I wrote this piece in March last year a few months after nearly losing my wonderful Dad to a severe stroke.  When he used to visit me here in Australia, he'd bring his NZ Marmite, sometimes 2 small jars (one to be filled to oozing with crushed fresh garlic) and plant them in my pantry ... moving my Vegemite to some obscure spot.

Enjoyment of cooking & all that embodies, runs in our blood!

... I'm pleased to say that I've not yet had to follow through on this.
But, I will.


MARMITE vs VEGEMITE

My Dad he loves his Marmite, for me it's Vegemite;
all my life it's kinda been a real good natured fight.

These days I take my jar, when I visit home ...
I place it on the brekkie table, speak loudly of it's fame!
The 'waffle' turns to times no more, to concoctions of his making;
the ones he's made (a creative parade) to get my tastebuds quaking!

He wanted to convert me see, from one tarlike gloop to another.
Papa & I enjoyed the dance ... twas ours, and not my brothers'.

See, in those days the men trained boys, the girls were groomed as mothers;
men & sons had macho toys, their vices, saws and mowers.
We girls learned baking, sewing & such, (and washing gear of footy muck!).
So the V/M game for Dad and me, was a private bonding key.

He can't eat toast real easy now, since the stroke took his swallow away.
He doesn't jest the way he did through all our Yesterdays.
The glint of humour in his eyes ... to know him, you'd suspect;
but when the Vegemite's produced, a chuckle then, I get!

Dad, when the lid is lowered, and you lay down for your rest
I promise you an epitaph because you are the best.
I'll write it in a mixture, of black & brown & blue-
(hearted) I will finger paint it, on the box, to you.

x

That is just lovely BITB...

Well done mate, you I have heard they were going to call vegemite Parwill originally.

marmite, parwill but that is probably nonsense from some marmite eater  ;)

Tucker wrote on May 5^th, 2009 at 11:12pm:

Well done mate, you I have heard they were going to call vegemite Parwill originally. marmite, parwill but that is probably nonsense from some marmite eater

http://www.vegemite.com.au/vegemite/page?siteid=vegemite-prd&locale=auen1&PagecRef=670

When Australians first heard about Vegemite, a thick, dark English spread (called Marmite) already dominated the spread market and Australians were reluctant to try Fred Walker's locally made product. Poor sales performance resulted in Vegemite being re-named in 1928.  

In an attempt to emulate the success of Marmite, Walker re-launched Vegemite as "Parwill". "If Marmite...then Parwill" was the rationale behind Walker's strategy to carve a niche in the market for his concentrated yeast extract spread.  

http://www.vegemite.com.au/vegemite/images/auen1/pictures/small_disc_Image_3.gif

However Parwill was only ever sold in Queensland and Walker's creative play-on-words fell on deaf ears and Parwill failed. Walker went back to the drawing board, and finally realised that the Vegemite brand could work. All he had to do was stimulate consumer trial.  

Bird in the Bush wrote on Feb 4^th, 2009 at 8:34pm:

my wonderful Dad

Bugger, I'm all  :'( now, lost my dad many years ago, truly wish I could sit around a fire with him now, didn't have time back then. :'(