One of the oldest commercially-made Candy confections in the world is coming back after a two year absence from store shelves. NECCO Wafers, which disappeared when the original maker closed in 2018, have been revived by a new brand owner in answer to fan demand and the call of nostalgia…
The new NECCO Wafers: Just like you rembember them!
A founding member of the New England Confectionery Company (NECCO) first produced its iconic Sugar Wafer candy 173 years ago. But when the company closed in 2018, a number of fan favourite Candies were orphaned. Among them were the beloved SweetHearts Candy Hearts that so many of us always looked forward to on Valentine’s day. Remember the uproar when folks heard those would be no more? Spangler Candy stepped in a promised to bring them back, but there was a two-year ‘drought’ while Spangler moved the original machines from their old home to new quarters at its plant and got production up and running again. SweetHearts were back again, albeit in limited quantities, just in time for this past Valentine’s Day.
Wafers now on the way
Now, Necco Wafers are returning to store shelves after being recreated with all the loving care a cherished, historic product deserves.
Spangler’s website says the 8 all-time favourite flavours are returning, imcluding: “lemon (yellow), lime (green), orange (orange), clove (light purple), cinnamon (white), wintergreen (pink), licorice (dark grey) and chocolate (brown). Seven of the eight flavors were designed to identically match the originals. True Necco Wafers connoisseurs may detect a richer cocoa flavor in the chocolate wafers due to a minor improvement made in the cooking process.”
The nod to nostalgia
“We’ve always admired the brand and how it’s woven in with the fabric of our culture,” Spangler CEO Kirk Vashaw told TODAY Food. “It’s neat to be eating a candy that was carried by Civil War soldiers, and taken on Arctic and Antarctic expeditions, and issued to GIs in World War II as a morale booster. It’s a piece of our history.”
Vashaw comfirms that the formula and packaging are identical to the NECCO originals: “We kept the wax wrap around the roll exactly the same, and used the same supplier and everything.”
“Candy is a simple joy in life and it’s a simple reward,” said Vashaw. “People want the same thing they remember as a kid. That’s the beauty of candy — nostalgia. I was at a candy conference last fall, and someone drove for miles, all the way there, and sought me out to specifically ask about Necco Wafers. We’re running as fast as we can and hope to keep up with demand this summer.”
COVID-19 lock down regulatons strictly observed
Vashaw confirmed that the revival process and initial production of the new NECCO Wafers have continued unabated during the COVID-19 lock down: “Given the layout of the production lines, most employees are able to easily maintain distance from each other and, in the few places where that is difficult, we have installed barriers.”
Production is expected to ramp up over the summer and into the fall until all the usual sources have ample supplies on hand at any given time.
My take
I remember NECCO Wafers as one of the first Candies I tasted when I was very young. You never forget the flavours, or the fun feelings and happy associations such an iconic treat bestows upon you. I’m glad to see NECCO Wafers back and, though my sweet tooth has tempered itself over the years, I’ll get a little little burst of joy to find I can get them again, whenever I need a little nostalgia fix.
~ Maggie J.