Yowies — Australia’s answer to iconic confectionary Kinder Surprise —  are set to hit Canadian shelves later this month following a North American resurgence.

Shaped like the mythical Australian creature — with Australian themed toys inside — the chocolates rose to popularity in the 90s but were scrapped in 2005 after a disagreement between Cadbury and the Yowie’s creators.

Perth-based Yowie Group (ASX:YOW) picked up the brand in 2012 and have been marketing them in North America ever since.

Yowie’s shares rose slightly to 23.5c in Thursday lunchtime trade — but are well down from their 12-month high of 68c.

The confectioner will partner with distributor Mondoux Confectionary to introduce Yowies to Canadian supermarkets, service stations and toy stores across the country.

A revitalised troupe of Yowies, named Rumble, Boof, Crag, Ditty, Nap and Squish, have matured since their early days and are now nut, gluten and palm oil free.

Plus, millennial Yowies have a conscience – the chocolate is ethically sourced and traded with Rainforest Alliance Certification to help push a message of “saving the natural world through education and play”.

“Our launch into the Canadian market is an exciting step in our expansion outside of the US as the Yowie brand begins to grow into a global presence,” Yowie operating officer Mark Schuessler told investors.

Revenue for the last quarter was down 7 per cent — which Yowie partly attributed to disruption from Hurricanes Harvey and Irma which affected trade in key markets of Texas and Florida.

Yowie made $US5 million ($6.4 million) in sales for the quarter and had $US25 million in the bank.

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