As we gear up for the the Sydney Royal Easter Show our minds wander inevitably (ok, immediately) to the showbags. And few showbags inspire as much fervour as the MVP of the Easter Show – the Bertie Beetle bag.

One of the longest-running show bag classics, the Bertie Beetle needs no introduction. What you may not know, however, is that the honeycomb chocolate superhero has some surprising origins. Our favourite little bug was once nothing more than a byproduct of another heavy-hitter of the confectionary world – the Violet Crumble.

Related story: From Polly Waffle to Freddo Frog, we count down Australia’s oldest lollies

Introduced in 1963, the Bertie Beetle was initially a convenient way of using up leftover honeycomb and crumbly debris from the production of Violet Crumble bars. It wasn’t until 2011 that manufacturers began using fresh sources of honeycomb to make the coveted bug.

The Bertie Beetle (then owned by Hoadley’s Chocolates, who were later taken over by the Rowntree Company and became Rowntree Hoadley Ltd, later acquired by Nestlé in 1988) was intended as a rival product to MacRobertson’s Freddo Frog.

Launched in partnership with ALF legend Ron Barassi, the Bertie Beetle was sold in stores until the early 1970s – when some meanie decided to limit them exclusively to showbags.

Related story: Bacon-on-a-stick plus 7 other weird and wonderful foods to try at the Sydney Royal Easter Show

The Bertie Beetle has made fleeting appearances in supermarkets over the years but the only really consistent source of the mysterious chocolate is at agricultural shows in the coveted showbags. Even then, it’s not a guarantee.

Production issues in 2023 saw supply of the showbag rationed at shows in Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne, which also led it to being withdrawn from sale at the 2023 Perth Royal Show. Perish the thought!

Related story: Australian scientists have developed an appealing new banana species