This cup has been produced as a promotional item by the makers of Bovril, a meat extract paste usually used in cooking or stirred in hot water for a hot drink. It was developed in Britain in the 1870s and widely used during the depression of the 1930s and the World Wars when meat was scarce and expensive. Similar products such as Marmite (Britain) and Vegemite (Australia) have a vegetable rather than a meat base. This item is a memento of the times past when hot drinks made from meat or vegetable paste were very popular and it is retained for display purposes.This is a cream-coloured china cup with gold edgings and three gold-coloured Bovril logos (the name 'Bovril' inside a shield outline). The cup is mounted on a china base. Bovril Made in Englandmeat extract products, bovril, vintage china, bovril cup