It’s always a little sad when a company goes out of business, especially when it’s a company that has been around for a long time. While there are certainly some products we can live without, candy is not one of them.

The New England Confectionery Company (or Necco) went out of business back in 2018. Thankfully, the Spangler Candy Company bought the recipes and equipment from the famous candy business, but they weren’t able to start production right away.

Spangler is located in Ohio, and they had to have all of the equipment transported from Necco’s New England location. If you wondered why some popular candy like Valentine’s Day Sweethearts and Necco wafers were missing from store shelves, that is why. In 2019, these candies were completely out of production.

Just in time for Valentine’s Day this year, Spangler made it a goal of producing Sweethearts, the heart-shaped candy with the cute little phrases. The only catch is that many of the hearts were completely silent, meaning, they were missing the cute messages. 

Now, Spangler has made it a goal to have Necco wafers back on store shelves in time for summer. The company says that with the exception of the chocolate wafer, the candy will taste exactly the same.

Kirk Vashaw, CEO of Spangler Candy, told TODAY, “We kept the wax wrap around the roll exactly the same and used the same supplier and everything.”

 

If you’re wondering how the company is able to stay in production during the pandemic, it turns out that social distancing is actually pretty easy due to the layout of the factory. A spokesperson told TODAY, “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.”

Spangler also requires employees to wear face coverings and have their temperatures checked.

You can expect to find Necco wafers on store shelves around the end of July. Your favorite drugstore or pharmacy will likely have them on hand.

Are you looking forward to the return of Necco wafers? What’s your favorite flavor?