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Top 10 Discontinued Candy Bars We Wish Would Make a Comeback
Everyone loves candy – maybe not quite as much as Willy Wonka does, but don’t we all have a favorite candy bar we miss? Get ready for your sweet tooth to ache as we chew on the top 10 discontinued candy bars we wish would make a comeback.
10. The Denver Sandwich
The Denver Sandwich Chocolate Bar labored under a strange name that might have contributed to its ultimate demise. However, while it lasted, this sweet treat was a favorite among many candy bar lovers. The Denver Sandwich was created by the Sperry Candy Company and is not to be confused with the Denver Sandwich which is made with eggs, ham and peppers and eaten for breakfast. The candy bar consists of wafers, nuts, caramel and chocolate. The Denver Sandwich was introduced in the early 1930’s during the Great Depression and this candy bar was sometimes thought of as a meal. This candy bar was sold for 5 cents in 1947, but there are also vintage advertisements from the era that show a price of 10 cents as well. Some of the advertising referred to the Denver Sandwich Bar as a “candy lunch bar,” which was pretty much an early version of an energy bar or meal replacement bar for people too busy to sit down and eat a regular meal. In one advertisement a cartoon prospector tried to entice customers to go ahead and eat a Denver Sandwich Bar because “There’s no use searchin’ any further – Denver Sandwich hits the spot every time.” People who remember eating this candy bar when they were children have very fond memories of it. This candy bar was a bright spot during some of the world’s darker times.
9. Seven Up
7-Up the lemon-lime soda was invented in the late 1920’s and was first offered to the public only weeks before the start of the Great Depression. Seven Up the candy bar, on the other hand, was invented in the 1930’s by Pearson’s Candy and it seems a little strange that the similar name was not a source of contention between the two companies. The unique thing about the Seven Up was its seven pockets or cells with each one containing a different filling. The line up of fillings changed over time, but included coconut, butterscotch caramel, buttercream, fudge, Brazil nut, cherry cream, and orange jelly. Although this candy bar hasn’t been available since 1979 there is still a lot nostalgia for its delicious combination of chocolate and sweet fillings. The Necco company sells a candy bar called a Sky Bar, but this treat doesn’t quite measure up because it only has four chambers with four fillings instead of the much loved seven. The four fillings are fudge, caramel, vanilla and peanut and sound like they add up to a decent substitute if not a complete replacement. This is a fine candy bar, but for fans of the classic Seven Up candy bar the Sky Bar can only be a distant second. It would be nice if the Seven Up candy bar could make a comeback because it seems like the variety of flavors combined with the chocolate coating would be a big hit once again.
8. Snowflake
Cadbury is a British chocolate company with an international following. In America the generous chocolate bars and the creme eggs sold at Easter have always been popular products. The Cadbury Flake varieties have been more popular in Europe and some candy bar lovers are still upset that the company discontinued the Snowflake. This Flake was introduced in 2000 and featured a white chocolate center covered in milk chocolate. The variation was only sold in the United Kingdom and Ireland and was renamed Flake Snow in 2003. Putting the somewhat awkward name aside, this white chocolate and chocolate bar continued to have a following, but Cadbury decided to discontinue this bar in 2008. However, there is still hope for lovers of this candy, because it became available in Australia in 2015. By June of 2018 more than 4,000 people had signed a petition hoping to convince Cadbury to bring back the beloved candy bar. At least some people are very passionate about this product so hopefully their passion will be rewarded someday. Cadbury and the other candy companies should have realized by now that many people take their candy bar choices very seriously and act accordingly. Unfortunately, it seems like white chocolate just doesn’t enjoy the kind of overwhelming popularity that milk chocolate has always had with candy lovers.
7. Mars Delight
The original Mars Bar was created in 1932 by Forrest Mars. The venerable Mars Bar consisted of caramel and nougat covered in chocolate. Mars Delight is a version of the candy bar that was sold in the United Kingdom and Europe starting in 2004 and was a somewhat lighter and crispier version. A pair of wafers with layers of caramel and chocolate cream covered in chocolate. For some reason this particular candy bar only lasted a few years before being pulled off the market. The description of this candy bar makes it seem like it should have been a winner. Although its run was short, Mars Delight did develop a little following that organized a petition to try to convince Mars to bring this candy bar back. There are so many chocolate bars on the market at any one time that it shouldn’t really be a surprise that some simply can’t break through, even if they are good and have a certain number of fans. However, despite the passion of the candy lovers who pined for the Mars Delight they will have to keep waiting for it to make a comeback. Sometimes you have to wonder why some of these discontinued candy bars have such a loyal following. Can’t they move on and just find a new favorite? A lot of candy bars on the market are pretty much the same. Don’t candy lovers know there are only so many ways you can combine chocolate, nougat, caramel and nuts? The loyalty of these candy lovers demonstrates the power of nostalgia and that is not a bad thing.
6. The Secret Bar
The Secret candy bar was a popular treat in the United Kingdom in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Rowntree Mackintosh Confectionery was the creator of the not so secret Secret Bar. This treat has been described as having a birds nest style chocolate coating with a chocolate mousse in the center. This creamy chocolate mousse seems like a welcome offering in a candy bar line up that is full of caramel, nougat and nuts. The candy bar featured a distinctive gold wrapper with purple and white lettering. This company also once made the Kit-Kat and Aero bars, but the company was sold to Nestle in 1988 and by the early 1990’s the Secret Bar had been discontinued. Like quite a few of these seemingly popular, but discontinued candy bars, a petition circulated on Facebook to try to get Nestle to bring back the Secret Bar. A lot of people love the classic commercials that featured these candy bars and the Secret Bar had at least one memorable one. A 1990 commercial was filmed in the style of a black and white 1940’s mystery movie. A voice over at the end of the commercial asks viewers “You can’t trust anyone to keep a secret.” Again, this seems to be a case of a commercial getting some of the focus the candy bar should be getting. For whatever reason the Nestle Corporation couldn’t keep the Secret Bar and it’s been relegated to candy bar history. And that’s no secret.
5. Space Food Sticks
Yes, Space Food Sticks is the name of a candy bar that actually existed. This candy bar was known as an energy bar and was developed in the 1960’s by Pillsbury Foods for NASA’s space program. A supply of these “energy sticks” were onboard the Apollo 11 spacecraft that rocketed Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin to the moon. In 1970, Pillsbury applied for a trademark for a “non-frozen balance energy snack in rod form containing nutritionally balanced amounts of carbohydrate, fat and protein.” Based on that description should we consider this to be the first meal replacement bar? The candy bar’s wrapper features an image of an astronaut wearing a full space suit and helmet and confirms that this snack was developed for the space program. Pillsbury and NASA obviously put a lot of time and effort into developing this food, but they should not have left the naming of it to a rocket scientist. Space Food Sticks might be a technically accurate description, but any kid could come up with half a dozen space themes named that would be better than Space Food Sticks. A version of this bar was sold to the public and came in chocolate, caramel and peanut butter flavors. Space Food Sticks were discontinued in the 1980’s, but who knows? NASA has ben making plans to return to the moon soon and the astronauts may just need another supply of… Space Food Sticks.
4. The Reggie Jackson Bar
New York Yankee great Reggie Jackson perhaps isn’t that well known outside baseball anymore, but in the 1980’s the slugger and outfielder was a household name. The delicious Reggie Jackson Bar consisted of a mass of caramel and peanuts covered in chocolate. The distinctive orange wrapper had a picture of Jackson taking a monster swing. He might not have been in the same class as Mickey Mantle – The Yankee Clipper, but he became known as a clutch hitter in the playoffs and was rewarded with the nickname “Mr. October.” Jackson was so popular he had his own candy bar for a while. What other baseball player could boast he had his own candy bar? Don’t say Baby Ruth! That candy bar was named after President Cleveland’s daughter, Ruth not the famous Yankee Babe Ruth. The story goes that while Jackson was playing for the Baltimore Orioles he said that if he was playing in New York there would be a candy bar named after him. The Reggie Bar debuted in 1978 at the height of his popularity. Unfortunately the bar was discontinued in 1982, although it might not be too late to get your hands on one, someone was recently trying to sell an unopened Reggie Bar on eBay. This particular bar was apparently part of a promotion that included a baseball card wrapped up with the candy.
3. The 54321 Bar
The 54321 candy bar had just the kind of cheesy looking packaging you’d expect from the 1980’s. One of the commercials that aired in 1982 showed a countdown and an astronaut enjoying a 54321 bar as he prepares to launch into orbit. This candy bar was billed as five treats in one and featured caramel, wafer, rice crisps and fondant (a kind of icing) all covered in a layer of chocolate. According to the Internet, people embraced this candy bar and why wouldn’t they. Unfortunately the makers of the 54321 candy bar did not share their customers’ enthusiasm and this treat was discontinued in 1989. This particular candy bar is now more well known for the fun and cheesy 80’s style television commercials than for the way it tasted. How good was this candy bar really if every time it is mentioned the commercials are part of the story? The Internet is forever so even though the 54321 has been gone for 30 years we can still enjoy the old commercials. An informal poll in 2014 was put out by a British newspaper. The publication had the 54321 bar coming in number three behind the Trio bar and the Fuse bar. Of course all such polls and rankings are highly subjective and it’s not like you can talk someone out of their favorite candy bar. Maybe the name 54321 should have been used by NASA for its famous Space Food Sticks since it would evoke a countdown to a rocket launch.
2. Coconut Grove
The Coconut Grove candy bar’s wrapper described the treat as “creamy coconut with luscious bittersweet coating.” It is also billed as a “candy…enriched with dextrose.” And finally, the label refers to the candy bar as a food-energy bar. A 1951 advertisement in a magazine depicts the candy bar emerging from a split open coconut against an ocean blue background with palm trees obscuring a full moon. You can almost smell moist salt air of the tropical island the image evokes. Coconut Grove was produced by Curtiss Candy, which was also the maker of Baby Ruth and Butter Finger. The Curtiss Candy Company was founded in 1916 outside Chicago. In 1964 Curtiss was sold to what eventually became Nabisco, which was then sold to Nestle in 1990. The Coconut Grove candy bar is reminiscent of other coconut candy bars such as Bounty, Mounds and Almond Joy. Bounty, manufactured in the United Kingdom around the same time as Coconut Grove, also used a tropical island motif on its packaging. Candy lovers have their favorite and some coconut lovers still desire a loving’ spoonful of Coconut Grove. The band, Lovin’ Spoonful released there song Coconut Grove in 1966 – maybe they too were fans of the bar.
1. Chicken Dinner Bar
This candy has to go down in history, not as the most delicious candy bar, but as the candy bar with the best name. Why would you name a chocolate bar Chicken Dinner? The Sperry Candy Company had a penchant for colorful candy names and was known for other sweet sounding monikers such as the Denver Sandwich Candy Bar. Like some of the other classic candy on the list the Chicken Dinner treat was introduced during the Great Depression and sold for 5 cents. The seemingly bizarre name was intended as a dig at President Herbert Hoover’s 1928 campaign promise of “a chicken in every pot.” In case you were wondering this candy bar did not contain any chicken, and although it was not intended to be eaten for dinner, the name and the picture of a roasted chicken on the wrapper was meant to evoke a comforting home cooked meal. The Chicken Dinner Bar was chocolate and nuts. Pearson’s bought the Sperry Candy Company in 1962 and dropped this candy bar. People who remember this unique candy bar do have very fond memories of it and candy lovers have pushed for its return for years. It seems like soda companies are always introducing new products and releasing others, so why can’t companies like Pearson’s bring back some of these classic candy bars and make all the sweet toothed people happy?