Necco Is Back After Being A Wafer So Long
Necco Wafers are everyone's favorite non-delicious candy, a fascination from a bygone era and one that an adoring public never, ever wants to surrender. And now, there is newfound hope that we'll never have to: After a two-year absence from the shelves, Necco Wafers will soon be back in stores!
The New England Confectionery Company (or Necco) produced its namesake Necco Wafers candy for over a century, but the company shuttered in 2018, and the fate of the wafers has been a roller coaster of uncertainty ever since. Round Hill Investments, which had purchased the bankrupt Necco shortly before its closure, then turned around and sold the brand to Spangler Candy Co., maker of Dum Dums lollipops. The move to Spangler involved shipping all the manufacturing equipment from Necco's original Massachusetts facility to Spangler's own factory in Ohio, a tedious process that nearly delayed production of Necco's Valentine's Day staple, Sweethearts candies, by another year. But Spangler squeaked by, producing a limited run of Sweethearts in time for Valentine's Day 2020. And now, for the first time in two years, Neccos are back on the production line as well.
Kirk Vashaw, CEO of Spangler Candy, confirmed to Today that both the recipe and the packaging of Necco Wafers will stay the same, maintaining their classic look and feel. (And isn't that really the only reason we buy them? Imagine how bizarre would it be to eat Neccos wrapped up in Mountain Dew levels of X-Treme fonts and colors.) Vashaw notes that of the eight flavors in a roll of Necco Wafers, only the chocolate one might be noticeably different.
"Connoisseurs may notice a slightly richer taste to the cocoa," said Vashaw. "It's the same flavor, but we use a slightly different process. To our palate, it brings out the flavor a bit differently." So it sounds like the chocolate wafer might actually be good now?
Generally, Spangler seems to understand exactly what people want out of Necco products, and the company intends to deliver it. "Candy is a simple joy in life and it's a simple reward," Vashaw told Today. "People want the same thing they remember as a kid. That's the beauty of candy—nostalgia."