In the movie “Fly Me to the Moon” starring Channing Tatum and Scarlett Johanson, Tatum’s character puts money in a vending machine and the candy doesn’t drop. As Tatum bangs on the machine, we see a limited collection of 1960s era candy bars. And one bright red and white candy wrapping that surely made everyone watching from northwest Missouri shout out in surprise recognition.
The candy is Cherry Mash, a staple of the Chase Candy Company in St. Joseph.
You never heard of Cherry Mash? It’s only one of the oldest candies in the United States. Some say it’s America’s favorite cherry chocolate candy.
“It’s the best,” says Pie McCall of Parkville, who grew up in St. Joe. “Back then, you could go to the plant and buy seconds, the candy that came out on the conveyor belt in less than pristine condition. We always had boxes around the house.”
The Chase Candy Company dates to 1876, making this year its 150th birthday. About 30,000 people lived in St. Joe at the time, including Dr. George Chase and family. Soon, Dr. Chase and his son started a side hustle in the candy business.
The Chase Candy Company excelled in hand-dipped chocolates and peanut candies. The plant at Fifth and Sylvanie in downtown St. Joe employed more than 400 people and produced nearly 500 kinds of candies. In 1918, Ernest Chase created the recipe for Cherry Mash.
The Depression was brutal on the candy business, as was sugar rationing during World War II. But a guy named Frank Yantis owned several Pepsi bottling plants in the Midwest. He knew if he had a candy company, he could access more sugar. The Yantis family bought several smaller candy companies, including Chase Candy. They even relocated the business to Chicago for a few short years.
But home they came to St. Joseph. The Chase Candy Company, anchored by Cherry Mash, now produces chocolate covered peanut clusters, peanut brittle and peanut squares. Cherry Mash was originally a whopping 4 oz. each, but now the largest size is 2.05 ounces, and the best sellers are the Mini-Mashes at 1 ounce each.
“I don’t even smell it anymore,” says Barry Yantis as he opened the door to the production area. Most people would be enveloped by the smell of warm chocolate, roasting peanuts and all sorts of sweet goodness.
Barry has worked here for more than 50 years and is now president and CEO of Chase Candy Company. He proudly points to marble tables where the candies are cooled. Each is at least 100 years old and came from the marble quarries in Carthage, Mo. Another piece of equipment dates to 1905 and it still works.
Because of the 2015 Food Safety Act, it is no longer possible for public tours of the Cherry Mash plant. But if you’ve ever toured a small brewery, you might have an idea of how parts of it look. Huge copper vats connect via a network of tubes that, instead of beer, carry corn syrup, water and other ingredients.
Massive bags of peanuts fill one side of the plant, waiting to be roasted. The peanuts come from northeast Arkansas and the cherries from near Traverse City, Mich. Chocolate comes from a supplier in Canada.
The uninitiated often assume Cherry Mash is just another chocolate covered cherry. Nope, these are maraschino cherries, chopped up into tiny pieces and mixed into a rich pink fondant center. The cooled fondant is then covered in a mixture of chopped peanuts and chocolate.
The company uses the exact same recipe that Ernest Chase created in 1918.
But that may soon change. Red Dye 40, the chemical used to make the cherries bright red and the fondant pink, is the focus of a voluntary phase-out, encouraged by the Food and Drug Administration. A nationwide ban is anticipated in the coming years.
So Barry is looking at alternatives. Chase Candy has survived lots of challenges in its 150 years – two world wars, two global pandemics, tariffs and now the loss of its biggest client.
Cherry Mash has been a staple of the Wal-Mart candy aisle since 1962. Last summer, the nation’s largest retailer dropped Cherry Mash.
“We’ve faced tough times before,” Barry says. “We are grateful to our loyal customers and their commitment to us.”
Barry smiles as he talks about a couple from Wyoming who drive through the area each summer and stop for some Cherry Mash. One fan carried a bag to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro. A customer in Nebraska wrote a poem about Cherry Mash and Colorado songwriter Jim Salestrom wrote a song that can be found on YouTube.
It’s a Cherry Mash day, a Cherry Mash day
Take a little taste and your troubles slip away.
Since 1918 in St. Joe Missouri, beans, milk chocolate and maraschino cherries.
When Great Granddad was a little whippersnapper, he was glad to have a red and white wrapper.
Chase Cherry Mash, Have a Cherry Mash Day!
With that kind of support, Chase Candy Company will be around another 150 years.
Cherry Mash is sold at area Hy-Vees, Price Choppers and at ACE Hardware, among other locations. Order yours at cherrymash.com.