No. UK Bovril is 50 per cent beef broth, plus 1 per cent beef powder. But from July 2004 to 2006 Unilever made it without any beef at all, using a yeast mix running at 45 per cent yeast extract. The reason was not vegetarians: it was BSE, an export ban on British beef, and collapsing sales in Malaysia, China and Singapore. The beef came back in 2006 because the bans lifted and sales recovered, not because the vegetarian version failed.
Marmite Articles
Explore our collection of articles about Marmite, Britain's most divisive spread.
Showing articles tagged with: vegan | View all articles
Marmite vs Bovril vs Vegemite vs Oxo: the brown-jar showdown
Four dark, salty British and Australian savoury staples that people muddle up constantly: Marmite, Bovril, Vegemite and Oxo. The one distinction that settles most arguments is what they are made from. Marmite and Vegemite are yeast extract and suit vegetarians and vegans. Bovril and Oxo are built on beef. The rest is detail: dates, owners, and which jar you actually want for the job in hand.
What is Marmite actually made of? A look at the ingredients list, in plain English
The five things on a Marmite jar's label, in plain English: yeast extract, salt, vegetable juice concentrate, five added B vitamins, and a natural flavouring that contains celery. What the list used to say, and what is not in the jar.
Is Marmite vegan, vegetarian, kosher, gluten-free, halal? The dietary status of every variant
A different answer for almost every diet. Marmite is vegan, vegetarian and KLBD-certified kosher; it is NOT gluten free (the yeast is grown on barley and wheat); and it is permissible but not certified halal.
Is Marmite good for you? The nutrition case, with the caveats included
Marmite gets opposite write-ups in the press most weeks. The honest nutrition case: a real B12 and folic acid contribution per teaspoon, a salt warning that matters for some people and is overstated for most.
Marmite vs Bovril: what is the difference between the two brown jars?
Marmite and Bovril are both dark, salty British savoury pastes owned by Unilever, and people mix them up. The difference that matters: Marmite is yeast extract (vegan and vegetarian); Bovril is beef extract and is not. One is for spreading, one for drinking.
If you are vegan, Marmite is doing real work
If you are vegan, your single hardest nutrient is vitamin B12. It is found almost exclusively in animal products, and it does real work: nerve function, red blood cell production, DNA synthesis.
