It’s Not Just Good, It’s Scrumdiddlyumptious!

Meredith Medoway/The Eagle

The other day, my friend and I were walking through the aisles of CVS — as many American University students are prone to do — and were delighted to find a bit of nostalgic heaven sitting humbly upon the shelf: A Willy Wonka Scrumdiddlyumptious Bar.

I don’t know about you, but whenever I see a Wonka product I immediately imagine myself immersed in the world of the great Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory: entering the wrought iron gates, drinking (but not falling in) the chocolate fountain, riding through a chocolate river, and traveling on the Glass Elevator, going “sideways, and slantways, and longways, and backways… and squareways, and front ways, and any other ways you can think of.” And of course, I’m eating the most delicious chocolate bar to ever grace the planet.

As expected, our less-magical, store-bought Wonka candy came about after the beloved novel occupied our bookshelves and the classic film graced our screens. And really, what a business move; it was a guaranteed hit. Who wouldn’t want to experience having an Everlasting Gobstopper? Of course, we know that deep down what we take to be a Wonka product is nothing like the real deal. But, like when we watch the movie, we suspend belief for a short period and relish the sweet treat, imagining it comes from the real Wonka Factory and is delivered by an Oompah Loompa.

The movie had such a powerful impact that the fictional brand, Société des Produits Nestle S.A.’s candy brand Wonka of Vevey, Switzerland, came to life. The original movie’s producer, David Wolper, initiated the creation. He discovered that Quaker Oats wanted to start a candy bar line. It gave $2,800,000 to make the bar.

After complications with the chocolate formula, Quaker stopped manufacturing the product. Then, in 1980, a family-owned company in Chicago named Breaker Confections evolved into Willy Wonka Brands and then into the Willy Wonka Candy Factory. However, Nestle bought the company in 1988 and absorbed its popular candies, adding more to this day.

Wonka brand originally only offered a few products like the chocolate bar and Everlasting Gobstoppers, but the company has largely expanded. Today, on the Wonka website (wonka.com), you can find oldies like Nerds, Everlasting Gobstoppers, and Laffy Taffy along with new inventions such as the “Wonka Exceptionals” chocolate bars, Kazoozles, and Gummies.

I guess knowing all the technicalities takes the fun away… I encourage you to indulge your fancy and simply picture that magical factory whenever you bite into a scrumptious (or scrumdiddlyumptious, to be exact) Wonka candy product. Go on and engage your inner child — don’t worry, I won’t tell.

Sources:

http://www.ehow.com/facts_7213108_history-wonka-candy.html

http://wonkacandy.tripod.com/history.htm

http://www.brandlandusa.com/2005/12/12/how-wonka-became-real-2/