Editing Vegemite (section)

== History ==
=== Beginnings ===
In 1919, following the disruption of British [[Marmite]] imports after [[World War&nbsp;I]], the Australian company Fred Walker & Co. gave Cyril Callister the task of developing a spread from the used yeast being dumped by [[Brewery|breweries]]. Callister had been hired by the chairman [[Fred Walker (entrepreneur)|Fred Walker]].<ref>{{cite dictionary |last =Farrer |first =K.T.H. |title =Walker, Fred (1884–1935) |chapter =Fred Walker (1884–1935) |publisher =National Centre of Biography, Australian National University |dictionary =Australian Dictionary of Biography |url =http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A120399b.htm |format =Web Bio |access-date =8 February 2008 |archive-date =16 February 2008 |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20080216051159/http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A120399b.htm |url-status =live }}</ref>

Callister used [[Autolysis (biology)|autolysis]] to break down the yeast cells from waste obtained from the [[Carlton & United Breweries|Carlton & United brewery]]. Concentrating the clear liquid extract and blending with salt, celery and onion extracts formed a sticky black paste.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hanan |date=25 April 2020 |title=Vegemite |url=https://alldownunder.com/australian-food/vegemite.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201106232333/https://alldownunder.com/australian-food/vegemite.htm |archive-date=6 November 2020 |access-date=23 August 2021 |website=All Down Under |language=en-US}}</ref>

[[File:Fred Walker.jpg|thumb|Fred Walker's company first created and sold Vegemite in 1922.]]

Following a competition to name the new spread with a prize pool of [[Australian pound|£A]]50 ({{Inflation|AU|50|1919|fmt=eq}}), "Vegemite" was selected by Fred Walker's daughter Sheilah,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.deliciouskitchen.com.au/products/krafthistory/fredwalkerfounder/fredwalker.aspx |title=Fred Walker, Founder |publisher=Kraft Foods |year=2010 |access-date=23 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130920191432/http://www.deliciouskitchen.com.au/Products/KRAFTHistory/FredWalkerFounder/FredWalker.aspx |archive-date=20 September 2013 }}</ref> and it was registered as a trademark in Australia in 1919; the name of the person who coined the name is not known.<ref>{{Cite web |title=VEGEMITE Story - VEGEMITE |url=https://vegemite.com.au/heritage/the-vegemite-story/ |access-date=11 September 2023 |website=Tastes Like Australia |language=en-AU |archive-date=8 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230608175640/https://vegemite.com.au/heritage/the-vegemite-story/ |url-status=live }}</ref> 

Vegemite first appeared on the market in 1923 with advertising emphasising its value to children's health, but it failed to sell well.<ref name=100gi>{{cite book |title=100 Great Icons |last1=Sheedy |first1=Chris |author2=Jenny Bond |year=2006 |publisher=Random House Australia |location=Milsons Point, New South Wales |isbn=978-1-74166-501-7 |pages=34–35 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OJgQh7pd8Y4C |access-date=12 November 2011 |archive-date=11 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230911220010/https://books.google.com/books?id=OJgQh7pd8Y4C |url-status=live }}</ref> Faced with growing competition from Marmite, from 1928 to 1935 the product was renamed "Parwill" to make use of the advertising slogan "Marmite but Parwill", a two-step [[pun]] on the new name and that of its competitor; i.e. "If Ma [mother] might ... then Pa [father] will." This attempt to expand [[market share]] was unsuccessful and the name reverted to Vegemite, but it did not recover its lost market share.<ref name=Story/>

===Commercial success===
In 1925, Walker had established the Kraft Walker Cheese Co. as a joint venture company with [[Kraft Foods Inc.|J. L. Kraft & Bros]] to market [[processed cheese]] and, following the failure of Parwill, in 1935 he used the success of Kraft Walker Cheese to promote Vegemite. Following the death of Walker in 1935, the Fred Walker Company was absorbed by Kraft Walker Cheese Co., a subsidiary of Kraft Co.<ref name=":0" /> In a two-year campaign to promote sales, Vegemite was given away free with Kraft Walker cheese products (with a coupon redemption) and this was followed by poetry competitions with imported American [[Pontiac (automobile)|Pontiac]] cars being offered as prizes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eurekacouncil.com.au/Australia-History/History-Pages/1922-vegemite.htm |title=History of Vegemite – 1922 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080723130242/http://www.eurekacouncil.com.au/5-Australia-History/History-Pages/1922-vegemite.htm |archive-date=23 July 2008 |publisher=[[Eureka Council]] |website=eurekacouncil.com.au|access-date=30 April 2018}}</ref> Sales responded and in 1939 Vegemite was officially endorsed by the [[British Medical Association]] as a rich source of [[B vitamins]]. Rationed in Australia during World War II, Vegemite was included in Australian [[Field ration|Army rations]] and by the late 1940s was used in nine out of ten Australian homes.<ref>[http://about.nsw.gov.au/collections/doc/packaged-vegemite-made-by-kraft-foods-limited/ Vegemite] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130925171630/http://about.nsw.gov.au/collections/doc/packaged-vegemite-made-by-kraft-foods-limited/ |date=25 September 2013 }} About NSW NSW.gov</ref>

===Recent years===
In April 1984, a {{convert|115|g|adj=on}} jar of Vegemite became the first product in Australia to be electronically [[Barcode reader|scanned]] at a [[Point of sale|checkout]].<ref name="100gi"/><ref name="Story"/>

Vegemite is produced in Australia at its [[Port Melbourne]] manufacturing facility, which produces more than 22 million jars annually. Virtually unchanged from Callister's original recipe, Vegemite now far outsells Marmite and other similar spreads in Australia. The billionth jar of Vegemite was produced in October 2008.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,24449523-953,00.html |agency=AAP |title=Vegemite produces billionth jar |first=Winston |last=Tan |date=5 October 2008 |access-date=6 October 2008 |archive-date=8 October 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081008104002/http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,24449523-953,00.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Vegemite was also produced in New Zealand for over 50 years, but as of August 2006 production had ceased. The [[Marmite (New Zealand)|New Zealand version of Marmite]] remains successful there.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/australians/5/4 |title=New Zealanders take to Vegemite |author=John Wilson |encyclopedia=[[Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand]] |publisher=[[New Zealand Government]] |date=4 March 2009 |access-date=26 April 2011 |archive-date=22 May 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100522171630/http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/australians/5/4 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10793281 |title='Marmageddon': There's always Vegemite, says PM |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=20 March 2012 |access-date=19 February 2014 |quote=Mr Key told ''Firstline'' this morning that he also likes the Australian-made rival Vegemite. |archive-date=11 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140111023256/http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10793281 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vegemite.com.au/Pages/vegemite-faqs.aspx |title=Vegemite FAQs |access-date=19 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140126183329/http://www.vegemite.com.au/Pages/vegemite-faqs.aspx |archive-date=26 January 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.marmite.co.nz/home-page/faqs |title=Marmite FAQs |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060829214640/http://www.marmite.co.nz/home-page/faqs |archive-date=29 August 2006 |access-date=31 January 2015 |url-status=live |quote='Are Marmite and Vegemite both made in NZ?' They used to be – Vegemite recently pulled out of NZ and have gone back home to Australia where they belong. Marmite was not only the first, but is also the ONLY yeast spread made in New Zealand. }}</ref><ref>{{citation |url=http://www.marmite.co.nz/home-page/fact-or-fiction |title=Marmite Fact or Fiction |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060829215322/http://www.marmite.co.nz/home-page/fact-or-fiction |archive-date=29 August 2006 |access-date=31 January 2015 |url-status=dead |quote=...Vegemite first came to us from Australia and they even made it here for a while. But as you can see from their packaging, they have buzzed back home to Australia.}}</ref>

====Acquisition by Bega Cheese====

The Vegemite brand was owned by [[Mondelez International]] (formerly [[Kraft Foods Inc.]] until 2012)<ref name="Story">{{cite web|url=http://www.kraftbrands.com/kraftvegemite/Pages/the-vegemite-story.aspx|title=The Vegemite Story|publisher=Kraft Foods|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319054956/http://www.kraftbrands.com/kraftvegemite/Pages/the-vegemite-story.aspx|archivedate=19 March 2012}}</ref> until January 2017, when it was acquired by the Australian [[Bega Group]] in a US$460,000,000 agreement for full Australian ownership after Bega would buy most of Mondelez International's Australia and New Zealand grocery and cheese business.<ref name=bega>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-19/bega-buys-vegemite-mondelez/8193268|title=Vegemite bought by Bega from US food giant Mondelez International – ABC Rural|publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]] News|date=19 January 2017|access-date=19 January 2017|archive-date=18 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118222454/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-19/bega-buys-vegemite-mondelez/8193268|url-status=live}}</ref>