Bertie Beetle facts for kids
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| Type | Chocolate bar |
|---|---|
| Introduced | 1963 |
| Previous owners | Hoadley's Chocolates |
Bertie Beetle is a small, fun chocolate bar made by Nestlé. It's shaped like a friendly beetle and has a chocolate coating. Inside, you'll find crunchy pieces of honeycomb. This sweet treat was first created to use up extra honeycomb from making Violet Crumble bars. Bertie Beetles were first made in Australia. Today, they are made in a factory in New Zealand.
For many years, you could mostly find Bertie Beetles in special bags called showbags. These showbags were sold at big agricultural shows across Australia.
The Story of Bertie Beetle
The Bertie Beetle chocolate bar first appeared in 1963. It was created by a company called Hoadley's Chocolates. Later, Rowntree Company took over Hoadley's. Then, in 1988, Nestlé bought the company.
Bertie Beetle was made to be a friendly rival to another popular chocolate, the Freddo Frog. When it first launched, famous VFL player Ron Barassi appeared in its advertisements. Bertie Beetles were sold in shops until the 1970s. After that, a special agreement was made. Bertie Beetles would only be sold in showbags at shows and exhibitions.
In 2007, Bertie Beetle multi-packs were briefly sold in supermarkets. They were part of Nestlé's Willy Wonka brand. Bertie Beetles returned to some confectionery stores in 2018. In 2019, Peters even launched a Bertie Beetle ice cream!
Bertie Beetle Showbags
Bertie Beetles are most famous for being in the classic Bertie Beetle showbag. These bags are sold at many shows all over Australia. The first showbag to include Bertie Beetle was the Hoadley's Chocolate Showbag in 1963. It also had Polly Waffle, Violet Crumble, and White Knight bars. Bertie Beetle got its very own showbag in 1965.
As of 2022, the classic showbag usually comes with a few Bertie Beetles and other sweets like Red Ripperz. For many years, this showbag cost A$2. The price went up to $3 in 2006, then back to $2 in 2007. In 2022, it increased to $3 again.
The Bertie Beetle showbag is one of the most popular showbags ever. At the 2017 Brisbane Ekka show, over 250,000 Bertie Beetle showbags were sold! There was a time when the showbag was briefly taken off sale at shows. But Nestlé listened to the many fans who wanted it back. So, they started selling the bag again. In 2023, there were some production problems. This meant fewer showbags were available at shows in Brisbane, Adelaide, and Melbourne. The showbag was even removed from sale at the 2023 Perth Royal Show.
There are also other types of Bertie Beetle showbags. These have more items and cost more. In 2003, the Bertie Beetle Bonanza showbag was created. This was to celebrate Bertie Beetle's 40th birthday. It came with many Bertie Beetles and a choice of a cooler bag or a basketball. In 2006, there were four different bags: a small red bag, a medium blue bag, a large gold bag, and a '1-2-3' bag. The '1-2-3' bag included the three smaller bags plus some extra treats.
In 2009, there were even more options. These included Bertie Beetle Blue, Gold, and Platinum bags. There was also the Bertie Beetle Bonanza bag and a Triple Deal bag. The Triple Deal bag was like the 1-2-3 bag, containing the three colored Bertie Beetle bags. For its 50th anniversary in 2013, a special edition showbag was released. It had 50 Bertie Beetle chocolates and a mask. In 2019, the Bertie Beetle Retro Showbag was added. It came in a retro paper bag with Bertie Beetle chocolates. You could also choose a bucket hat, socks, a collector's tin, or two enamel camping mugs with retro designs. In 2021, the most expensive Bertie Beetle showbag cost $18. A company called Chicane Marketing now manages the Bertie Beetle showbag brand. They work with Nestlé to create these popular showbags.
In 2016, you could start buying Bertie Beetle showbags and other products online. The Bertie Beetle Biggest Showbag had 80 Bertie Beetle chocolates. The Bertie Beetle Bounty Box came with 150 chocolates in a gift box. The Bertie Beetle Bulk Bundle was a carton of 250 Bertie Beetles. The Bertie Beetle Huge Haul included 350 Bertie Beetle chocolates!
There used to be a white chocolate version called Lady Beetle. It was Bertie's friend and had its own showbag, which cost a little more. Lady Beetle is no longer available.
What's Inside a Bertie Beetle?
A standard Bertie Beetle bar weighs 10 grams. The main ingredients are Sugar, Vegetable Fat, Milk Solids, and Toffee Pieces. The toffee pieces are made from Sugar, Glucose Syrup (from wheat), Vegetable Fat, and Sodium Bicarbonate. The chocolate also contains Cocoa, Emulsifier (Soy Lecithin), Salt, and Flavourings.
