Bovril - A meat flavoured monologue

The makers of the beef extract called Bovril were pioneers in the dark arts of marketing. Cambridge University historian Lesley Steinitz explains how that famous black gloop won a cherished place in the heart of the nation.A century and a half ago, a revolution took place in the food industry. A boom in the urban population fuelled a need for the mass production of affordable, non-perishable foodstuffs sold in cans and jars. Advances in processing and manufacturing collided with a burgeoning interest in science: the result was the emergence of branded convenience foods, cleverly marketed as nourishing and nutritious.