Bovril facts for kids
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Bovril (250 g jar)
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| Inventor | John Lawson Johnston |
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| Inception | 1889 |
| Manufacturer | Bovril Company |
| Current supplier | Unilever |
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Bovril is a popular, thick, and salty paste. It's a bit like a meat extract, but it also has some similarities to yeast extracts. John Lawson Johnston created it in the 1870s.
You can find Bovril in a special round jar, and also as small cubes or granules. The company Unilever UK now owns and sells Bovril. It looks a bit like Marmite from Britain or Vegemite from Australia. But unlike those, Bovril is not vegetarian because it's made from meat.
People often turn Bovril into a hot drink, sometimes called "beef tea," by mixing it with hot water. Some even mix it with milk! You can also use it to add flavor to soups, stews, or porridge. It's also tasty spread on toast, just like Marmite or Vegemite.
Contents
What Does the Name "Bovril" Mean?
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The first part of the name, Bov-, comes from a Latin word, bovīnus. This word means "ox" or "cow."
The second part, -vril, comes from a popular book written in 1871 by Edward Bulwer-Lytton. The book was called The Coming Race. In the story, there's a special group of people called the Vril-ya. They get their amazing powers from a substance called "Vril."
So, when you put it together, "Bovril" suggests that you get great strength, like an ox, from eating it!
The Story of Bovril
The story of Bovril began in 1870 during the Franco-Prussian War. The French leader, Napoleon III, needed a lot of beef to feed his soldiers. He ordered one million cans of beef!
A Scottish butcher named John Lawson Johnston, who lived in Canada, was given this big job. There was plenty of beef in places like Canada and South America. But it was hard to transport and store it. So, Johnston created a new product. He called it 'Johnston's Fluid Beef'. This product later became known as Bovril.
By 1888, Bovril was very popular. Over 3,000 places in the UK, like pubs and grocery stores, were selling it. In 1889, the Bovril Ltd company was officially started to help Johnston's business grow even more.
Bovril During Wartime
Bovril was also used as a "war food" during World War I. It was often given to soldiers. For example, in a book from 1930, it mentions Bovril being made for injured soldiers during a battle.
During the Second Boer War (around 1900), soldiers trapped in a place called Ladysmith made their own version of Bovril. They called it Chevril. This was made by boiling down horse or mule meat until it became a jelly. They would then serve it like a beef tea. Bovril also made special dried beef for soldiers to carry.
Who Owns Bovril Now?
After John Lawson Johnston passed away, his son, George Lawson Johnston, took over the Bovril business. He later became known as Baron Luke.
Over the years, Bovril changed owners a few times. In 2001, a big international company called Unilever bought the Bovril brand.
In 2004, Unilever changed the Bovril recipe. They removed the beef ingredients to make it vegetarian. This was because fewer people were buying it, partly due to worries about mad cow disease (BSE) and more people becoming vegetarian. But in 2006, Unilever changed their minds. They put the beef ingredients back into Bovril. Sales went up, and the bans on British beef exports were lifted. Now, Unilever makes Bovril with beef extract, and they also have a chicken version.
In 2020, a football club called Forest Green Rovers F.C. worked with Bovril. They created a special version of Bovril made from beetroot. This is sold at their stadium, which doesn't sell meat products.
Where Else is Bovril Made?
Bovril is also made in South Africa. It's produced by a company called Bokomo, which is part of Pioneer Foods.
Bovril in Culture
In the early 1900s, Bovril was advertised as a "superfood." Ads suggested drinking it as a tea or spreading it on toast. Some even claimed it could protect you from the flu!
Bovril has become a well-known part of British culture. It's especially linked to football culture. During cold winter games, many British football fans drink hot Bovril from Thermos flasks. In Scotland, they often use disposable cups because thermoses are not allowed in stadiums.
Bovril even had a funny advertisement with a Pope! An early 20th-century ad showed Pope Leo XIII holding a mug of Bovril. The slogan said: The Two Infallible Powers – The Pope & Bovril.
Bovril beef tea was the only hot drink available to Ernest Shackleton's team. This was when they were stuck on Elephant Island during their difficult expedition to Antarctica (1914–1917). British mountaineer Chris Bonington also appeared in Bovril TV ads in the 1970s and 1980s. He talked about melting snow on Mount Everest to make hot drinks.
See also
In Spanish: Bovril para niños
