Achi news desk-
There are many injustices in the world, and technically the following ranks relatively low on the list, but is there any challenge facing humanity right now that is more dire than the shortage of Cadbury Mini Eggs?
Seriously, how do we go into Easter this weekend and have a better chance of winning Powerball or seeing a sasquatch in Subiaco than we do of finding a pack of Baby Eggs in the wild?
The big supermarket chains had hot cross buns on the shelves just after Christmas – no complaints here, I’ve always thought they should be a treat all year round.
But how do we deserve almost four months of hot cross, yet the opportunity to buy Mini Eggs this year seems to have been limited to a 25 minute window three Tuesdays ago?
And, despite my best efforts to find these candy-coated wonders online, it would be easier to buy spleen on the dark web (hey, I’m sure you’ve bought stupid things on Temu).
So, what’s going on here, and why does Cadbury hate us so much?
For starters, we have to dispel the idea that Cadbury is in Australia or cares more about Australia than any other modest market around the world.
Although it has shipped chocolate Down Under since 1881, and has had manufacturing facilities in this country since 1922, the company has always been British, at least until it was swallowed up by the American multinational Mondelez in 2010 .
Yes, there have been products specific to Australia, such as the iconic Freddo, but it was developed by an Australian dinky-d confectionery company acquired by Cadbury in the 1960s.
That company, MacRobertsons, also created Old Gold and the Cherry Ripe.
Going back to Mini Eggs, those addictively delicious treats aren’t even made here – they’re imported from bloody Poland!
Perhaps this explains why they are so hard to come by – we have no local control over production and are fighting every other market for stock.
And many Aussies may not realize that this battle is surprisingly fierce.
Mini Eggs are hugely popular in their native UK, where a huge social media campaign recently increased demand even further.
Over in America, the Yanks only really know Cadbury because Mini Eggs and Creme Eggs have historically appeared at Easter, making them a valuable novelty for the season.
Also in the US, Krispy Kreme this month launched a collaboration with Cadbury to feature Mini Eggs on a new seasonal doughnut.
Australia is, as usual, sliding down the pecking order, and now we find ourselves in a situation where Mini Eggs is a casualty in the supply chain, as stock is diverted to larger, more profitable markets .
I wish there was good news to end this column, or hope on the horizon, but the reality is that our Baby Egg shortage can only be rectified if an international company prioritizes Australia, and that is not happening. very often.
