Development The Chiko Roll was developed by
Frank McEncroe, a
boilermaker from
Bendigo, Victoria, who turned to catering at football matches and other outdoor events. In 1950, McEncroe saw a competitor selling Chinese chop suey rolls outside the
Richmond Cricket Ground and decided to add a similar product to his own line. McEncroe felt that the Chinese rolls were too flimsy to be easily handled in an informal outdoor setting and hit upon the idea of a much larger and more robust roll that would provide a quick meal, that was both reasonably substantial and easily handled. The result was the Chiko Roll, which debuted at the
Wagga Wagga Agriculture Show in 1951. Increasing competition in the Australian takeaway food market in recent decades has seen a decline in the profile of the Chiko Roll, with consumption down to 17 million per annum in 2011. In September 2016 a disagreement in the
Parliament of Australia over the origins of the Chiko Roll occurred. The
Nationals' Member for
Calare Andrew Gee,
Labor’s Member for
Bendigo Lisa Chesters and Member for
Riverina Michael McCormack all claimed the snack originated in their respective hometowns. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Chiko Roll, the current manufacturer presented gold-plated replicas to
Bendigo and Wagga Wagga cities. The vegetarian Chiko Roll was only briefly available in Victoria and Tasmania, and was discontinued by the manufacturer in 2023 due to poor sales. ==Chiko Chick==