I searched the net for info on this, but couldn't find anything. Not even a press release, so I felt it up to me to mention it to google.
Traditionally, Bovril was made with beef (and yeast). And then the Mad Cow (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) disease thing affected British livestock, and British beef remains banned in many countries today. Since Bovril was made with British beef, it's been unavailable for years. A substitute, Chicken Bovril, was made and sold in affected countries while original Beef Bovril remained available in the UK.
When I first got here, I was happy to buy and consume diseased British beef products, and a search on this site for Bovril might turn up a couple of entries. Over the summer in Singapore, I was privvy to some information regarding the relaunch of Bovril, with a large number of housewives/former-Bovril consumers invited to a demonstration and tasting session.
This is the point I'm getting to:
After having spent years and an inordinate amount of research money, the people at Unilever Foods have managed to make a Bovril that looks and tastes like the real thing, without beef. It was on shelves in Singapore before I left, and I didn't get a chance to see for myself if it really tasted the same. Instead, I got back here and bought a new bottle of Bovril, happy that it at least contained beef. I made a mug of it as a drink with hot water, and felt good about life, the universe, and everything.
I was on my 2nd mug the next day when I read the label and realized it was the new formula, and contained no beef. It seems Unilever has quietly replaced their entire production output with the new vegetarian-friendly, beefless formula, even within the UK. A sad day! There's lots of information on the net about how Beef Bovril has played a major part in history, sustaining soldiers in world wars, and so on. And now that age is over. Imagine if tomorrow, all SPAM was made with beef. It's just that wrong.
But, it does taste the same. Uncannily so. It even has the semi-solid dregs at the bottom of the mug that taste and feel as if they could be beef solids, the kind you'd expect to find at the bottom of a bowl of real beef soup.
Oh, that's not hard. I'm a vegetarian and I know about six ways to make something taste like beef (I do in fact cheat once or twice a year specifically to make sure I'm still on target). I make vegan Hungarian goulash, Irish stew, and pot roast.
ReplyDeleteEasiest way to "try this at home" is to get some "mushroom soy sauce" and boil it down with a little water and some chopped onion and parsley until syrupy. (Throwing in a little chopped carrot and celery doesn't hurt it any and you can call the result "demi-glace.") Strain. Mix some of this in a cup of boiling water and nobody will be able to tell it from beef broth.
that is a really interesting idea, and i'll be sure to keep it in mind, thanks. (although i've never heard of mushroom soy sauce.)
ReplyDeleteHaving heard about the new vegetarian Bovril on the radio yesterday, I ran out to buy a jar last night. OK slight exageration there, but you get my meaning.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid I used to have Bovril pretty much every day - I loved the stuff. I'd have it on toast instead of Marmite (and make a hot drink out of Marmite, just to show how much of a rebel I am).
I turned vegetarian when I was 18 or 19 though (8 or 9 years ago now), and Bovril was one of those things I rather mournfully realised I would never taste again. So it is hard to explain just what this move to a new vegetarian Bovril meant for me. I guess it has been like bumping into an old school friend in the street, or finding a box of toys in the attic.
Despite my vegetarianism, I agree it is slightly defeating the object - taking the beef out of Bovril is a bit like taking the lemon out of Jif Lemon, the soya beans out of soy sauce, the tomatoes out of ketchup, or whatever the "brown" component is in brown sauce.
Having said that, it does seem to be more or less the same! The minute I opened the jar I was greeted with that familiar, not entirely pleasant smell. I probably spread it a bit thinner on my toast this morning than I used to as I kid, so I didn't get so much of the taste, but I am assuming it is pretty much the same as well.
Give it a few years, and the fact that Bovril once contained beef will be little more than a "did you know" you can tell your grandchildren, who you'll also be able to reassure yourself stand a much lower risk of being exposed to BSE and the like.
I take my time getting through a jar of Bovril, as I spread it on toast rather than drink it (yes, odd I know). However this last jar has been taking longer than usual because I hadn't really enjoyed it like I used to, I thought I must have a slightly off mix but as it didn't cause any adverse effects I carried on eating it, until today. I had more time than usual and started reading the ingredients. Yeast extract! Where's the beef?! I'm very disappointed, and I feel conned.
ReplyDeleteI discovered the press release says 40% of tasters didn't like the new taste, that's against a 1%-2% sales drop off and a 20% export drop off. Now I'm no maths genius, but 40% over a 22% drop off means, LEAVE THE TASTE ALONE!
It's a brand that's not known and never will be known as a vegetarian product, quite the opposite. The beef ban is lifting, but anyway why can't they produce the stuff from imported meat or in another country?!?
Unilever have a lot to answer for; PG Tips doesn't taste as good as it used to, I'm sure they've done something to that, and I dread to think what they'll try with Colman's mustard. The rich heritage of British food in the hands of a large corporate who doesn't seem to care. The quality of British food is on the decline, and it wasn't in great shape in the first place.
Now their only meat product is Peperami, a German salami, will they take all the meat out of that? Give them time...
Thanks for letting me rant.
I've always love Bovril since I was a kid (and I'm 39 now and still love it). It was a couple of years ago when i realised to my horror that Bovril wasn't on the shelves in Singapore anymore :(
ReplyDeleteI didn't do any research and thought that this product was discontinued. It was until recently that I realised british beef was causing the production of Bovril to stop.
When I realised that Bovril was back on the shelves again I was so happy and bought it, drank it and still love it.
To me, whether its Yeast Extract now as compared to Beef stock previously, I couldn't taste the difference! After having the unpleasant opportunity to taste Chicken Bovril, **yucks.. I'll settle for any substitute that taste like beef.
It just doen't taste like Bovril any more. I buy a new jar just as my old jar is running low and had the oportunity to taste them both alongside each other. The new recipe simply does not taste like Bovril ant more. If I want to drink Marmite or put it on my toast, then I will, if I want Bovril then I expect it to contain Beef stock.
ReplyDeleteI have been sat at home ill wil a stomach bug and i haven't eaten a single thing for 3 days. Although my symptoms have yet to improve, I woke up this morning with a craving for Bovril. I haven't tasted Bovril for about 15 years, and was very surprised to find there were no cows in it anymore. Strangely after i learned this, my craving for Bovril switched to wanting Oxo. I guess my body is trying to tell me something?
ReplyDeleteyou can still get the real thing - Morrison's own brand beefy drink is 53% beef stock.
ReplyDeleteI strongly protest at the lack of cows in my Bovril. Its not nearly as nice. Asda did a "Beefy Drink" in a very similar jar but seemed to withdraw it the day after I bought my first one.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly they still list Beefy Bovril on thier site and I've emailed asking if this really is the good stuff or or not.
Very pleased with the Morrisons tip - off to investigage.
Right on brother, give us back our beefy goodness, they've already got marmite why arse up the good stuff.
ReplyDeleteThe vegetarian Bovril is awful, leaves an unpleasant aftertaste and spoils my toast. I am 56 and have been brought up on Bovril toast like my father and grandparents before me. I have brought my children up on it and now my poor granddaughter has been deprived of that special taste. Tesco beefy is better. PUT THE BEEF BACK !!!!
ReplyDeleteWhy cater for vegetarians at the expense of the rest of us?
I certainly feel all your pain, but the issue doesn't seem to be us vs. vegetarians. I'm pretty sure catering to vegetarians wasn't their main motive. How many of them would enjoy the taste of beefy water anyway?
ReplyDeleteThe real reason here as far as I can see, and I don't know if it's already been said, is that Bovril is now made by a large multinational company (Unilever), and they want to sell it in as many markets as possible. But British beef has a history of BSE, and as such is still banned in many countries. So this move to a beefless formula is really about sales and profit.
anyone who claims the new vegetarian version of bovril tastes the same has a distinct problem with their taste buds- i cannot believe that anyone can claim a yeast product tastes the same the new version is simply awful !!! if unilever want to penetrate the spread market worldwide why on earth market a product that tastes exactly the same as marmite but costs infinitely more? and with no point of difference- why not be up front and get out of the Bovril market and let another company who knows the difference between beef and yeast, manufacture the original recipe using say argentinean beef extract (with no historic bse problem )and market it as a premium product - there are people prepared to pay for the original beef based product)
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know where you can buy chicken bovril as I need this for my slimming world recipes?
ReplyDeleteWell, they've gone back to the original beef recipe and I prefer the yeast Bovril now. In comparison, the beef Bovril is insipid and tasteless, I have to dunk a quarter of a teaspoonful of Marmite into a mug with a DOUBLE helping of Bovril to get a decent taste now!
ReplyDelete