History
Any time before 1680 can safely be considered the Dark Ages, certainly as far as
Marmite is concerned.
The raw ingredients existed -
Marmite is made from brewer's yeast that's been used to ferment sugars into alcohol - but
Marmite was yet to be invented.
People simply binned the by-products of brewing before they knew any better.
The penny dropped over the next few centuries when people took a closer look at the brewing process.
First of all Dutch scientist, Leouwanhoek, examined the used brewer's yeast with a microscope and saw it was made of tiny cells. The French scientist Louis Pasteur then realised these cells were in fact living plants. These men had not so much discovered yeast (or
Marmite), but they'd discovered its potential nutritional benefits, an important step.
In fact, these men should have been given medals for their contribution to society!!
When German scientist, Liebig discovered that brewer's yeast cells could be concentrated, bottled and eaten,
Marmite was as close to being invented as it's possible to be, without actually having being invented...
It was in 1902 that the
Marmite Food Company (later
Marmite Ltd) was set up in Burton on Trent. Our mission, then as now, was to share the joy of Marmite-eating and make it available to all those with excellent taste.
It took a while to get the machinery and manufacturing process right, but soon enough we started producing great quantities of the spread you know and love today. (Cue widespread celebration and dancing in the streets!)
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