What exactly is Bovril and how did it get its name?

Unlike Marmite or Vegemite (a yeast-based product) Bovril is meat-based and made from beef.

Created by John Lawson Johnston in the 1870s Bovril is still sold in its characteristic and distinctively shaped jar. The name Bovril comes from “bo” (bovinus, latin for ox) and “vril” (the super-race of people Vril-ya from the novel “The Coming Race” published in 1871). This cleverly gives the impression of great strength being obtained from an ox.

Humble beginnings.

Johnston was a Scottish butcher who lived in Canada and developed the product when given an order by Napoleon in 1870 for one million cans of beef. To overcome transport and storage problems Johnston created what he originally called “Johnston’s Fluid Beef” as the best way of meeting these difficulties and meeting the order. This product was later re-branded as “Bovril”.

Bovril proved extremely popular and soon became a staple, sold in pubs and chemists. It proved invaluable in the Boer War and First World War as an easily transportable, durable, versatile and warming foodstuff. Bovril’s advertising campaigns during these times focused very heavily on these attributes.

On Johnston’s death his son George Lawson Johnston took over the reins of the business (becoming Baron Luke of Pavenham in 1929). In 1971 the company became part of Cavenham Foods before ending up as part of the Unilever Group.

Modern times.

Although a beef extract, there was a short period of time from 2004 to 2006 when the beef element of the recipe was removed and it became vegetarian. The reason for this was the rise in vegetarianism and an export ban on British beef due to concerns over bovine spongiform encephalopathy. This change was short-lived and the recipe soon reverted to its original beef base.

Advertising notes.

Although a vast range of creative advertising for Bovril has appeared over the last century I have decided to illustrate this article with advertisements for their campaigns that appeared in the Book of the Braemar Gathering published annually from 1926 to the present day in support of the Highland Games held every September at Braemar, Scotland.

As is typical with their advertising they are tailored to the event and feature a range of highland sports. In the early days their advertisements appear internally in the book and were black and white but in 1952 they moved to the rear cover and became colour. This is great – except for the fact that it is almost impossible to find copies of the advertisements in mint condition (as evidenced in the images).