New Zealanders toast the end of 'Marmageddon'

WELLINGTON (AFP) - Supermarkets across New Zealand stocked up with Marmite for the first time in more than a year on Wednesday, as a shortage of the salty spread caused by the Christchurch earthquake came to an end.

In a culinary crisis dubbed "Marmageddon", the country's only Marmite factory closed after sustaining damage in the February 2011 Christchurch quake, halting production of the thick, black concoction.

The factory was supposed to re-open in mid-2012 but the work ran behind schedule, leaving Kiwis including Prime Minister John Key complaining about missing their breakfast treat.

Jars of the spread, which is typically smeared on toast and is likened by critics to axle grease laced with salt, exchanged hands for up to NZ$80 (S$82.44) on Internet auction sites as customers sought their savoury fix.