Ask someone to name a classic British chew and you'll likely get one of these two answers. They're both retro sweet-shop staples, both stretchy, and both roughly the same shape and size — but one is chocolate and one isn't, and that changes almost everything else about them.
Wham Bar is a sherbet-filled chew, not a chocolate bar
Made by Barratt and sold in a distinctive pink-and-white striped wrapper since the 1970s, a Wham Bar is a chewy sweet with a fizzy sherbet filling running through the centre. There's no chocolate involved anywhere in it — it's a sugar confectionery product through and through, sitting closer to Double Dip and Refreshers than to anything in the chocolate aisle.
Curly Wurly is caramel woven into a lattice
Cadbury launched Curly Wurly in 1970 as caramel formed into a distinctive open lattice, or 'ladder', shape and coated in milk chocolate. The lattice isn't just for looks — it maximises how much of the caramel's surface area gets covered in chocolate relative to how much caramel is actually used, which makes it as sensible from a manufacturing standpoint as it is fun to stretch before eating.
Two different categories entirely
Wham Bar sits in the sherbet-and-chew category of British retro sweets. Curly Wurly sits firmly in Cadbury's chocolate bar stable, alongside Twirl and Chomp. Different manufacturer, different ingredient base, and really nothing in common beyond both being chewy and both being nostalgic.
- Wham Bar — Barratt, sherbet-filled chew, no chocolate, striped wrapper since the 1970s.
- Curly Wurly — Cadbury, 1970, lattice-shaped caramel coated in milk chocolate.
Find both in our retro sweets collection, with Curly Wurly also in our Cadbury range.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Wham Bar?
A sherbet-filled chew made by Barratt, sold since the 1970s, with no chocolate content.
What is a Curly Wurly?
A Cadbury bar of lattice-shaped caramel coated in milk chocolate, launched in 1970.
Which one is chocolate and which one isn't?
Curly Wurly is chocolate; Wham Bar is a sugar confectionery chew with none.