Marmite and Bovril Special

Last week we started a "do you love it, or do you hate it?" special on Marmite. Our theory was that those who love it would appreciate a dollar off the price for a jar of the stuff. Those who hate it wouldn't buy it at any price.

When I started the special offer I reasoned that Marmite is one of those products that you just can't be indifferent about. It is a yeast extract - a by-product of the beer brewing process - with an intensely strong, salty, savoury flavour. I was right, we sold a lot of Marmite to its fans and got a lot of groans from those who hate it.

So, feeling encouraged, I threw another product into the same deal. Bovril is a product with an identity crisis. Originally a beef extract, it suddenly became a yeast extract - similar to Marmite - a few years ago. The name remained the same but the contents of the jar changed completely. Now it has switched back again. It makes a great comfort drink on a hard day, so take pity on this poor jar of confused goodness and take it home for a hug - it will hug you right back.