THE Burton skyline changed in 1979 with an impressive factory built at Bovril's Wellington Road site.

The 50,000 sq ft factory cost more than £2 million to build and was created especially for the production of Bovril cubes.

It took just 11 months to clear the existing site which was occupied by a warehouse and a plant in 24-hour operation to build the new complex.

As with any progressive company, the growth of Bovril and Marmite can be traced through the locations at which they operated over the years.

A Marmite lorry at the Wellington Road factory in 1990
A Marmite lorry at the Wellington Road factory in 1990

Bovril was developed in 1870 and by 1899, Bovril Ltd had moved into what was dubbed the most modern factory and office complex in Old Street, London.

In fact, this was also claimed to be the first steel-framed building of its size.

In 1940 an additional factory at Ampthill, in Bedfordshire, was necessary for essential war contract work and eventually additional factories were opened in Glasgow for the production of new products.

Meanwhile, Marmite Ltd began at Cross Street, in Burton, and at Vauxhall, in South East London, in 1902, and continued at these premises until an additional factory was built at what was then known as Burton's Wellington Street Extension (now Wellington Road) in 1952.

By the early 1920s, although not widely known, Bovril and Marmite became part of the same family, and in 1965 its corporate identities began to be completely merged.

By 1967 all the Bovril and Marmite production had been absorbed into a large new factory complex in Wellington Road which still forms part of the main manufacturing complex.

By 1968, Bovril owned swathes of Argentinean beef ranches and also acquired English Grains Ltd, integrating all the yeast products production by 1970 and selling off parts of the Old English Grains business.

Bovril's interests extended beyond Burton and also included Ambrosia milk pudding products which were produced in Lifton, Devon.

In 1971 Bovril Ltd became part of Cavenham Ltd which also controlled TW Beach and Company, Cavenham Confectionery Ltd and Allied Suppliers Ltd who controlled such retail outlets as Liptons and Galbraith.

The Duke visits Marmite in Burton
The Duke visits Marmite in Burton

By October 1971 it was reported that just weeks after taking over Bovril for £14.5 million, it was going to sell off the low-earning milk interests to the Grand Metropolitan Hotels Group for £6.3 million in cash.

Cavenham Ltd eventually became part of Unilever – the current owner of brands including Bovril, Marmite, Pot Noodle, Colman's, Wall's, Lyons, Hellmann's and Flora.

Colman's mustard moving to Burton
Picture: Yasmin Gunston Colman mustard moving to Burton Pictured: Unilever offices and factory on Wellington Road.

The benefits of eating Marmite

Marmite was invented in 1902 and, love it or hate it, its nutritional benefits are world renowned.

Although yeast – the primary raw material for Marmite – had been used for thousands of years in

baking and brewing, its nutritional properties were not known until the 19th century.

The German chemist Justus Liebig – who was best known for his work with an extract for meat preparation – turned his attention to yeast.

He knew that yeast contained about 50 per cent protein and eventually arrived at a method of converting it into a palatable food product by allowing it to undergo a process of self-digestion followed by concentration.

The result was virtually indistinguishable from meat extract, and chemically appeared to be much the same.

It was not until 50 years later the vitamin B complex was discovered and the nutritional superiority of yeast extracts over meat extract was established.

Pam Pearce from the Burton Mail visited Helen's Bakehouse, to discover the secret in how to spread Marmite

On June 13, 1902, the Marmite Food Extract Company Ltd was formed by a group of businessmen headed by a retired German sugar merchant Frederick Wissier.

The businessmen converted a malt house in Burton for the modest sum of £100 per annum and went into production with second-hand plant and machinery and a conviction that they could succeed where others had failed by producing and commercially marketing a yeast extract in the UK.

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By 1912, the publication of a report by Gowland Hopkins on what he termed the “accessory factors of the diet” opened the way to the discovery of the importance of vitamins in the diet and yeast was soon recognised to be the richest source of vitamin B.

As vitamin B was preserved in a highly concentrated form in Marmite it began to be used most successfully in the treatment of beriberi.

In January 1916, several cases of beriberi were reported among the allied forces on the Gallipoli peninsula. Yeast was recommended as the most efficient method for dealing with this.

However, it was subsequently found that Marmite had many advantages over yeast in that it was more palatable, more concentrated, therefore less was required and it was not as perishable as dried yeast.

Marmite was made up into half-ounce tablets each containing the amount of active vitamin in three-and-a-half ounces of yeast. Half a tablet was given twice a week for the prevention of beriberi.

By 1917 Marmite was being included in prisoner of war food parcels to supplement their inadequate diet.

Marmite was sold in earthenware cylindrical jars with cork plugs for the princely sum of two shillings and four pence per pound – the same price as one hundredweight (approximately 50kg) of coal.

Following the death of the first chairman of the Marmite Food Extract Co, the then chairman of Bovril – Sir George Lawson Johnston – suggested that Bovril take an interest in Marmite.

From the beginning of this association in 1924, Marmite became a full member of the Bovril Group of Companies.