When Common Sense Goes Viral
In mid-August 2025, the internet collectively lost its mind over a “shocking discovery” about Marmite jars: the flat sides make it easier to lay the jar on its side and scrape out the last bits of that precious brown gold. Radio 1 DJ Greg James called it “life-changing.” Social media erupted with amazement. And somewhere, packaging engineers around the world let out a collective sigh.
Look, I love Marmite. I really do. But let’s pump the brakes on the “stunned” reactions and talk about what’s actually going on here.
It’s Called Industrial Design, and It’s Everywhere
The flat sides on Marmite jars aren’t some secret hack built into the design by benevolent engineers thinking about your breakfast spreads. They’re there for the same reason flat sides exist on countless other products: efficient stacking, stable shipping, and reduced breakage.
Don’t believe me? Take a look around your kitchen:
- Jack Daniel’s whiskey bottles - Squared sides for pallet stacking
- HP Sauce bottles - Flat panels for stable shipping (another British icon, coincidentally)
- Hendrick’s Gin - Distinctive flat-sided apothecary bottle design
- Perfume bottles - Almost universally flat-sided for retail display and packaging
- Olive oil tins - Rectangular for efficient case packing
- Gordon’s Gin - Square-shouldered for warehousing
- Cointreau - Square bottle, same reason
This isn’t revolutionary design thinking. It’s Packaging 101. Round containers waste space. Flat sides tessellate. Pallets are rectangular. Glass breaks less when bottles aren’t rolling around. End of story.
The Real Story: Viral Content Needs Engagement
So why did this become news? Because in the age of social media, everything old becomes new again when framed as a “revelation.” Someone tilted their Marmite jar on its flat side (which, yes, does make scraping easier), posted it online, and the engagement algorithm did its thing.
To be fair to the excited fans, tilting a jar is a legitimately useful tip for getting those last stubborn dollops out. It’s just not what the flat sides were designed for. It’s a happy accident—a bonus feature of sensible packaging design.
Even Marmite Knows This Isn’t a Thing
When pressed about the “discovery,” a Marmite spokesperson politely confirmed what anyone with packaging experience already knew: the flat sides weren’t originally intended for easier extraction. They diplomatically praised “consumer creativity” (translation: “that’s a nice side benefit”) and pointed to the Marmite Squeezy as the actual engineered solution for getting every last bit.
Which, let’s be honest, is the real answer if you’re genuinely concerned about Marmite waste. The squeezy bottle was specifically designed to solve the extraction problem. The glass jar was designed to sit nicely on a pallet in a warehouse in Burton upon Trent.
The Other Hacks That Actually Help
While we’re here, let’s talk about techniques that actually help with near-empty Marmite jars:
Warm water bath - Immerse the jar in warm (not boiling) water for a few minutes. The residual Marmite becomes more fluid and easier to scrape.
The butter knife swirl - Use a proper butter knife (not a regular knife) and swirl methodically around the bottom and sides. The wider blade surface area helps.
Make Marmite gravy - Add hot water directly to the jar, seal it, shake vigorously, and you’ve got instant stock for gravy or soup.
Just buy the squeezy bottle - Seriously, it’s £3.50 and solves the problem entirely.
Why We Love These ‘Revelations’
There’s something endearing about the collective enthusiasm when people think they’ve uncovered a design secret. It speaks to our desire to feel clever, to be in on something special. And in the case of Marmite—a product that literally markets itself on division—there’s extra satisfaction in mastering its quirks.
But let’s not lose sight of reality. Packaging designers optimize for: - Manufacturing efficiency - Shipping stability - Retail shelf presence - Cost reduction - Material minimization
They’re not sitting in design studios thinking, “How can we make it easier for Trevor in Basingstoke to scrape out the last teaspoon in 2025?”
The Verdict
Is it useful to know you can tilt a Marmite jar on its flat side? Sure. Does it work? Absolutely. Is it worth being “stunned” about? Only if you’re also amazed that square boxes stack better than round ones.
The flat sides are there because glass jars need to survive being shipped in bulk without turning into expensive shards. Everything else is just a pleasant side effect of competent industrial design.
So next time you see a “shocking revelation” about product design going viral, ask yourself: is this actually revolutionary, or is it just Tuesday afternoon at a packaging factory?
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a jar of Marmite to finish. And yes, I’ll be tilting it on its flat side—not because it’s a revelation, but because itworks, just like it does with HP Sauce, mustard jars, and literally hundreds of other products with flat sides.
The Bottom Line
Marmite is brilliant. The jar design is functional and practical. And sometimes, the internet just needs something to be excited about on a slow news day. That’s okay. Just don’t expect packaging engineers to start taking credit for “innovations” they never claimed.
Pass the toast. And maybe a tiny violin for those of us who remember when “stunned” meant something actually stunning.
