More Marmite for Luke

Luke Bain is in the black. The 13-year-old autistic Dunedin boy seemed set to run out of his favourite spread, Marmite, today - until some generous Otago Daily Times readers saved the day.

Luke eats his way through a 500g jar of Marmite every week. It is the only way his family can disguise the taste of the medication used to control his violent impulses and severe anxiety.

An article on his Marmite habit was published in the ODT last year, after production of the spread was temporarily suspended because of the Christchurch earthquakes. Dunedin couple Nathalie and John Huston recently discovered three large jars of the spread when they were cleaning out their son's house.

''I remembered the story about Luke Bain, the autistic boy who needed it for his medication, and I wanted to give it to them,'' Mrs Huston said.

She dropped the precious jars around to Luke's mother, Sharon Bain, yesterday. ''I'm absolutely stoked,'' Mrs Bain said.

''We only had enough left for his toast in the morning.

''It's the only thing that hides the taste of his medication.''

Marmite manufacturer Sanitarium had to suspend its 640,000kg annual production of the popular spread last March, when its Christchurch factory was damaged by earthquakes. ''It is heartwarming to see situations like this young boy in Dunedin,'' Sanitarium general manager Pierre van Heerden said from Auckland yesterday.

''It is very pleasing to see people helping each other like this and the community support for Marmite and understanding of the situation.''

The company hoped to make a statement soon about when it would be resuming Marmite production in Christchurch.

''Things are going quite well and we're pleased with the progress. We did have some more equipment repairs last week which were caused, basically, because it has been sitting around for so long,'' Mr van Heerden said.

- nigel.benson@odt.co.nz