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  "path": "/news/gentlemans-relish-discontinued-condiment-spread-british-icon",
  "publishedAt": "2026-04-10T03:51:04.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.gbnews.com",
  "tags": [
    "Iconic British staples Marmite, Bovril and Colman's mustard sold to American firm in £50billion deal",
    "Pub which inspired The Archers' local may be forced to shut down under Rachel Reeves's tax raids",
    "Lord Nelson portraits replaced by images of YVETTE COOPER in Parliament in latest diversity drive",
    "The GB News Editorial Charter"
  ],
  "textContent": "\n\n\nA classic British condiment is being discontinued after almost 200 years.\n\nGentleman's Relish, the intensely savoury anchovy spread, is being scrapped by makers AB World Foods.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nIn a statement, the firm said it recognised the Victorian relish's \"niche and loyal following\" - but admitted it no longer held the \"commercial appeal\" needed to keep it going.\n\n\"Despite our best efforts, retailer distribution has dwindled,\" it said.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nTRENDING\n\nStories\n\nVideos\n\nYour Say\n\n\"With Gentleman's Relish no longer commercially viable and unable to secure a buyer for the brand, we regrettably stopped production earlier this year.\"\n\nThe spread had appeared in a sandwich in Ian Fleming's \"For Your Eyes Only\", though is most commonly enjoyed smeared thinly on toast like Marmite.\n\nIts packaging, now plastic rather than ceramic, warns diners to apply it \"very sparingly\".\n\nThe paste, also known as patum peperium, is made of butter and anchovies with spices, a similar makeup to the Italian dish bagna cauda.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nIt was invented by John Osborn, an English grocer living in Paris, in 1828.\n\nBut when news of its demise was revealed by The Spectator, loyal fans emerged to bid it farewell.\n\nCelebrity chef Nigella Lawson said she would have to resort to a homemade version, adding: \"As long as I have access to anchovies and butter, I'm happy.\"\n\nRestaurateur Jeremy King told The Guardian his chefs would remake it at his London restaurant Simpson's.\n\n### BRITISH ICONS LOST - READ MORE:\n\n\n\n\n  * Iconic British staples Marmite, Bovril and Colman's mustard sold to American firm in £50billion deal\n  * Pub which inspired The Archers' local may be forced to shut down under Rachel Reeves's tax raids\n  * Lord Nelson portraits replaced by images of YVETTE COOPER in Parliament in latest diversity drive\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n\"We actually make our own, due to the difficulty in obtaining, so are able to continue to serve it,\" he said.\n\n\"My chef found and adapted a classic Victorian recipe for patum peperium... It is similar to mass-produced versions, but dare I say, I prefer it.\"\n\nMr King revealed he would like to sell it as a takeaway dish, but \"sadly we can't as that would require all sorts of health and safety packaging and labelling\".\n\nFormer diplomat Ameer Kotecha, who wrote in defence of the spread last year, told GB News it was \"a bit of a love-it-or-hate-it thing\", though has described it elsewhere as a British culinary treasure.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nMr Kotecha also revealed he has written to AB World Foods to try to salvage it.\n\nIn his letter, he hails the spread as \"no mere condiment, but a living artefact of British gastronomic history\", and said withdrawing it from shelves was \"profoundly regrettable\".\n\nHe went on to ask whether the firm would reconsider its position or explore alternative arrangements like licensing or small-batch production in a bid to keep it alive past its 200th birthday.\n\nIf that fails, he said, AB World Foods should consider releasing the recipe to the public so as it would not be lost entirely.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n**Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**",
  "title": "Classic British condiment discontinued after nearly 200 years as fans bid farewell to divisive culinary icon"
}