Monumite is a sculpture in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England, depicting a jar of Marmite spread. Marmite has been manufactured in the town since 1902 and the sculpture was erected in 2010 as part of an advertising campaign. Marmite owner Unilever marketed the sculpture as a "shrine" for lovers of marmite to "congregate and worship" at. [1]
Marmite is a British savoury food spread based on yeast extract, often consumed on toast. Since 1902 it has been manufactured in Burton upon Trent using by-products from the town's breweries. A distinctive shaped glass jar was introduced in 1920. Since the 1990s the product has been marketed under a "love it or hate it" catchphrase. In 2000 the product came into the ownership of multinational Unilever. It remains in production at a factory in Burton with an output of around 25 million jars per year. [2]
To coincide with the run-in to the 6 May 2010 United Kingdom general election, Unilever ran an advertising campaign featuring the competing Love and Hate parties. A poll at the end of the campaign on 29 April resulted in victory for the Love Party. One of the party's manifesto pledges had been to establish "a Marmite shrine for lovers across the world to congregate and worship". As part of the advertising campaign Unilever decided to commission a monument to fulfil that pledge. [1]
Unilever commissioned the work through creative agency Spark. A £15,000 budget was allocated and a design carried out by JAM brand consultants. The design is a simple rendering of the marmite jar in Portland stone, with an oval-shaped hollow where the label would be. [1] The stonework was commissioned from Axtell Perry & Symm (APS) of Oxford. The order helped APS, founded in 1815, to recover from near-closure in December 2009, during which 12 of its 20 staff were laid off. [3] A 3D model provided by JAM was scanned and the carving was carried out over a period of 71 hours by a machine. [4] [5]
The sculpture was named Monumite, a portmanteau of "monument" and "Marmite" following a public competition; the name had been suggested independently by two entrants. [1] On 18 October 2010 the sculpture was unveiled at a site on the Washlands that overlooks the River Trent. Burton's library is close by. [1] Monumite includes Bluetooth connectivity allowing users to access digital content on the history of Marmite. [1] The sculpture's lid measures 80 centimetres (31 in) in width and is intended to provide a seat for children and a platform for adults to stand on during public events. [5] It is owned by the local authority, East Staffordshire Borough Council, and is publicly accessible. [6]
When it was unveiled Unilever's marketing manager, said "We think the final sculpture perfectly represents and celebrates our long-standing relationship with Burton and the local area" and was intended as a "sustainable and long-term piece of public art". [1] [7] In their publicity Unilever encouraged people to make a "pilgrimage" to "congregate and worship" at the sculpture. [7]
In November 2024 the monument was relocated as part of works to the Washlands. It was relocated to Evershed Way at a site that formerly held the 1995 bronze work Font by Doug Cocker, an abstract sculpture of cylindrical form intended to suggest figures holding a brewing vat; Font was controversial when installed and was criticised by local councillors. [8] [9]
Bovril is a thick and salty meat extract paste, similar to a yeast extract, developed in the 1870s by John Lawson Johnston. It is sold in a distinctive bulbous jar and as cubes and granules. Its appearance is similar to the British Marmite and its Australian equivalent Vegemite. Bovril is owned and distributed by Unilever UK.
Marmite ( MAR-myte) is a British savoury food spread based on yeast extract, invented by the German scientist Justus von Liebig. It is made from by-products of beer brewing (lees) and is produced by the British company Unilever. Marmite is a vegan source of B vitamins, including supplemental vitamin B12. A traditional method of use is to spread it very thinly on buttered toast.
Vegemite is a thick, dark brown Australian food spread made from leftover brewers' yeast extract with various vegetable and spice additives. It was developed by Cyril Callister in Melbourne, Victoria for the Fred Walker Company in 1922, and it was first sold in stores on 25 October 1923.
Staffordshire is a landlocked ceremonial county in the West Midlands of England. It borders Cheshire to the north-west, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, Warwickshire to the south-east, the West Midlands county and Worcestershire to the south, and Shropshire to the west. The largest settlement is the city of Stoke-on-Trent, and the county town is Stafford.
Stoke-on-Trent is a city and unitary authority area in Staffordshire, England, with an area of 36 square miles (93 km2). In 2022, the city had an estimated population of 259,965. It is the largest settlement in Staffordshire and is surrounded by the towns of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Alsager, Kidsgrove and Biddulph, which form a conurbation around the city.
Burton upon Trent, also known as Burton-on-Trent or simply Burton, is a market town in the borough of East Staffordshire in the county of Staffordshire, England, close to the border with Derbyshire. At the 2021 census, it had a population of 76,270. The demonym for residents of the town is Burtonian. Burton is located on the River Trent 11 miles (18 km) south-west of Derby and 20 miles (32 km) south of the Peak District National Park.
Unilever PLC is a British multinational fast-moving consumer goods company founded on 2 September 1929 following the merger of British soap maker Lever Brothers and Dutch margarine producer Margarine Unie. It is headquartered in London, England.
Stone is a market town and civil parish in Staffordshire, England, situated approximately 7 miles north of the county town of Stafford, 7 miles south of Stoke-on-Trent, and 15 miles north of Rugeley. As a notable canal town, Stone is recognised for its rich history, originating from the early Bronze Age and continuing through the Industrial Revolution, with the introduction of the Trent and Mersey Canal shaping the town's development and local industry.
East Staffordshire is a local government district with borough status in Staffordshire, England. The council is based in Burton upon Trent. The borough also contains the town of Uttoxeter and numerous villages and surrounding rural areas.
Burton and Uttoxeter is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom since 2024 by Jacob Collier of the Labour Party.
Stone was a constituency in Staffordshire in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. It was represented since its 1997 recreation by Sir Bill Cash, a Conservative. On 9 June 2023, he announced his intention to stand down at the 2024 general election.
The ceremonial county of Staffordshire is divided into 12 seats - 2 borough and 10 county constituencies, one of which includes part of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley. Staffordshire is a county in the West Midlands of England. At the 2024 general election, nine of the seats were won by Labour and three by the Conservatives.
Branston is a village and civil parish in Staffordshire, England. At the 2001 census, the population was 6,540, increasing to 6,749 at the 2011 Census.
Noxzema is an American brand of skin cleanser marketed by Elida Beauty. Since 1914, it was sold in a small cobalt blue jar; but is now sold in a blue plastic jar. Noxzema contains camphor, menthol, phenol and eucalyptus, among other ingredients. Originally developed as a sunburn remedy, it is a type of cold cream or vanishing cream which is used as a facial cleanser and make-up remover.
Marmite is a food spread produced in New Zealand by Sanitarium Health and Wellbeing Company and distributed in Australia and the Pacific. Marmite is made from yeast extract, a by-product of beer brewing. It is similar to the British Marmite, but the two products are made by different companies.
Stapenhill Gardens is a park in the Stapenhill neighbourhood of Burton-on-Trent, in England. It mainly comprises the former site of Stapenhill House, which was donated to the town in 1933, woodland, lawn, wild flower meadows and formal planted areas along a 1,250-metre (4,100 ft) stretch of the River Trent. A public space, it includes a large cement-rendered sculpture of a swan that has been described as a "Burton landmark".
Burton upon Trent War Memorial commemorates those from the town of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England, who were killed in the First and Second World Wars. The memorial was commissioned by the county borough of Burton upon Trent from the sculptor Henry Charles Fehr shortly after the end of the First World War. The finished memorial was unveiled by William Legge, 6th Earl of Dartmouth, on 2 August 1922. Its principal figure is a personification of Victory, standing atop a pedestal which is flanked by the smaller figures of Saint George and Peace. The memorial is a grade II* listed building.
Growing Form is a work of public art in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England. It stands around 2.8 metres tall, with the upper portions in cast aluminium and the lower part a granite pedestal. Growing Form was commissioned by Burton & District Arts Council from sculptor Moelwyn Merchant and unveiled in 1982.
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