Allmite Gold - Original product reviews

Marmite and Vegemite were always in our pantry as a kid growing up and my mum preferred Vegemite but everyone else was on team Marmite through and through. As an adult now I have the occasional yeast spread on toast but it isn't very often. My two Sons aged twelve and ten on the other hand have it all the time and don't have a preference between Marmite and Vegemite so I thought this would be good to offer them an alternative to try.

Allmite Gold is a Tahini-based yeast spread Made here in Aotearoa / New Zealand that also contains turmeric and apple cider vinegar plus it has no artificial colours, flavours, or preservatives.

It is in a 250-gram glass jar and the label is very distinguished looking with the black and gold colouring layout. Allmite Gold won the New Zealand food awards in 2022 and got silver in 2023 for the outstanding nz food producer awards. It is vegan-friendly which is awesome for my partner and those who do not consume animal products.

I opened up the jar and took a teaspoon of the spread out and straight away the first impression I got was that it resembles chocolate mousse in colour and consistency with its lightish brown creamy look and soft fluffy texture.

The taste is very much like Vegemite but not as strong and tastes creamier which I very much like. as it doesn't have the same sharp bitterness that Marmite and Vegemite have. I made some toast for my two sons and generously spread some of the Allmite gold onto them and it was an instant hit with them.

I recommend getting this spread to try if yeast spreads are your thing and although the cost of this 250-gram jar is a little high at $12 I believe it is still worthwhile giving it a shot and the more people who purchase this the more likely the price may end up balancing out and reducing over time if they have a good customer base.

As a kiwi I have grown up with Marmite as a pantry staple and been part of the great Marmite vs Vegemite debate (there is definitely a difference in taste! And I far prefer Marmite). My kids do enjoy Marmite, though they have a habit of spreading it on VERY thickly, so thickly that I joke "want some bread with that?". I myself am more reserved in how much I spread on my bread. I decided to give this a taste, straight from the jar, to see how it compares and found that it definitely had the recognisable taste but nowhere near as strong a punch to it. My 14yo had a small amount as well and said that it didn't burn their throat like Marmite can.

I put this to the test by using it in a sandwich, one half with Allmite Gold and one half with Marmite, along with ham, cheese, aioli and cucumber. The Allmite was definitely a softer taste than Marmite, though I did find I needed to spread more of it on my bread. The texture is probably what is going to take the most to get used to, my senses and brain can't decide if it is more like hummus or peanut butter in texture, though that seems to greatly depend on how much I put on my meal. When it comes down to the taste, the kids and I did enjoy it and will certainly finish up the jar. I'm undecided yet, if we will buy more, as the texture seems to be the main stickler - however, who knows, maybe by the time we empty the jar we'll be happier with it.

I had a beautiful pussy cat named Marmite growing up and a few years later the family got Vegemite. We always had both spreads in the pantry and although I loved both, I always felt guilty eating Vegemite like I was picking Vegemite over Marmite. Although, when I lived in Australia I didn't really have a choice. Today you will only ever find Marmite in our pantry and as I am the only one that eats it, it is my little treasure.

I have my toast down to a find art. Lots of butter and thinly scattered marmite spread in various parts but the key is lots of butter. So naturally when I opened this it was the exact same method - the only difference was - the colour was not what I was expecting instead of the rich black I was met with a caramel brown and it instantly reminded me of peanut butter. It even smells a tad like peanut butter which had me rather worried as I am not a lover! The second part was this has no where near the strong taste that I have become accustomed too. So I had to adjust the strategy of lightly covering the toast with more on the knife.

My husband took a spoonful and said he could recognise the yeast straight away. He also commented that it was better than the one that I love, where as I felt differently. Its not that I do not like it - it is just not as strong as I would like. I would never coat my toast in it in its entirely as it is not something that I could ever do. I like the balance between toast, butter and the coating and nice empty spaces. I did try and over do it today but I found the taste reminded me of peanut butter although, I think it maybe the colour playing tricks on me.

I have used this now for the past week and only the top is missing so it is the sort of spread I can see sitting in the pantry for a while now as a little goes a long way. It also would be nice to add to smoothies or casseroles or mince meals to give it some extra yeast. I have noted that I am the only one that has been having it as the rest of the family still seem to be favouring the peanut butter. I mentioned to my husband about that today and he said he will have it when he is in the mood for something different which I guess is encouraging.

Looking at the price I thought $12 seemed rather steep but as it will probably last me around half a year it probably is worth it in the long run. Actually, thinking about it now it is called 'allmite gold' so maybe that is why it is the colour it is.

I grew up with the Mite family. My father refused to eat Vegemite - he said it was not the real deal for true Kiwis, but he always had a jar of Marmite in the cupboard (and sometimes, when we were not looking, a jar of Vegemite as well!) Personally, I could not tell the difference; all I knew was that they were both very strong and salty, and did not appeal to my young palate at all unless mixed with some of the school lunch favourites of the day. So I would happily munch away at lettuce-and-marmite or lettuce-and-walnut sandwiches. Egg sandwiches with marmite were another variation, or even Marmite with Chesdale cheese. The second ingredient made the strong flavour less invasive, and more acceptable for primary school tastes.

Enter Allmite, the new kid on the block, and suddenly my whole perception changed. To this day I still find Marmite and Vegemite too strong, even when barely scraped on, but Allmite is much smoother and does not have the brash bitterness of its older relatives. I was surprised to discover that I could taste a little Allmite straight from the spoon and enjoy it: the flavours are subtle but not overwhelming. It can be spread thickly on bread or toast without losing its mellow effect. It might not be strong enough to flavour a soup, but is nice as a hot drink (a couple of spoonfuls of Allmite with boiling water added to taste) and delicious on a burger bun with cheese and salad or coleslaw.

Having realised how versatile it might be, I decided to experiment a little. We had some fresh bread rolls and a can of creamed sweet corn; corn on fresh bread or toast is a family favourite anyway. I mixed a little butter with Allmite and spread both halves of each roll before adding the hot sweet corn on top. The result was beyond perfect: this spread is absolutely made to eat with corn. Everyone wanted a second roll, and Mr 13 thought he could manage a third, but the rolls were all gone and so was the corn. Certainly something that we will use as a breakfast idea, especially when travelling, as it is so quick to make and serve.

Another way we used the Allmite was with a chopped celery and tomato salad. The Allmite was mixed with light mayonnaise (two parts mayo to one of Allmite), stirred well, then mixed through the vegetables. It gave them a certain zing which was much nicer than a mayo dressing on its own, and the Allmite meant it was lighter. There were two grilled sausages and a baked potato on each plate too; the dressing ran down through the vegetables and on to the sausages and potato, giving them an interesting flavour and making the addition of any butter for the potatoes unnecessary.

No doubt we will think of other ways to use this product as every one of us enjoyed it. However that will not be just yet as the Allmite was so nice that we have finished the lot!

As a kid, I grew up enjoying Marmite on toast as part of family breakfasts, and then spent some time living in Australia having to acquire the taste for Vegemite... which means that as an adult, I can eat both equally and interchangeably without feeling drawn to either end of the 'Battle of the 'mites'. So when I stumbled across a new 'mite recently, I had to give it a go.

This was a surprise, I have to say. It had none of the flavours I expected yet tasted so oddly familiar that it wasn't "all that odd" to my taste buds. It's a bit like expecting to meet C3-PO, but get Baymax instead. Totally different, but in so many ways the same that you accept it and give it a go anyway. Naturally, on-bread is the first test to benchmark it against the other 'mites.

The first thing you will note is the colour - while I would struggle to call it 'gold', "allmite nut-brown" doesn't roll off the tongue as nicely. It looks a lot like a hazelnut spread, with a deeper colour than peanut butter. It's not an ugly colour by any means, and it is softened and highlighted by the addition of turmeric to add warmth to the toasted nuttiness of the tahini. (For those not aware, Tahini is a paste made from toasted sesame seeds, often used in Middle-Eastern cuisine.) The use of Apple Cider vinegar was an inspired choice, as it gives that nice sweet-sharpness without the harsh notes white or malt vinegar brings.

I tried using this in place of marmite in a gravy, and it worked well but the gravy was different, which is to be expected. For a rich, dark gravy suited for red meats, I would not suggest this as a viable replacement for marmite, however in a lighter gravy for chicken or pork, this was an excellent upgrade. The softer flavour profile is a benefit with the subtler flavours of the white meats, and also helps to keep the gravy colour from going too dark. The slightly nuttier notes that come through add to the music too.

Overall, while a little high in price due to the smaller supply, as more customers come to appreciate this wonderful new 'mite, free from all the drama of its older cousins' war, the economy of scale will start to apply more of an effect and bring the unit price down somewhat. A good product, given a fair chance, can grow into something amazing. That's how they all came about, and it is a future I want to see for this little nugget of golden flavour.