VEGEMITE spreads the love, providing over 400,000 150g jars to Foodbank 

FRIDAY 11 OCTOBER 2024 – Beloved Aussie spread, VEGEMITE, is proud to be supporting Foodbank – Australia’s largest food relief organisation – by supplying 436,000 150g VEGEMITE jars with assistance from its partners to help communities facing food insecurity. 

This has been made possible through Foodbank’s Collaborative Supply Program and will make 13 million serves of VEGEMITE available for Aussies in need.  

This program works to establish regular supply of everyday foods such as VEGEMITE which has been a mainstay in Aussie diets since 1923 when it was first created using spent brewer’s yeast from Carlton & United Breweries (CUB). Now, more than a century later, CUB and its parent company Asahi Beverages are still providing the yeast in VEGEMITE and are key supporters of this Foodbank initiative through the donation of their yeast.  

Darryn Wallace, Executive General Manager (Retail, Marketing, Sales, and Partnerships) at Bega Group, commented, “VEGEMITE has played an important role in the lives of Australians for over 100 years. We’re delighted to be continuing this role for Aussies in need, ensuring they have access to one of their favourite brekky spreads.”

According to the Foodbank Hunger Report 2023, 3.7 million households in Australia experienced food insecurity in the past 12 months, and 77% of those households experiencing food insecurity did so for the first time. 

It’s more important than ever to assist Foodbank in making their ‘surprise chain’ more predictable through the generosity of Aussie food manufacturers, such as VEGEMITE. 

“We’re so proud to be providing more than 13 million serves of VEGEMITE through our partnership with Foodbank. We hope the limited-edition lid sticker shines a light on Foodbank’s great work across Australia and encourages those who can, to donate as well,” added Wallace. 

The 436,000 jars, supplied through VEGEMITE’s involvement with Foodbank’s Collaborative Supply Program have just arrived at Foodbank Victoria in Yarraville, ready to be distributed to the nation-wide network.  

Brianna Casey AM, Foodbank Australia CEO, commented, “Like my household, VEGEMITE is a kitchen staple for many Aussies. We want to ensure this much-loved spread is readily available for the many people in our communities doing it tough. With VEGEMITE part of our Collaborative Supply Program it ensures a regular supply of this pantry favourite.” 

VEGEMITE is owned by Bega Group, and the company has a long-standing partnership with Foodbank, providing a range of products from its portfolio for many years. VEGEMITE’s generous supply of 436,000 additional jars to its annual contribution will assist Foodbank in meeting the increase in demand for food relief. 

The ability to supply these jars takes a mitey effort all along the supply chain, including VEGEMITE’s friends at CUB and Asahi Beverages, who have donated one of the core ingredients of Australia’s iconic VEGEMITE, yeast. As a key supporter, Asahi will donate 8,000 kg of solid yeast for use in these special jars.  

“Our Abbotsford Brewery has provided the yeast in VEGEMITE since it was first sold back in 1923,” said Sarah Laing, the Head Brewer at the Abbotsford Brewery. 

 “At a time when many Aussies are doing it tough, it’s a privilege to be able to leverage this long-standing relationship between two iconic Melbourne sites to help the broader community. It’s a practical and sustainable way for us to contribute and hopefully make meals a little brighter for thousands of Aussie families,” Ms Laing said. 

Born in 1923, VEGEMITE has been a proudly circular product since its very beginnings. It has been sourcing its core ingredient, yeast, from Aussie breweries such as Asahi’s Abbotsford brewery for more than 100 years.  

Aussies will soon see VEGEMITE jars with a purple twist land on supermarket shelves across the nation, with the brand’s iconic yellow lid featuring a purple Foodbank sticker to celebrate the 436,000 jars that have been distributed across the Foodbank network. 

The announcement of this partnership comes as VEGEMITE approaches its 101st birthday on October 25. 

Bega Group donated over 915,000 kilograms of food in 2023, which is the equivalent to over 1.6 million meals, as well as 230,000 litres of milk towards Foodbank’s National Fresh White Milk Program.  

This collaboration was only made possible thanks to the support from VEGEMITE’s key supply partners, including Asahi, Lesaffre, VISY (including VISY Glass and VisyGlama) and Labelmakers Group. 

ENDS

For any further media enquiries, please contact:     

Jesse Burns
Jesse.burns@asahibeverages.com