| In 1922, a Melbourne man called Fred Walker (who started the Fred Walker Company which eventually became Kraft Foods Limited in Australia) had the bright idea of using yeast extract left over from the manufacture of beer to create a wonderful source of vitamin B and a tasty new spread that every Australian will grow up with. But it took many years before the product became a success. Fortunately Fred was a determined and clever marketer as we’ll see. |
| If you want to create products like Vegemite, you’ll need to study to become a food technologist like Dr Cyril P Callister the man who created Vegemite. He spent many months in the laboratory perfecting the formula or recipe which has hardly changed at all in 80 years. You could say it’s where science meets taste. Nice one Cyril. |
| Well the jar certainly did. Vegemite started life in a two ounce (57g) amber glass jar capped with a Phoenix seal and labelled “Pure Vegetable Extract”. Since that time Vegemite has arrived in many different sorts of jars. Jump to our Heritage Gallery if you want to see how the jars and labels have changed over time. Where did the name come? |
| Fred Walker created a national competition with a huge prize for those days of fifty pounds. Unfortunately history didn’t record the winner’s name, but we do know the winning entry was selected by Fred’s daughter. |
| Not at all. It took 14 years of perseverance from Fred Walker before Vegemite became a regular item on Australian shopping lists. It was launched in 1923 with the promise that it was “delicious on sandwiches and toast, and improves the flavour of soups, stews and gravies”. He certainly got that bit right. |
| Vegemite almost didn’t survive in the early days because its arch rival Marmite was already well accepted by Australians. This thick, dark, English spread must have given our Fred some sleepless nights. In fact, things got so bad that he decided to relaunch Vegemite as “Parwill”. What? “If Marmite… then Parwill”. Get it? The name was tried in Queensland and no one there got it. So it was back to Vegemite for Fred. |
| In 1935, a jar of Vegemite was given away with every purchase of a product from the Fred Walker Company range. The promotion lasted for two long years. Australians tried Vegemite and loved it. Sales soared and the rest is history. |
| In 1937 a limerick contest involving Vegemite was launched with Pontiac cars among the prizes. Entries poured in and Australians were soon eating Vegemite on a massive scale. Sorry you're 66 years too late to enter. |
| Vegemite was officially endorsed by the British Medical Association just prior to the war allowing Vegemite to be advertised in the Australian Medical Journal. It meant medical professionals could recommend Vegemite to their patients as a rich source of vitamin B. |
| By 1942 Vegemite was fuelling Australian troops and supplies to civilians therefore had to be strictly rationed. The Armed Forces were buying Vegemite in seven pound (3.2kg) and eight ounce (227g) tins plus half ounce (14g) individual portions. |
| The 'baby boom' started in Australia after the war creating a huge new market for Vegemite - all with official endorsement. Baby care expert, Sister McDonald told the Women's Weekly that "Vegemite is most essential". Welfare Centres were recommending babies have their quota of Vitamin B1, B2 and Niacin - all found in Vegemite. |
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