Marmite to celebrate Ashes in a jar that looks like a cricket ball

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London, June 1 (ANI): Marmite is producing a limited-edition spread to celebrate the forthcoming Ashes series against Australia - in a jar that looks like a cricket ball.

According to The Telegraph, the distinctive spread is being flavoured with Marston's Pedigree, the official beer of the England cricket team, and will be sold in dark red jars, complete with a seam down the side.

The 500,000 jars of Marmite go on sale from next week at supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose and Morrisons.

This is the third year in a row that Marmite, the salty spread, has produced a limited edition version following last year's Champagne flavoured version, and a Guinness version sold in 2007.

The venture with Marston's, however, takes it back to its roots. Marmite was first produced in 1902 in Burton upon Trent, the home of British beer brewing, as a yeast by-product of the brewing process.

Marmite soon moved its headquarters to London but Marston's are still based in Burton upon Trent.

The much-anticipated Ashes series starts on July 8, with the first Npower test at Cardiff. The Australian cricket team is already in Britain, preparing for the World Twenty20 tournament, which starts this week.

The Marston's Marmite has been given the thumbs up by one of the game's most popular characters, the former umpire Dickie Bird. "Cricket is like Marmite, entirely eccentric; wholly British and something the rest of the World will never truly understand," he said.

The 250g jars will cost 3.49 pounds, compared with a standard jar f the same size costing 2.46 pounds. (ANI)