This Old School Candy Bar Almost Bit The Dust — Until A Lucky Auction Bid Swooped In And Saved The Day

Fudge. Peanut. Vanilla. Caramel. They're all delicious flavors, especially when enveloped in creamy milk chocolate. That's the recipe behind the Sky Bar, a vintage candy bar, originally made by Necco, that wraps them up in one perfectly portioned, one-flavor-at-a-time package. While Sky Bars are beloved by classic candy enthusiasts across America today, the product nearly met its demise in 2018, when it was discontinued when the Necco candy manufacturing factory shut down due to the Massachusetts-based company declaring bankruptcy.

A Massachusetts general store owner, Louise Mawhinney, heard of the company's widespread shutdown, and watched as many of Necco's brands were bought by candy manufacturers. Sky Bars — which have been around since 1938 — looked as though they might be forgotten. Many of Mawhinney's general store customers loved Sky Bars, so she understood their appeal and made a bid to buy the brand. She won, and gained access to the top-secret Sky Bar formula, choosing to manufacture the super-rich '70s version of the recipe.

There was one problem for Mawhinney. When she bought the brand in Necco's bankruptcy auction, she received full ownership of the brand itself, but not of any of the manufacturing equipment required to make Sky Bars, as the factory that previously made the candy bars was sold to a different company. Ever-committed to reviving the brand, Mawhinney worked with former Necco engineers to custom-order the equipment necessary to churn out one perfect Sky Bar after another. The candy bar is currently the only product formerly made by Necco that's still produced in Massachusetts.

Now that Sky Bars have been saved from going the way of Creme Savers, the Hershey's S'mores Bar, and Butterfinger BBs, you can put the beloved bars to good use. Of course, Sky Bars are great when enjoyed on their own, but the varied flavors of each section of a Sky Bar make them the perfect vintage candy option when you want to mix up your favorite sweet treats. 

Try breaking a Sky Bar in half and using it in place of chocolate in a s'more for a two-in-one burst of flavor to help you create a ridiculously good s'more. You can also try using Sky Bars in place of chocolate chips in puppy chow for a new take on the crunchy treat (add in some seasonal variations too if you really want to up the wow factor). Adding smashed Sky Bars to a seven-layer bar recipe can also allow you to ramp up the flavor, creating a varied tastes with every bite. Basically, if a recipe calls for chocolate, there's a good chance you can use a crushed-up Sky Bar instead. Either way, you can rest easy knowing that your favorite four-filling chocolate bar isn't going anywhere (unlike other old school favorite candy bars), thanks to a brave general store owner in Massachusetts who decided to help the brand stand the test of time.