 | | 
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. | |
| | | |
| | 
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. | |
| | | |
| | 
Multi-purpose jars were introduced 10 years after Vegemite's initial launch. Once the jar was empty it could be used as an egg cup, salt and pepper shaker or mustard pot (complete with spoon). Your grand parents may even still be drinking out of their Vegemite glasses. Ask them to tell you about how they grew up with Vegemite. | |
| | | |
| | 
Once Vegemite became popular, it became available in 2, 4, 6, 8 ounce jars and 1 and 6 pound tins. The label was also changed from "Pure Vegetable Extract" to the more accurate description, "Pure Yeast Extract". The production department at Kraft was still not satisfied and the description changed to "Concentrated Yeast Extract". Men in white coats are never satisfied. | |
| | | |
| | 
In the 1940s Vegemite was sold in reusable plastic beakers. They were different coloured with labels featuring famous Disney characters such as Pinocchio, Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. | |
| | | |
| | 
By 1952 the Vegemite label featured a "K", reflecting the association with Kraft. But it was in the sixties that the label and logo changed several times to become, substantially, the label we recognize today. The "K" became "Kraft" surrounded by an elongated hexagon. Government regulations required further changes in the 1970s. In 1989 the words "All Natural" were added and in 1991 the metal lid with a new, yellow, tamper-evident plastic one. This is now the jar and label that you see today. | |
| | | |
| | 
In April 1984, Vegemite made history when a 115g jar became the first product in Australia to be electronically scanned at a checkout in a New South Wales' supermarket. Can you imagine how long your supermarket shopping would take with the price of every item having to be entered into the cash register. | |
| | | |
| | 
In 1999 Vegemite became available in a plastic tube, making it ideal for travellers and campers. The tube was so popular that it was relaunched in 2002. | |
| | | |
| | 
Vegemite came in a reusable glass for a limited time in 2000 much to the delight of collectors of Vegemite memorabilia. | |
| | | |
| | 
In 1999, Vegemite SnackAbouts were created so kids and their parents could snack on Vegemite anywhere, anytime. With four buttery crispbreads in every pack and a handy red stick for spreading. Do you have them in your lunchbox? | |
| | | |
| | 
It was way back in 1954 that the jingle was first performed on radio when three Happy Little Vegemites burst into song. Toes started tapping across the land. By 1956 the Happy Little Vegemites became a television commercial. It showed happy, healthy children enjoying themselves. The campaign continued in various ways on radio and television until the late 1960s. It was reintroduced in the 1980s when the original Happy Little Vegemites commercials were dusted off and colourised (television was not always in colour) giving new generations of Australians the chance to experience the happy memories of a more distant time. Ask your grand parents how they passed the time without television at all - much less in black and white. | |
| | | |
| | 
The jingle was rerecorded for radio in 2002 with morning sounds such as birds tweeting, alarms sounding and toast popping out of toasters - all in perfect time with the jingle. | |
| | | |
| | 
Today Vegemite, which remains relatively unchanged in recipe and label, now sells over 22 million jars every year. Vegemite may have started on toast but it remains a vital ingredient in many contemporary recipes such as risotto. | |
| | | |
| | 
Kraft has had an on-going commitment since the 1920s to reinforce the message to Australians that Vegemite is nearly five times more concentrated than yeast, making it one of the world's richest sources of the energy giving Vitamin B group. And the best thing for breakfast since sliced bread. | |
