SUDBURY, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--New England Confectionary Company (“NECCO”), one of the oldest candy companies in the country, with roots going back to 1847, went out of business last year and its assets were split up and sold, some of them at auction. Most of the candy brands were sold to established confectioners, but there was no news of the outcome or whereabouts of the iconic Sky Bar. Fans of the quirky and unique candy bar assumed it was gone forever and have been frantically buying up the remaining stock online. However, the brand was actually purchased by the owner of Duck Soup, a gourmet food store in Sudbury, Massachusetts.
“Like so many others, I was watching the evolving events at NECCO with dismay. I couldn’t believe that Sky Bar would never be produced again,” said Louise Mawhinney, owner of Duck Soup, who placed the winning bid at auction for the bar. “I placed a bid and I must admit I was stunned to suddenly become the owner of the brand. However, we believe we have found a way to start small-batch production and make Sky Bar available once more. It’s very exciting. While we have not yet finalized all the details, we hope that we will be able to produce the Sky Bar that everyone knows and loves.”
Duck Soup has been working with Jeff Green, formerly NECCO’s Vice President of Research and Development, and a 33 year NECCO veteran. “I was very glad to connect with Louise as I thought that Sky Bar would be gone forever,” said Jeff. “There’s so much history associated with the bar, and it definitely has an existing fan base.”
“Thanks to Jeff, we have a plan for production. Our goal is to be up and running later this year. We will keep everyone posted as events unfold,” said Louise.
About Sky Bar
Introduced by NECCO in 1938 with a dramatic skywriting advertising campaign, Sky Bar’s technological innovation was its four distinctly different centers – caramel, vanilla, peanut and fudge. Well known throughout New England, Sky Bar has appeared in movies over the years, and its sign was one of only six that lit up on VE Day in 1945 when the blackout in Times Square was lifted. Sky Bar was produced by NECCO until May, 2018.
About Duck Soup
Established in 1971 in Sudbury, Massachusetts as a “contemporary general store”, Duck Soup is known for its proprietary coffee blends, and curated wine and cheese selections. In addition, Duck Soup also carries kitchenware, craft liquors, international foods and a wide selection of chocolate and candy. More recently, Duck Soup began offering award-winning cooking classes, and rolled out its line of baked goods called Kiff. A neighborhood institution, Duck Soup was featured on WCVB-TV’s Chronicle in July 2017.
