3rd January: Marmite

Today is Marmite's 114th anniversary. Love it or hate it, here are the facts:

1. Marmite was invented in the late 19th century by German scientist Justus von Liebig who discovered that brewer's yeast could be concentrated, bottled and eaten.
2. The first Marmite factory started production in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, with the yeast needed for the paste supplied by Bass Brewery. By 1907, the product had become successful enough to warrant construction of a second factory at Camberwell Green in London. Today, in Burton upon Trent, there is a £15,000 sculpture of a Marmite jar, nick-named Monumite.
3. The name Marmite comes from a type of traditional casserole dish from France. It is this which is pictured on the standard British Marmite jar. The jars are similar in shape to the dishes, as well, and up until the 1920s Marmite came in earthenware pots.
4. In Britain the product has traditionally been available in 2, 4, 8 and 16 oz jars.
5. In 2009 a thief stole 18 jars from a petrol station in a month. In the end, the owner had to stop stocking it. It would have been bad news for the thief if he had been caught and sent to prison, because in the same year, Marmite was reportedly banned in prisons because inmates had been using it to create an alcoholic drink called Marmite Mule.
6. Some claim that if you put a blob of Marmite on a plate and repeatedly tap it with a spoon, it turns white – or at least lighter in colour, because the Marmite becomes full of tiny bubbles.
7. Marmite is known for being something people either love or hate, and it has become synonymous with something that polarises public opinion. Surveys in the UK have shown that 33% of Brits love it while 33% hate it - so in actual fact, 34% don't really care either way. People who hate it include Russell Brand, Madonna and Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka, who has never actually tried it, because he has a phobia of it. Marmite lovers include Britney Spears, Eddie Redmayne, The Rolling Stones, and Dido.
8. In Sri Lanka, hot Marmite is used as a hangover cure. Marmite is dissolved in boiling water and some lime juice and a fried, sliced onion added.
9. Marmite was included as part of a soldier's rations in both world wars.
10. In 2012, there was a Marmite shortage in New Zealand when the one Marmite factory there had to close after the 2011 earthquake made its cooling tower unsafe. There was panic buying in supermarkets and Marmite became known as "Black gold." The crisis itself was nicknamed "Marmageddon".