News Kiwis will love or hate: they're almost out of Marmite

New Zealand's Marmite lovers have been told to spread sparingly as manufacturers are warning of an impending shortage of the yeast extract.

Marmite production in New Zealand has been suspended since November after the Christchurch factory which produces it was forced to close because of structural damage caused by the earthquake in February last year.

And those hoping to ship in supplies from the UK will be disappointed – the recipe in New Zealand is slightly different from the spread loved or hated across Britain.

Fans of the New Zealand version are being advised to eat the spread on toast – rather than bread – to make it go further.

"What we're recommending is toast. Because it's a little bit warmer, it spreads easier and it goes a little bit further," said Pierre van Heerden, general manager for Sanitarium, which manufactures the spread in New Zealand.

"So what we're asking consumers is maybe if they have their Marmite on toast – and ration it a little bit, maybe only have it once a day or every second day until such time as we can have full Marmite stocks back out in the marketplace again."

Speaking to Radio New Zealand yesterday morning, Mr Van Heerden said certain sizes of containers had already sold out and that last week the company sent the final stocks out to retailers.

However, he reassured customers that Marmite would return: "Everything is being done within our power to get that done and make sure we have a continued supply of Marmite to consumers of New Zealand," he said.

"We will get Marmite back – consumers don't have to worry about that or freak out about it... It will be the same product that we've all come to love."