Marmite: The Secret Ingredient Chefs Love

Method:  

Cook the Jersey Royals in a pan covered with salted water until tender, strain and set aside. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, cook the asparagus spears until tender. In a frying pan heat a little sunflower oil over a high heat. Pat the scallops dry with kitchen paper, season with salt and place flattest side down in the pan, cook for a minute or so to get a nice golden-brown crust, turn over and reduce to a medium heat, add the butter followed by the garlic. Cook for a minute or so and remove the scallops, season the butter with a fine grating of lemon zest and a squeeze of juice, then the Marmite. Toss the potatoes, asparagus, parsley and scallops through the butter and serve immediately.  

Marmite Breakfast Biscuits

Yes, we’re all used to Marmite on hot, buttered toast first thing in the morning, but these breakfast bars aroused suspicion among tasters. On first impression, it seems too unhealthy to be a breakfast choice. However, the bar was full of seeds and had a decent crunch. They went really well with a black coffee, but we did need a good glug of water afterwards since they’re rather dry. 

Score: 6/10 

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Marmite Cashews

Would we choose these over classic plain cashews? That’s the real question. These nuts offer a nice coating of flavouring, but again Marmite was a secondary note. Still, they’re much nicer than the salted nuts you get in the pub. 

Score: 7/10 

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Marmite Cheddar Bites

These bite-sized snacks offer a very subtle flavour of Marmite – perhaps too subtle. This is a great gateway snack for Marmite newcomers (or haters) as the flavour isn’t overpowering: it’s definitely cheddar first. However, for fans of the pungent spread the lack of Marmite-y tang was disappointing. 

Score: 4/10 

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Walkers Marmite Flavoured Crisps

These crunchy crisps offer a subtle tang. Again these are salty – like Marmite itself – but as a crisp the flavour is more akin to smokey bacon rather than salt & vinegar. We didn’t necessarily get the full flavour of Marmite – in a blind tasting, we’d probably have guessed they were beef and onion or roast chicken. Still, they taste great.

Score: 7/10 

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Marmite Flatbreads

These have such a good crunch. The sprinkling of baked-on cheese adds a layer of umami similar to the crispy edges of cheese on toast. They also have that trademark yeasty, savoury background taste we were looking for. So dangerous, we could easily demolish the whole pack. 

Score: 9/10 

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Marmite Crunchy Peanut Butter

Marmite’s newest product is very intense on its own and had us pulling faces due to its salty overtones. Add it to a slice of toasted sourdough and butter, however, and it really comes into its own. Offering a decent texture (thankfully, they’ve opted for crunchy peanut butter over smooth) and a real hit of umami, we can see this becoming a weekend breakfast staple. 

Score: 9/10 

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Marmite Easter Egg

This wasn’t awful, as some in the office predicted. If you like salted chocolate, chances are this will be up your street, as it really hits the balance between savoury and sweet. However some – but not all – tasters reported a meaty aftertaste. Maybe it is one for die-hard fans after all. 

Score: 7/10 

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Marmite Rice Cakes

These were a nice colour and much more flavoursome than we expected. Expect a nice hit of saltiness on the tongue. Like salt & vinegar flavours offered by other brands, the salty Marmite elevates the lowly rice cake – and they’re only 38 calories each. 

Score: 8/10 

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Joe & Seph’s Marmite Gourmet Popcorn

We’ve always been partial to Joe & Seph’s gourmet popcorn, but even so this packet exceeded expectations. Unlike some of the other products on the list, these really do taste of Marmite, but offer a pleasant caramel aftertaste. Sweet and richly flavoured, this is the ultimate cinema snack. 

Score: 9/10 

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Marmite

The original and best. Slather it on toast or crumpets, put it in a cheese sandwich, add a teaspoon to hot water for a better version of Bovril, add it to buttery pasta for a umami hit: this dark little jar never fails to add big flavour. The best thing about it? Everyone has their optimum amount – some slather it thickly, others prefer just a glint – so unlike some of the snacks above, you’ll never be overwhelmed by Marmite overkill or disappointed by lacking flavour. 

Score: 10/10 

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