It's Curtains for 198-Year-Old British Condiment

James Bond's breakfast spread has been retired for good. Patum Peperium, better known as Gentleman's Relish, has been discontinued after nearly two centuries on British tables. Created in 1828 by English grocer John Osborn while he was living in Paris, the spread was built around heavily salted Spanish anchovies cooked and blended with butter, rusk, and a closely guarded mix of herbs and spices, the Telegraph reports.

• "Dun-coloured and slightly textured, Patum Peperium is very fishy and very fermented. It is not for everyone," Olivia Potts writes at the Spectator. "Those who love it are beyond evangelical, while haters would liken it to cat food. 'Spread sparingly,' the label cautions, lest the uninitiated go wild and start eating spoonfuls."

The mock-Latin name Patum Peperium roughly means "pepper pâté," but its strong flavor and aroma earned it the nickname Gentleman's Relish, which eventually became the main brand. Tradition holds that no single employee ever knew the full recipe. A favorite of Ian Fleming—who worked it into the Bond story For Your Eyes Only—the paste was a staple in Victorian and Edwardian kitchens, usually smeared on hot buttered toast or under scrambled eggs in the dish known as Scotch woodcock. Admirers ranged from Admiral Sir Sidney Smith, who called it the best breakfast accompaniment he'd ever tasted, to novelist Evelyn Waugh, who gave it a cameo in Vile Bodies.

Ownership passed from the Osborn family in 1971 through several food companies before ending up at AB World Foods in 2001. "While we recognize that this Victorian relish has a niche and loyal following, it sadly does not have wider commercial appeal and, despite our best efforts, retailer distribution has dwindled," the company said. "With Gentleman's Relish no longer commercially viable and unable to secure a buyer for the brand, we regrettably stopped production earlier this year."

• The Times of London reports that the announcement triggered a run on remaining supplies on British store shelves and jars can be found online at "significantly inflated" prices. "What was once an unassuming jar tucked into the corner of a cupboard has, in its final days, become a minor collector's item," the Times reports.