Sweet surrender – have Fantales disappeared forever?
The chocolate treat joins a growing list of once-popular products that are, apparently, past their use-by date.
Are you a fan of Fantales? If so, you’d better get in quick and buy some before they are gone.
These chocolate-covered caramels were a staple of the lolly section of our supermarkets and corner stores for generations.
But Nestle, the company that manufactures them under its Allen’s brand, is discontinuing the treats this month, citing decreased demand and ageing machinery as the reason.
Fantales were first sold in the 1930s with the gimmick of a wrapper featuring cinema trivia and biographies of movie stars.
But, like many of the stars they featured, the sweet’s popularity has faded over the years and Fantales have joined a long list of products that were once household names but are no longer available.
Snack foods have been particularly hard hit in Australia as recipes and/or brand names have been changed to fall in line with international standards.
Among those products that are gone but not forgotten are:
- Sunnyboy ice blocks. These orange-flavoured treats came in a distinctive tetrahedral-shaped wrapper. There was also a raspberry version called Razz, a lime version called Zap and a cola version named Glug.
- Space Food Sticks. This chocolate treat lasted from the 1960s until 2014, briefly reappearing in 2019 for the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing.
- Starburst jelly beans. These were imported from Europe and Australian supplies dried up last year after the orginal manufacturer discontinued them.
- Arnott’s Classic Assorted. This variety pack, which included Butternut Snap, Kingston, Choc Chip, Scotch Finger, Shortbread Cream and Monte Carlo biscuits, was discontinued in late 2022.
Bertie Beetles are in a unique position in that they are available in sample bags at events such as the Sydney Royal Easter Show and Brisbane Ekka, but not in shops during the rest of the year.
You will probably also remember local brands of soft drinks and snack foods that have disappeared over the years as multinational companies have bought out small businesses.
When it comes to Fantales, though, all is not necessarily lost. There have been suggestions that their withdrawal is just a publicity stunt to drive up demand.
Even if that’s not the case, it’s worth noting that a South Australian firm recently brought back the Polly Waffle, which was absent from shelves for a decade.
Tasty Toobs, cheese rings similar to Cheezels, and Scorched Peanut Bars also made comebacks after a long absence due to consumer pressure.
So, like many of the films they promote, Fantales may yet have a happy ending.
Related reading: ABC, SBS, Nine Honey, Pedestrian
Photo credit: Nestle media release
