Vegemite is turning 100 next year! Wooohooo!

The iconic Aussie spread was first invented in 1923 when food technologist Cyril Percy Callister invented the Aussie version of the British-made Marmite while working as a food technician with manufacturing company Fred Walker & Co.

Mr Callister, who was born in Chute, invented the yeast spread in order to compete with its British counterpart.

Almost 100 years since the spread became available, residents of Beaufort, Victoria are paying tribute to the food technologist by opening a pop-up museum in honour of his contributions to Australian cuisine.

Beaufort community leader Liza Robinson said that she and some volunteers have transformed a former 1950s service station into a temporary museum.

Liza Robinson and her team installed the pop-up museum dedicated to the inventor of Vegemite, Cyril Percy Callister. Credit: Richard Cornish.​

Ms Robinson admitted that it took four years to convince and share their vision to their local government before the project was approved.

She said: "It's really is just a toe in the water."

"We are asking people to donate their Vegemite memorabilia so Beaufort becomes the national repository."

Ms Robinson also commented on the success of vegemite, saying: "Sales were originally flat, and the sales team at Fred Walker & Co did not share Callister's vision. They did not market its health benefits, despite Callister proving it was high in B vitamins."

It was said that the yeast spread’s fortune began when Fred Walker & Co gained permission to make and distribute Kraft processed cheese in Australia, allowing the manufacturer to market the all-Australia spread alongside the cheese.

When World War II began, the spread was included in the ration supply of Aussie soldiers in a bid to boost their B vitamins.

The inclusion of the product in soldier ration kits allowed a sizeable audience to adopt the taste for it into their daily diet when the soldiers returned home.

Vegemite was used to be rationed to Aussie soldiers during World War II. Credit: Richard Cornish.​

With that in mind, the museum's collection included WWII army ration tin and other memorabilia, a small bottle of Vegemite that was handed out to new mothers during the time in a bid to boost their nutrition during breastfeeding, and vintage posters that were used to advertise the product during the 1950s.

Visitors of the Beaufort museum can also buy Vegemite scrolls and Vegemite brownies from a pop-up bakery located next door.

Ms Robinson said that she and her team are self-declared "Vegemaniacs".

"We want Beaufort to be to Vegemite what Parkes is to Elvis, with a yearly festival celebrating its founder. Vegemite is in our DNA," she said.

The Cyril Callister Pop-Up Museum opens this weekend at Servo 23, 23 Neill Street, Beaufort and will open on the fourth weekend of the month. For more details, please visit cyrilcallisterfoundation.org.

 

[Barbs helen]

Been eating it my whole life and can't imagine being without it. Love it

 

[JayKay]

I've always loved Vegemite, spread not too thickly though.
The way it melts into piping hot butter toast....oohh, yum.
As I am allergic to the allium family of vegetables, ie onions, garlic, leeks, chives, I add a spoonful of Vegemite to mince meat for spaghetti bolognaise or cottage pie.
It adds a special flavour.
Another use of Vegemite:
When I started nursing YEARS ago, we lived in the Nurses Home (NOT Nursing Home!).
The school above played tricks on us newbies.
The toilet seats were black, and the "fun" part was the oldies painted the toilet seats with Vegemite or honey.
Not visible in the dark cubicles!
It was certainly felt.
All part of the introduction, but it caused many a mess.

 

[PepeLePew]

My granddaughter loves to cook scones when she's at my place so over the school holidays we tried experimenting with different flavours. Vegemite came out on top of the list, haven't cooked plain scones since.