat this stuff anymore - i still see it on store shelves - and if they do, do they do it as taking their medicine or do they find it tasty? It's something me a Yank is wondering about?
Does anybody eat the stuff? The Marmite bottle i have says it's a "delicious" spread!

I know a bunch of Aussies who eat it...dont know any Brits who do though.

You really need to go on "Jeopardy"...there's no way you could possibly lose!!!

I eat it! I like it spread thinly on toast; it's salty and a little goes a long way. I also add it to stews.

It does sound disgusting mixed with peanut butter!

Australians have a version called Vegimite.

Marmite is very popular here. Don't let the fact that you had difficulty opening the jar make you think it hadn't been opened recently. Marmite is like that, very sticky indeed.

Most Brits don't eat bovril - it's a drink with boiling water. It used to be called beef tea.

Both Marmite and Bovril are delicious spread THINLY on toast, crumpets, bagels, etc. I have one or the other almost every day for breakfast, and so do my children. Forget the supermarket own brands.

Marmite on buttered toast is very nice under scrambled eggs.

Marmite is also good in peanut butter sandwiches, and also in cucumber sandwiches.

Apparently mosquitos are less keen to attack those who eat Marmite regularly.

I was once told that eating Marmite after a heavy night out helps to prevent a hangover the next day.

There is The Marmite Cookbook by Paul Hartley, which has several 5* reviews on amazon, and is a very funny book too.

Now if you want something different to spread on your toast, try Patum Peperium, the gentleman's relish!

Or a nice bloater paste.

julia t - Funny yo should mention Patum Peperium - on my last night in London last December i went shopping for the usual Marmite jar that i always give to my brother as a joke for Christmas (he actually uses it in cooking for the vitamin boost) and i grabbed a platic tin of The Gentleman's Relish - and it's been laying collection dust in my cupboard - i just got it out after reading your last line and will soon try it - it says "delicious on hot toast" - seems though like anchovies are a main ingredient and they aren't my favorite but will tell you how i find it! Thanks for that reference.

p.s Who are these people who are EATING Bovril? It is wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

They need to go to more football matches where they will see Bovril in it's natural home.

Aussies eat vegemite not marmite - you probably won't believe it if you are sweet toothed seppo (yank) but there is a huge difference in taste between the two.

I carry a little jar when I travel o'seas particularly to put on the bagels provided for breakfast as I need that savoury vitamin B fix in the morning. It's also fantastic on a fresh warm baguette in france.

It's great for a hangover as well.

Am i the only person who uses marmite or vegemite to HIDE the taste of peanut butter ?

Have you ever tried Bovril on toast? It's not that bad, neither are Bovril crisps...

Do you remember Jerry Hall advertising Bovril on TV - probably around 15-20 years ago now.

PalQ - try the PP, but do spread it VERY thinly the first time, otherwise your tastebuds will object strongly and you will hate PP ever after.

Don't forget to wash your Marmite down with a shot of Fernet for a real taste treat.

I've had Bovril crisps, but I've never eaten Bovril (and I've eaten most british things over the years; jellied eels; faggots; snake and pygmy pie etc).

It's suitable for vegetarians now. That can't be right.

Oops didn't mean to set off a Marmite - Bovril war!

Marmite is a food. Bovril is a drink.

Them's the rules.

Frankly anyone deviating from this needs to be burned at the stake. Really it is that serious.

I don't want to start a storm in a marmite/vegemite jar.
However, I looked up the ingredients of vegemite on the Internet and compared them with a marmite jar I happened to have in the house.
They were absolutely identical.
Faced with the facts, the Aussie friend I told about it still insisted that the taste was different,

Vegemite comes in a rubbish jar. Marmite comes in a work of art.

Well you'll have to burn me at the stake Audere! I can't stand marmite but love Bovril on toast. Problem is I'm really fussy about using a clean knife or teaspoon to get it out the jar.
If I see crumbs or butter bits inside I bin the whole lot.

A fussy Bovril eater? I'm off to buy some stakes.

And a cheap lighter from a homeless looking bloke in the street.