You either love it or you hate it,
Marmite’s not easy to adore,
Some just have to taste it,
And they want it more and MORE!
The history of marmite is brief yet colourful. It all began with the discovery that yeast was, in fact, a living organism, and contained nutritional value. A German chemist then discovered that by concentrating it, it was able to be made into a substance that looked, smelled and tasted like meat, but was completely vegetarian. Finally, a new company – Marmite Food Company Limited – set up a business, and bided their time, attempting to bowl over England with their new taste. The man who finally invented marmite also invented the oxo cube. In 1912, the discovery of the vitamins in the yeast lead to a new boost for the company, so much so that in the war, marmite was served to the soldiers as a healthy snack and was also so important that during World War II that the prisoners of war in Japan claimed it was boot polish to prevent their captors taking it away. Marmite is a symbol of British life, as well as being a favourite food of the Royal family. Today there are LOADS of different types of marmite flavoured snacks, including bread sticks, crisps, spreadable tubs, squeezable pots, and even CEREAL BARS. The manufacturers claim that no two batches are exactly the same.
Despite its popularity, there’s still a debate raging about its taste, some people love it, others loathe it. The big question is, what’s the ratio of hate to love? Recently, the producers of marmite have made a new recipe, changing the original recipe that has been in place for 108 years! This newer version of the marmite is supposedly extra-thick, extra-strong and, of course, extra-tasty! Of course, there is an ongoing war between marmite lovers and marmite haters, and the BBC school reporting team set out to see whether more people love it or hate it.
Another question we have chosen to investigate is whether older people are more likely to “loathe” marmite than when they’re younger. To do this, we asked people of all ages around the school about their opinions of marmite. We have officially discovered that more people love marmite than loathe it at the Abbey, and this count included teachers, so we’ve also found the answer to our other question. Many of the teachers at the Abbey school have been found to LOVE marmite, proving that older people DO enjoy marmite. There were a few indecisions, but in general, as we thought, most people either loved it or loathed it!
(DID YOU KNOW? : Half the people in the marmite factory loathe marmite flavour.
We also found someone who smears marmite on her CHOCOLATE cupcakes!)
LOATHE
In our school 115/231 people hate it :
Sophie thinks that Marmite is the most disgusting and vile creation man has ever made with yeast.
Fatmata says that the colour of Marmite is disgusting and she would otherwise attempt eating it.
Radhika believes that whoever invented Marmite had bad taste buds.
Libby thinks that Marmite is too 'gloopy'.
LOVE
In our school 116/231 people love it:
Miss Hogg says that Marmite tastes great on toast!
Lili thinks that liking Marmite is a quality passed down by generations.
Laila thinks that Marmite is good because you only have to use a little bit so it lasts for ages.
Tara thinks Marmite is great because it goes with 'EVERYTHING!'