WigWag Bar from the Tuck Shop

Peter Rukavina

While we are speaking of candy and cultural touchstones: does anyone else remember the WigWag bar? It was a long, thin chocolate bar that consisted of caramel shaped in a lattice pattern, covered with chocolate. I used to buy them at the tuck shop at the Hamilton YMCA.

The tuck shop is something that Catherine and I share: we both had tuck shops figure prominently in our childhoods, hers at summer camp, and mine at both summer camp and at the YMCA. I’ve met a lot of people, though, who look at me strangely when I start talking about tuck shops (or about “tuck,” the products they sell), so I gather the term is not universal.

Candy

Comments

Submitted by hannah on

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Wig Wag bars were the #1 choice at the tuck shop at my school (open 10.30 - 12.30 Wednesdays and Fridays behind the library), run by the sixth formers. If you weren’t in with the right lot you never made it to the front of the queue before they sold out of Wig Wags. Consequently I would often carry two school bags home - mine, and the sixth former’s who lived up the road.
Cadbury Flakes are the second choice.

Submitted by Rob MacD on

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To me, the WigWag always seemed to be stale. Too dry, too hard and too thin. I never heard of ‘tuck’ until my son went to camp two years ago. When I was young, the camping I did involved Scouts, and I believe they used a different term for the tuck shop. I believe we bought our Scout camp treats at the Quartermaster Store.

Submitted by Alan on

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Wig-wags were good but a hazard to anyone with a mouthful of fillings. I was more of the butterfingers and crispy crunch addicted set, the latter by honest means. My mom’s little sister came over to Mississaguga and lived with us when I was a little kid and worked in the Neilsons factory in Toronto. Every Friday she came home with a box of broken chocolate bars.

We had tuck shops in Ontario (where I lived until 7) and I think it was definately the folks nkew growing up in Scotland if only proven by the Tuck cracker which has a pound of butter and a pound of sulphites in each little biscuit.

Submitted by Peter Rukavina on

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On special days in the summer vacation, I used to ride my bike over to the Tally Ho and buy a bag of chips, a drink, and a “Four Flavours” chocolate bar. The Four Flavours was the best chocolate bar ever; that said, I can’t for the life of me remember what the four flavours involved were. Basically it was like a Caramilk bar, but with four different fillings.

It was on those trips to the Tally Ho that I also experienced “Pop Rocks” and the Grape and Orange flavours of potato chips, perhaps the most ill-conceived, short-lived snack products ever.

Submitted by Alan on

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One was vanilla (off white cream), one was chocolate fudge (dark brown cream) and one was the caramilk. I can’t recall the third. I am, by the way, not a chocoholic. The concurrent first attempt at Pizza chips was pulled along with the fruit flavoured ones. Talking grade 4 to 6 or so which puts it around ‘73.

Submitted by Peter Rukavina on

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I would be remiss if I didn’t include a mention of the MoJo here. As I recall, the MoJo was a small non-gum candy, more like a “chew” than anything, about the size of a small pencil eraser. Many flavours. They used to sell for a penny. My swimming instructor at the YMCA, Cam, taught us to tread water for a long time by offering to buy us a MoJo for every extra minute we treaded. I think I made it to 9 MoJos.

Submitted by Peter Rukavina on

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From Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913): 5. Food; pastry; sweetmeats. [Slang] —T. Hughes.

Submitted by Sandy on

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I have not thought about the wig wag bar in over 20 years. I used to love them! The girl guide camp near
Murray River had/has a tuck shop. As I was a sugaraholic I think that was my favorite time at camp, “tuck time”. Pop rocks and four flavours were also favorites of mine.

Submitted by Peter Rukavina on

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The other thing I remember from the tuck shop was very, very thin spaghetti-like black licorice. Brother Mike and I used to buy this on the way to the Canada Coachlines bus back home from the YMCA on Saturday afternoons. On cold winter days, the licorice would freeze. This is the only sort of licorice I’ve ever enjoyed eating; the “nibs” and “twizzlers” of today taste like mildly flavoured soap to me.

Submitted by Dave Moses on

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“It’s three hands high, wigwag wigwag
It’s three hands high, wigway wigwag.
wig wig wig wigwig wag!”

Submitted by Peter Rukavina on

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I just emailed a query to Cadbury in the UK asking about the Wig Wag vs. Curly Wurly. Their web form returned the following: “Your query is being processed and you can expect a response in due course.” That’s very polite.

Submitted by Wayne on

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Cadbury Flake bar was a loser for Cadbury-Schweppes. (Later Neilson-Cadbury) Anybody remember the Molly-O bar? Malted Milk was big 40 years ago. Never liked Big Turk bar. Lace Licorice was available in my day in Red, Black and Green. Ganong Nougatine chocolates are still my favourite.

Submitted by Alan on

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Ganong coconut bars - Mounds? - are the best. This is subject to my allergy which makes them, Mars bars and most other candies go down like a shot of whiskey. I thought most of my life that was part of the benefit.

Submitted by Cynthia on

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All I’m saying about nostalgic candy is, giant sweet tarts used to make my tongue bleed.

Submitted by Mel on

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Does anyone remember the chocolate bar (or if you’re American, the “candy” bar) called Cuban Lunch? Chopped peanuts in a small rectangular chocolate slab in a red cupcake-like paper cup and clear cellophane? Or The Cherry Blossom? (I think they still make those, they’re just much smaller). And the Neilson “Treasure Chest” chocolate bar - 6 or 8 different fillings in different shaped pockets of chocolate? And the “Rum and Butter” choc bar? Or Pixie Stix? (not a bar, but a sour Kool-Aidy type powder in striped paper straws?) They just don’t make candy like they used to - sigh…

Submitted by Peter Rukavina on

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I was hitchhiking along Highway 401 from Toronto to Peterborough once with a friend, and we got dropped off, in the rain, in front of the Cadbury plant in Oshawa. Because it was raining, and because we were hungry, we went in the front door and into the receiption area to see if they offered free samples. They did: Rum and Butter chocolate bars. I think we had two or three each. That was the only time I ever had that product. I imagine in todays Puritan times it wouldn’t pass muster as a chocolate bar.

An old girlfriend of mine was a big fan of chocolate covered cherries. Once, when she was feeling down, I went out and bought her a Cherry Blossom. She almost had a nervous breakdown as a result: it turns out she didn’t consider Cherry Blossoms to qualify as bona fide chocolate covered cherries, and, what’s worse, her recently-ex-boyfriend had made the same mistake at a particularly difficult time in their relationship. I didn’t make that same mistake twice. But in a way it was the begining of the end for us.

Submitted by Wayne on

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Some are called “chocolate bars” because they contain so much cocoa…if not, they must be labeled “candy bars”. Check out the labels on your favourites and see for yourself.

Submitted by Alan on

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I stopped at Smith’s Falls yesterday and took the familial chocoholics to the Hersey’s factory where they went nuts. The only thing I was looking for was the Lowney’s Cherry Blossom four-pack ($2.15 at the outlet). The chocolate is amazingly good when it is fresh. Anyway, as I think I have said here before, the best brand no longer in production must be the Peach Blossom, the 1950’s package for which which they have on display. I am sure it was discontinued before I was born but I cannot imagine why.

Submitted by Dean Johnny on

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I have been searching for Cuban Lunch for about three years now. I am from Duncan B.C. but reside in Washington State. I always purchased enough Cuban Lunch to get me to my next trip home (2 cases) which I rarely shared beyond our house hold. Suddenly I could not find any, it has been about four years now. Does anyone know where I can find them.

Submitted by Jeff on

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Thanks for the information on the Curly Wurly. This past summer a bunch of us were reflecting on our youthful glory days and Wig Wags came up with mouth watering results. As there were none about at the time we had to make do with 18 year old Scotch.

Submitted by Shauna on

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I remember the “Liquid Four Flavour Bar” well. There was 2 squares of chocolate… 2 squares of vanilla… 2 squares of carmel… AND 2 squares of “Bordeaux” which in my opinion was the Best flavour of the four. I STILL miss that chocolate bar… it was my all-time favourite.

Submitted by Joanne on

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I came across this site because I have had a craving for a four flavours chocolate bar for a few years now. Finally decided to search the net and see if I could find any information on them, if they are still made or not? But I guess not by the sounds of things. They were my favourite chocolate bar. I always loved the mojo’s that someone was talking about. Does anyone remember a frozen popsicle that was actually made of orange juice?

Submitted by ktelqueen on

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I was a huge candy fan as a kid in the 70’s in Dartmouth,Nova Scotia(Canada).Wigwags were awesome except when we tried to eat them at the beach-the chocolate would always melt off of the caramel.I totally loved mojo’s,poprocks,garbagecans, and bottlecaps to name a few.Does anyone happen to remember Squareboys?They had a graham wafer base covered by bumpy marshmallow with a chocolate coating flecked with nuts.The box was usually blue and they came individually wrapped,circa ‘75.Bar Six,Charleston Chew,Danish and mini Club Bars are also vivid in my memory.

Submitted by ktelqueen on

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I forgot to mention Maple Buds-yummy..and yes,I totally remember Rum and Butter,Treasure Chest and pixie stix for sure!How about candy wax with liquid inside!

Submitted by Sean on

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MOLLY-O FOREVER!
Wayne…my father was a HUGE MOLLY-O fan, and I have been searching high and low for anything about, on, or related to MOLLY-O…if you or anyone out there can enlighten me or know where else I can look, I would sure appreciate it!

Submitted by Steve on

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Does anyone remember the “Danish” chocolate bar? I think it was made by Neilson in the 1970’s. It was like a Sweet Marie (wafer, surrounded by caramel & nuts), but instead of a chocolate coating, it had this psychadelic pink coating.

Submitted by Carol on

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It was long flat chewy sweet caramel with a pattern to it… about 8 inces long and very very thin but very very yummy…….. i ate them lots as a kid.

Submitted by Shannon on

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I was amazed to find this and other postings about the Wig Wag bar. I remember its flakey chocolatety outer coating and the wonderful lattice caramel inside. I was never allowed to eat that one in the car, or living room. That was a skating rink, kitchen table bar, and it was heaven. PURE HEAVEN. I hear there is a similar bar that is called a “Curly Wurly” but from what I hear its not “exactly” what people want.

Submitted by rita campbell on

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rdc0101
Does anyone remember the danish bar, it had white
chocolate with a zigzag line of dark chocolate.
Is Cadbury ever going to make them again?
I HAVE TO KNOW!

Submitted by Brent on

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If anyone from either of the BIG 4 chocolate bar companies ever reads this site, have you considered joining in on the ‘retro’ and ‘vintage’ marketing success ? Bring back the Wig Wag, etc. and target to both kids AND their parents as a limited edition and see how they sell.

Submitted by Scott on

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Does anyone know when or why the “Four Flavours” went out of production.I have visited sites where people have massive candy bar wrapper collections,but they don’t have that gem…

Submitted by rsimpson on

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Speaking of flaorful things long lost - Peake Freens used to make a hard bisquit in different shapes and was iced in different pastel colours. I believe they were called Playbox, I’m sure there are still some cookie tins around at the cottage from 40 years ago. I can still remember the flavour and snap.

Submitted by Leo C. on

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I miss the four flavours bar as well
remember the Cuban lunch as well -it seemed to slowly disappear

I remember buying a Five Star bar which was kind of chewy in an Eat More sort of way except it may have also had rice crisps and was wrapped in chocolate -remember buying it around 1970 or so at Roy White’s store in Souris

Chocolate companies take note they should bring back some
classics and see what happens
— Treasure chest was also great except for the Turkish jelly part

Submitted by Kelly on

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I was wondering if anyone knows who made the wigwag bar?? This bar has been a childhood favorite and comes up in many conversations from time to time.. They really need to bring this back for all of us die hard fans!!! So glad to read that others enjoyed this wonderful bar..
Kelly

Submitted by Art on

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Five Star was my absolute favorite bar growing up - every Saturday I would buy one with my allowance! No one I talk to seems to remember it, so nice to see that I wasn’t crazy - it really did exist. Would LOVE to have one of those again!

Submitted by retrocandygurl on

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Just came back from a trip to a wonderful retro candy store in Burlington Ontario. It has all your retro fav’s from the 60’s and 70’s as well as a huge assortement of imported candy from the U.K. there website is just in process of being constructed but its called bigsweet.com they will ship orders in Canada. I loaded up on curly-wurly(wig-wam)pixie stix, pop rocks(the original ones) wax lips, klondike gum,lemon heads, bassets jelly babies from england,likamade,the chocolate ciggies in the realistic packs,but alas….no mojo’s!! they had tons of other stuff including chocholate bars i havent seen in years. check it out. I have also discovered many online retro candy distributors that have old fav’s, just do a google search on retro candy. Happy hunting, im off to reminisce…

Submitted by Pam Clarke on

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Oh, man, I had totally forgotten the Wig Wag - and it was sooooo good! I found this site while searching for the Bar Six, which I have been craving lately for some strange reason - haven’t had one in like 20 years!!! I was starting to wonder if I had made the whole thing up, because a bunch of peope that I mentioned it to didn’t even remember the Bar Six.

Glad to see the retro candy craving is alive and well (and that it’s not just me!!).

Pam.

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Photo of Peter RukavinaI am . I am a writer, letterpress printer, and a curious person.

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