Leslie Massey
Vegemite is a thick, dark brown Australian food spread made from leftover brewer's yeast extract with various vegetable and spice additives. It was developed by Cyril Callister in Melbourne, Victoria, for the Fred Walker Company in 1922 and was first sold in stores on 25 October 1923. Vegemite has been proudly made in Port Melbourne, Australia, since 1923. However, it was not wholly Australian-owned for almost a century. In 2017, the brand returned to Australian ownership when the Bega Group, an Australian company, purchased it for $460 million.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Made in | Australia |
| Ownership | Bega Cheese Limited |
| Year of becoming Australian-owned | 2017 |
| Previous owners | Mondelez International, Kraft Foods Inc. |
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What You'll Learn
Vegemite was invented in Melbourne in 1923
Callister used autolysis to break down yeast cells from waste obtained from the Carlton & United brewery. He then concentrated the clear liquid extract and blended it with salt, celery, and onion extracts to form a sticky black paste. After months of laboratory tests, he developed a tasty, spreadable product that was initially labelled 'Pure Vegetable Extract'.
The product was first sold in stores on 25 October 1923, but it faced poor sales initially, as Australians were reluctant to try the locally made product. However, in 1930, sales improved when Walker secured the Australian rights to Kraft's processed cheese and co-marketed it with Vegemite. During World War II, Vegemite was included in Australian Army rations, and by the late 1940s, it was used in nine out of ten Australian homes.
Vegemite has been proudly made in Port Melbourne, Australia, for over 100 years. In 2017, the brand returned to Australian ownership when the Bega Group, a dairy company, purchased it from Mondelez International (formerly Kraft Foods Inc.).
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It was developed by Cyril Callister for Fred Walker & Co
Vegemite was developed by Dr. Cyril Callister, a chemist, in Melbourne, Victoria, for Fred Walker & Co. in 1922. Fred Walker, the principal of his eponymous company, commissioned his chief chemist to develop a spread in competition with British Marmite, which dominated the Australian market at the time.
Callister was tasked with developing a spread from the used yeast being dumped by breweries. He used autolysis to break down the yeast cells from the waste obtained from the Carlton & United brewery. By concentrating the clear liquid extract and blending it with salt, celery, and onion extracts, he formed a sticky black paste.
After months of laboratory tests, Callister developed a tasty, spreadable product that was initially labelled 'Pure Vegetable Extract' in 1923. This product was later renamed 'Vegemite' by Fred Walker's daughter, Sheilah, following a competition to name the new spread.
Vegemite was first sold in stores on 25 October 1923 and has been proudly made in Port Melbourne, Australia, ever since. Despite being owned by American companies for several decades, Vegemite is now synonymous with Australia and its culture.
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Vegemite was owned by American companies for decades
Vegemite, a thick, dark brown Australian food spread, was owned by American companies for decades. It was developed by Cyril Callister in Melbourne, Victoria, for the Fred Walker Company in 1922 and was first sold in stores on 25 October 1923. Following the death of Fred Walker in 1935, the Vegemite brand came under the ownership of the American company Kraft Foods.
Tracking the ownership of Vegemite from then on becomes complicated, as Kraft became involved in a complex series of takeovers, mergers, and sell-offs. In 1988, cigarette giant Philip Morris purchased Kraft for US$12.9 billion. The following year, Kraft merged with Philip Morris’s General Foods unit. In 2011, the company split into two divisions, with one of the new entities being named Mondelez International, which became the proprietor of Vegemite.
In 2017, the brand returned to Australian ownership when the Bega Group purchased it from Mondelez International, alongside other assets, for $460 million. Bega Cheese Limited, a dairy company, proudly announced that Vegemite was back in Australian hands.
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Bega Cheese Limited bought Vegemite in 2017
Vegemite is an Australian food spread made from leftover brewer's yeast extract with various vegetable and spice additives. It was developed by Dr. Cyril Callister in Melbourne, Victoria, for the Fred Walker Company in 1922 and was first sold in stores on 25 October 1923. Vegemite has been proudly made in Port Melbourne, Australia, since 1923.
In 1935, after the death of Fred Walker, the Vegemite brand came under the ownership of the American company Kraft Foods. The Vegemite brand was owned by Mondelez International (formerly Kraft Foods Inc.). In 2017, the brand returned to Australian ownership when the Bega Group, Bega Cheese Limited, purchased it alongside other assets from Mondelez International for $460 million. Bega Cheese's Executive Chairman, Barry Irvin, said he was ecstatic to be bringing together two companies with an Australian heritage spanning over 200 years. He also mentioned that the wonderful heritage and values that Vegemite represents and its importance to Australian culture make its combination with Bega Cheese truly exciting.
The Vegemite brand has a history spanning over 100 years and is proudly owned by the great Australian food company, Bega Cheese Limited. Bega Cheese has made a strategic shift with this deal, taking the dairy processor into branded consumer goods. The deal included other Mondelēz International-owned brands, such as ZoOsh and Bonox, and other products that use the Kraft brand under license, such as peanut butter, nut spreads, processed cheese slices, mayonnaise, and Kraft Mac & Cheese. Bega will also receive a license to the Dairylea brand for use in Australia and New Zealand. The Port Melbourne manufacturing site was also transferred to Bega as part of this agreement.
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![Vegemite (7.7 ounce) by Vegemite [Foods]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/514fm2IwHwL._AC_UL320_.jpg)
Vegemite is a popular Australian icon
Vegemite has been proudly made in Port Melbourne, Australia, since 1923. In 1935, after the death of Fred Walker, the Vegemite brand came under the ownership of the American company Kraft Foods. However, in 2017, the brand returned to Australian ownership when the Bega Group, a dairy company, purchased it alongside other assets from Mondelez International (formerly Kraft Foods Inc.) for $460 million.
Vegemite is an iconic Australian brand that has been embraced by Australians and woven into the fabric of the nation. It is known for its strong flavour and high vitamin B content. Vegemite was included in Australian Army rations during World War II and was used in nine out of ten Australian homes by the late 1940s. It has also been referenced in songs, souvenirs, and other popular culture ephemera.
The popularity of Vegemite in Australia is evident through its impact on the country's culture and history. In 2016, Cook St in Port Melbourne, Victoria (the home of Vegemite), was renamed "Vegemite Way" to celebrate the iconic brand. Additionally, Vegemite has been used in advertising campaigns, such as the famous "happy little Vegemites" ad of the 1950s, which won the Arts, Entertainment & Media Campaign of the Year award at the 2007 Asia Pacific PR Awards.
Vegemite's unique flavour and status as an Australian icon have made it a beloved part of Australian culture and a source of national pride.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Vegemite has been Australian-owned since 2017 when it was purchased by Bega Cheese (also known as the Bega Group or Bega Cheese Limited).
Yes, Vegemite has been made in Port Melbourne, Australia since 1923.
No, Vegemite was owned by an American company for several decades. After Fred Walker, the founder of the Fred Walker Company, died in 1935, Vegemite came under the ownership of the American company Kraft Foods. In 1988, Kraft was purchased by the cigarette giant Philip Morris. In 2011, the company split into two divisions, one of which was Mondelez International, which became the proprietor of Vegemite. In 2017, Bega Cheese bought Vegemite from Mondelez International, returning it to Australian ownership.
Bega Cheese's executive chairman, Barry Irvin, said that Vegemite is "undeniably iconic" and "an important part of Australian culture". He also mentioned that the deal would help to grow the merged business.
