Tesco is selling Marmite flavoured houmous but shoppers are divided

As if everyone didn't already have a strong opinion on the spread, Marmite-flavoured houmous is now a thing.

Love it or hate it, Marmite has long been a divisive subject across British breakfast tables.

And chances are nothing's going to divide the nation quite like this offering from Tesco. You read it right, Marmite-flavoured houmous.

Made from cooked chickpeas, tahini sesame seed paste, lemon juice, garlic purée and the classic yeast extract spread, the £1.50 dip is sure to cause lively debate in households across the country.

But it would seem that this curious combination has been around for a while – we just weren't in on the secret.

Back in March, a Twitter user posted a picture of their "Lunch of the gods!": Marmite on toast topped with houmous.

The brand retweeted the fan's invention, writing, "The Marmite combinations are flooding in. Marmite and hummus anyone?"

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Fast forward four months, and it's ours.

The announcement prompted a mixed bag of emotions on Twitter, with one user writing, "Some hate Marmite Some hate houmous I love both This should be lush!"

"I like houmous, and I like Marmite. This could be disgusting though. I will try it..." wrote another.

Meanwhile vegan fans of both Marmite and houmous were disgruntled that the new hybrid product contained lactose.

"As @marmite and houmous are famously both vegan why on earth does Marmite houmous contain cow's milk?" Twitter user Claire Niven wrote.

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It is thought that a small amount of Marmite Powder, which contains lactose as a sub ingredient, has been used to enhance the product's flavour.

However, this unconventional pairing is just one in a long line of offbeat collaborations from Marmite.

Read more: Is Marmite good for you? The surprising health benefits of the savoury spread

Who could forget M&S bringing out a range with the brand in March, that included Marmite cream cheese, Marmite butter and Marmite cheddar twists.

Then of course there was the controversial announcement last year of Papa John's Marmite stuffed crust. For an extra £2.50, customers could get their standard mozzarella stuffed crust with a delicious (or disgusting, depending on how you look at it) dollop of Marmite.

There was also Asda's Marmite "yeaster egg": a hollow milk chocolate egg flavoured with Marmite extract.

Suddenly we're wondering what other Marmite fusion we can manifest. Marmite tea, anyone?

Freelance Writer

Kate McCusker is a freelance writer at Marie Claire UK, having joined the team in 2019. Her remit is broad, and she feels incredibly lucky to cover everything from women’s empowerment to sustainability (with a regular helping of celebrity news thrown in for good measure).