Bovril savory extract

Bovril is a iconic thick, salty meat extract paste that was developed in the 1870s by John Lawson Johnston. It was famously created to fulfill a large contract for the French army during the Franco-Prussian War, as a way to transport large quantities of beef in a concentrated form. Historically, it has been consumed as a hot drink ('beef tea') or as a spread on toast.

While the brand underwent various ownership changes throughout the 20th century, including a period under SmithKline Beecham, it was eventually acquired by the multinational conglomerate Unilever. Today, Bovril is primarily manufactured in the Burton upon Trent facility in the United Kingdom. Despite a brief period where the formula was changed to a yeast-only version due to concerns over BSE (Mad Cow Disease) in the early 2000s, it has since returned to its traditional beef-based recipe in most markets.