I like chocolate. I’m sure you do too. Unless you’re lactose intolerant, in which case you won’t be able to sample the delights of the tasty, delicious, gorgeous, sweet chocolatey world. Shame.

In a world of chocolates, many come to mind. Dairy Milk, Galaxy, Maltesers, Double Deckers, Aero, the list goes on and on. But often, maybe always, omitted from this list is the finest chocolate of all.

A chocolate of integrity. A chocolate of remarkable taste. A refined chocolate for the refined people of the world, it exudes class, yet it has an air of childish simplicity about it. What is the name of this chocolate?

Freddo. Freddo the frog. The 10p chocolate from Cadbury’s, part of their ‘Cadbury Land’ range of goodies. For those of you who’ve sampled a Freddo, you’ll know what I’m talking about. You can’t deny it, it’s a tasty chocolate in a fun and fresh style. For those of you who have never tried a Freddo, then you should. End of story. Myself and Mr Trench often did sample Freddo the Frog’s lovely goodness whilst at work. It was an almost automatic response to spend a mere 10p on the little fellow.

Freddo the frog is a small chocolate, little enough to not ruin your appetite and yet big enough to make you feel you’ve ingested some proper hardcore chocolate. Our favourite frog comes in two different varieties; the plan chocolate freddo, which is in a purple wrapper, and caramel filled freddo, which is in a yellow wrapper. When you peel back the wrapper of the delicacy of your choice, the chocolate inside is in the shape of a little chocolate frog, wearing what appears to be a long sleeve t-shirt and trousers. He has a cheeky smile which just prompts you to bite off his legs and devour him.

Freddo the frog has his roots in Australia. He began his life around the 1930’s, though his designer is disputed. Some sources say that Harry Melbourne came up with the idea in order to appeal to the children of Oz, whereas others say that Cherry Ripe (a comedy name, surely) was the brains behind the frog. Apparently, according to this story here, Freddo was the the star of the first ever Australian television cartoon, displaying his fine acting talents in 1962.

I think a trip to Australia is required. According to this official Cadbury Australia Page, ‘Freddo Frog is available as a 12 g, a giant 40 g size, and a 240g Share Pack.’ A 40g Freddo! It’s enough to pitch me into the throws of delirium.

I hope you’ve learned something about Freddo the Frog today. If you’re a fan of the man himself then hopefully, when you’re tucking into one, you’ll think about the history behind the legend. If you’re a Freddo virgin then maybe it’s time to change that. Go on, dig into your pocket, fish out 10p of shrapnel and purchase a Freddo. You won’t regret it.

Top Freddo Links
The official Freddo Frog homepage. See the News Archive for some crazy stories. Also see ‘The Freddo Mystery’ for discussion about the history of Freddo.
Here’s Freddo himself. See how cool and hip he is, in his self-advertising t-shirt and froggy thumb up.
Go to Freddo’s pond and WATCH LIVE FROGS. And play some safety games and suchlike.
Go and play some Freddo Games. May I recommend Peppermint Mountain for some top Maze actions.

PS – If Mr Cadbury is reading this and wants to send me loads of free Freddo Frogs for promoting his fine product, then feel free to contact me.