In case you missed it, movie star Ryan Reynolds and his less-famous but more talented friend Rob McElhenney recently purchased a non-league Welsh soccer club. How and why two successful Hollywood celebrities became owners of Wrexham Association Football Club is a story for another day (or you could just go Google it — please come back though!), but Reynolds and McElhenney are jumping headfirst into the wonderful world of UK soccer, right down to the Bovril.

In late October, Reynolds and McElhenney took a trip to the UK to attend a few Wrexham games, one of which was an away match at a tiny football club based in Berkshire, England called Maidenhead United FC. The concept of Mac from It’s Always Sunny and Deadpool from Deadpool showing up to a non-league football game inside a 550-seat stadium is weird enough, but then the two men were photographed with paper cups in their hands. Upon seeing these images on Instagram my immediate thought was, “Hmmm wonder if they’re drinking Bovril.” My suspicions were confirmed moments later when Ryan Reynolds commented “Bovril” on one of the images. 

If you’re not familiar with Bovril, allow me to enlighten you. Bovril is a thick, dark paste-like substance that has been widely available in the UK for well over a hundred years. An easy way to describe is it’s basically beef stock, but that description doesn’t do the delicious beefy glue any justice. It’s so much better than bouillon! (But not to be confused with Better Than Boullion, which is a bouillon brand available in the US. Although that’s probably the closest thing to Bovril you’ll find in American grocery stores). 

Bovril was first developed in the 1870s because turning beef into a paste was the easiest way to transport it long distances without it going bad. Like snake oil or Coca-Cola, Bovril was one of those Victorian products that were advertised as having many uses. The fluid beef can be used as a spread for bread and pastries, or as a flavoring for oatmeals and gruels. However, its main use is as a beverage. Simply spoon a dollop of the thick meaty gunge out of its recognizably squat jar and into a cup of hot water, stir, and you end up with a cup of delicious beef tea. 

One thing that separates Bovril from its meat stock cousins is the fact that it’s purchasable as a beverage at the concession stands of pretty much every soccer stadium in the UK. It’s not uncommon on a cold matchday to see hundreds of soccer fans sipping on a warm cup of the bovine-based elixir as they cheer their team on from the stands. I’ve spent many a winter’s afternoon sipping on a cup on Bovril as I watch my beloved Crystal Palace from the terraces of Selhurst Park. It’s a comforting t-bone tonic that warms the cockles and adds an extra layer of enjoyment to the beautiful game, particularly when the game is refusing to be beautiful. I’ve walked away from heartbreaking defeats less sad than I should have been because hey, at least I had a cup of Bovril. 

Bovril is so beloved in UK soccer stadiums that a vegan alternative was recently developed to satiate the cravings of those who live a meat-free lifestyle. Vegan Bovril was initially created in conjunction with Forest Green Rovers FC, the world’s first vegan soccer club. No meat or animal products are served at the concessions of Forest Green FC’s New Lawn Stadium, and so Bovril beet extract was born. I have never tried the vegan Bovril, and I imagine it tastes like beets, but that’s not important. What is important is that Britain’s soccer-loving vegans can now sip on a warm cup of diluted paste just like their carnivorous brethren. 

It’s been a long time since I consumed a cup of hot Bovril. I moved to the US from the UK nearly 10 years ago and I rarely get homesick these days, but I am literally salivating as I write this. I live in LA, where it’s usually quite warm, but there have been a few winter nights where I’ve thought about my old buddy Bovril while trying to stay warm under the heated blanket. It’s legitimately very high on the list of things I miss from back home. Maybe like, one place below free healthcare and I’m not gonna lie, it’s tight!

Tragically, Bovril is difficult to get ahold of in the US. I have never seen it in any grocery store, and if you type “Bovril” into the Amazon dot com search bar, you will be presented with some non-Bovril beef stock products and Marmite, which is a yeast extract that comes in a similar jar to Bovril’s and is also thick and brown … but it’s a completely different thing. My only option is to order it from one of those websites that sell British stuff, but it’s kinda pricey, expensive enough to only justify a purchase for the holidays. 

Like so many weird British food items, Bovril beef tea is a tough sell. But should you ever find yourself attending a soccer match in the UK, do yourself a favor and order a cup of Bovril from the nearest concession stand. You won’t regret it. 

Recommend If You Like is not owned or funded by a billionaire or even a millionaire. We do have a Patreon. Even sites owned by billionaires and millionaires have Patreons so please don’t hold that against us. And we’re paying all of our writers, photographers and graphic designers. So please consider our Patreon. If you can't afford to become a patron, please sign up to our mailing list. It's free and we're asking here instead of a pop-up. Pop-ups are annoying.

Feature image from Library of Congress