The Choo-Choo Bar was originally made by Plaistowe in Western Australia. Hearsay suggests it arrived in the early 1950s – it was certainly advertised by 1954. The wrapper of the chewy liquorice-flavoured toffee bar originally depicted a train driven by a very non-PC gollywog and ridden by a cast of cartoon characters. The gollywog was eventually replaced by a less contentious monkey. At some point, a raspberry-flavoured Choo Choo was introduced.
The bar has had a chequered ownership history, thanks to the many upheavals, mergers and takeovers in the confectionery industry over the decades. In 1976, Life Savers Australia acquired Plaistowe. But back in 1964, Life Savers had bought Mastercraft, makers of the Scorched Peanut Bar, Redskins and Mint Patties. It seems that, after the Plaistowe acquisition, the company began to market the Choo Choo Bar under the Mastercraft brand. Life Savers Australia was in turn acquired by Nestlé in 1985.
Choo Choos were discontinued at some time in the 1990s after Nestlé acquired the business. They were revived after Lagoon Confectioners purchased the brand in 2007. It seems up to smaller confectionery companies to revive old favourites. The dearly loved Mastercraft Scorched Peanut Bar, introduced in the 1940s, also disappeared for a time but was reintroduced by Cooks Confectionery in 2019.
In 2024, Lagoon was bought by Darrell Lea when the son of the founder and his wife, both in their 80s, retired. With the change of ownership, the future of the Lagoon products became uncertain. It seems likely the product lines that continue will be released under Darrell Lea’s Life Savers brand. Whether this means the demise of the Choo Choo bar is yet to be seen.