UK unhappy Vegemites over Marmite shortage

Australians fought the supermarket aisles for loo roll during COVID-19, but in the UK, Britons are facing restrictions on their favourite yeast extract Marmite.

Production of the popular spread has been limited to small 250 gram jars, rather than their larger, 400 gram squeezy containers.

When asked by a customer on Twitter why the bigger size had been tough to find, the company admitted there was a short supply of brewers yeast, the spread's main ingredient.

"As a temporary measure we have stopped production of all sizes apart from our 250g size jar which is available in most major retailers," it said.

UK brewers slowed and stalled production when pubs were forced to shut in an attempt to slow the coronavirus pandemic.

"Just when you think the year can't get any worse," Tweeted British man Colin Raffell, from East Devon.

Bega Foods, which owns Vegemite, says there has been no impact on supply of the popular spread during the COVID-19 crisis in Australia.

"We continue to be a nation of 'Happy Little Vegemites'," Bega's head of marketing Matt Gray said, referencing the product's famous advertising jingle.

There have been more than 290,000 cases of coronavirus in the UK so far compared to 7285 infections in Australia, as at 1.30pm (AEST) on Thursday.