New Zealand's athletes receive a Marmite-y reward

Offering rewards for a job well done and to motivate staff are common in many workplaces, and it would seem the Olympic Village is no exception.

New Zealand’s Olympic-medal winners are being rewarded by Kiwi supermarket chain Pak ‘n’ Save with jars of Marmite.

The bronze-medal winning New Zealand eventing team dropped by Kiwi House, a dedicated centre for New Zealanders during the Olympics, on 31 July to collect their jars.

Marmite is currently in short supply in New Zealand because the manufacturer’s factory was affected by earthquake damage. Production of the product is not scheduled to begin again until later in the year.

Pak ‘n’ Save decided to use its remaining stocks for customers they felt were most deserving.

Steve Anderson of the supermarket’s parent company FoodStuffs New Zealand, said: “Who could be more deserving than our Olympic medallists?

“To come to London and prove to the world that they are the best in their discipline is no mean feat. And we thought a few home comforts after all their hard work wouldn’t go astray.”