From waste to superbrand : the uneasy relationship between Vegemite and its origins

This article investigates the possibilities for understanding waste as a resource, with a particular focus on understanding food waste as a food resource. Considering the popular yeast spread Vegemite within this frame, Vegemite’s origins in waste product, and how it has achieved and sustained its status as a popular symbol of Australia despite half a century of Australian gastro-multiculturalism and a marked public resistance to other recycling and reuse of food products, are the focus of this study, as is how advertising copywriting and a recurrent cycle of product memorialisation have created a superbrand through focusing on Vegemite’s nutrient and nostalgic value.