The thick tar-like paste tops the American list of disgusting foods and even the most unflappable of the long-time Australian ally, former president Barrack Obama, described it as “horrible” after a much-publicised tasting.
No surprise then that Frances and Laurie Wintle, long-time devotees of the product and now residents of Kyabram’s Sheridan Aged Care Faciity, were only able to convert one of their international visitors to the “dark side”.
While the Wintles had no problem passing on their Vegemite-loving trait to their four children, only one of the nine or so international visitors they hosted on their Kyabram dairy farm to even taste the product.
In celebrating National Vegemite Day, which was June 16, and in the centenary year of the product’s arrival onto supermarket shelves (October 25, 1923) Frances Wintle recalled the days of the couple hosting IAEA (International Agricultural Exchange Australia) students on their property.
“Only one of those students, who were either 20 or 21 when they visited Australia, would even look at it (Vegemite),” she said.
Mrs Wintele said she remembered the Danish exchange student saying their was a strong licorice they made in his home country that tasted similar.
“There was no way the English, Americans or the Dutch would go near it,” she said.
The Wintle’s eldest son, James, spent a year in Denmark with the exchange program and was posted a regular supply of Vegemite during his stay.
So strongly is the history of Vegemite entrenched in the mind of the couple, both in their early 80s, that before the photo shoot Frances was cutting the toast into fingers and refused to apply the spread until butter was first put on the bread.
The Wintles bought a property at Kyabram in the early 1990s, ending up with a dairy herd of about 300 near Mt Scobie.
Mrs Wintle said not only was Vegemite a breakfast staple, it was never too far out of mind when one of her children presented symptoms of illness.
“For some reason it was our go to when kids were sick. They always felt better afterward, it was quite a good remedy,” she said.
Mrs Wintle said the family stocked Marmite and Vegemite in the cupboard, but James, Kathryn, Judith and David all preferred the Australian-made version of the toast-topper.
“David used to make his own Vegemite sandwiches,” she said, exclaiming “Why wouldn’t they be?” when I asked whether the couple’s eight grandchildren or two great-grandchildren were fans of Vegemite.
The couple have been able to maintain their long-time allegiance to Vegemite since moving into the Sheridan facility, regularly placing a tick in the Vegemite box as the preferred condiment for their toast — although both admitted being a little partial to marmalade.
For the record the Port Melbourne manufacturing facility that produces Vegemite sends most of its overseas product to China. International sales, however, represent only two per cent of total Vegemite sales.
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