There are chew bars and then there is the Wham Bar. Aggressively fruity, fizzy-coated, chewy enough to test your jaw, and wrapped in that distinctive yellow and red packaging that has barely changed since the 1980s. It is one of those sweets that you either forgot existed until someone mentions it, or one that you have never stopped buying. There does not seem to be a middle ground.
This is everything you need to know about the Wham Bar: where it came from, what makes it different, and where to find it now.
What is a Wham Bar?
A Wham Bar is a raspberry-flavoured chewy bar with a fizzy sherbet coating, made by Barratt, one of the UK’s oldest and most recognisable confectionery brands. The bar is bright yellow, intensely fruity and has a sherbet coating on the outside that gives it a slightly sour, fizzy hit alongside the chew.
The texture is the thing that sets Wham Bars apart from other chew bars. Most chewy sweets soften quickly. A Wham Bar resists. It takes real commitment to eat one, which is part of the appeal. The chew releases the raspberry flavour slowly and the sherbet on the outside means every bite has that slight fizzy edge throughout.
The history of the Wham Bar
Wham Bars were launched in the early 1980s by Barratt and quickly became a playground staple. The name is thought to come from the impact of the flavour, which at the time was considerably bolder than most penny sweet alternatives on the market.
Barratt has been making British sweets since 1848 and the Wham Bar sits alongside classics like Dip Dabs, Black Jacks and Sherbet Fountains in their long-running range. Unlike some retro sweets that disappeared from shelves and came back as limited editions, Wham Bars never actually went away. They have been in continuous production since launch, which makes them one of the more dependable retro sweets still available in the UK today.
The original Wham Bar has stayed essentially the same. The raspberry flavour, the fizzy coating, the yellow and red wrapper. A few limited edition variants have appeared over the years but the original is still the one people search for.
What flavour is a Wham Bar?
The original Wham Bar is raspberry flavoured. The bright yellow colour might suggest lemon but the flavour is an intense, slightly artificial raspberry that is very much of its era. It is bold, sweet and unmistakable once you know it.
The sherbet coating adds a secondary flavour note: slightly sour, slightly fizzy, and it intensifies the fruit flavour underneath rather than competing with it. That combination of chewy fruit and fizzy exterior is what makes the Wham Bar distinctive in the retro sweets category.
Over the years Barratt has produced blackcurrant and other variants but raspberry remains the definitive Wham Bar flavour and the one most people mean when they ask for one.
Wham Bar vs other chew bars
The chew bar category in British confectionery is well-stocked. Refreshers, Fruit Salads, Black Jacks, Chewits and Starburst all compete in the same general space. The Wham Bar sits at the more intense end of the spectrum.
Where Refreshers are lighter and Chewits are relatively mild, a Wham Bar is unapologetically full-on. The raspberry flavour is stronger, the fizzy coating is more aggressive and the chew itself takes longer. If you want a sweet that you can absentmindedly eat a whole bag of, the Wham Bar is probably not it. If you want one sweet that you actively have to engage with, it is ideal.
For pick n mix selections, Wham Bars work well alongside other fizzy sweets and sour sweets where the intensity is expected rather than surprising.
The Wham range beyond the original bar
Barratt has expanded the Wham name into a wider range over the years. The Wham Tastics are small individually wrapped chews in the same raspberry and fizzy style as the original bar but in a smaller, bag format. They are a good option for party bags and sharing, and you can pick up a box of Wham Tastics at One Pound Sweets.
Wham Space Babies are another format in the range: small Wham-flavoured sweets in a planet and space-themed shape, making them particularly popular for kids’ party bags and school events. A box of Wham Space Babies is also available from One Pound Sweets.
Both formats deliver the same core Wham flavour: raspberry, fizzy, chewy and distinctly bold.
Where to buy Wham Bars online
Wham Bars are another sweet that has quietly disappeared from many supermarket shelves while remaining popular enough that people actively search for them online. The Barratt range as a whole has become more of an online product than a physical retail one, and buying in bulk online is now the most reliable way to keep a steady supply.
You can browse the full Wham range at One Pound Sweets including Wham Tastics and Space Babies. For a broader selection of classic Barratt sweets including Dip Dabs, Sherbet Fountains and Black Jacks, the full Barratt brand page has everything.
If you’re a fan of Barratt’s retro range, Flumps are worth picking up while you’re here. The pink and white vanilla marshmallow twists have been around since the 1980s and are just as good as they ever were. You can also grab Flump Minis or Flump Hearts if you want a different format.
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about Wham Bars