The name of Britain’s most divisive spread is, ironically, not British at all. "Marmite" is a French word (pronounced "mar-meet") for a large, covered earthenware or metal cooking pot. The original spread was sold in these very pots, and a picture of one still graces the iconic label today, a nod to its continental heritage.

This choice of name was likely an early attempt at marketing, associating the humble yeast extract with the sophisticated world of French cuisine. It lent an air of culinary prestige to a product that was, in essence, a recycled by-product of the brewing industry.

The earthenware pots were eventually phased out in the 1920s in favour of the bulbous glass jars we now recognise, but the name and the picture on the label remain a charming and slightly baffling piece of its history.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marmite, https://www.secretfoodtours.com/blog/what-is-marmite-and-why-is-it-so-popular-in-the-uk/