We regret to inform you that the Smith’s Snackfood Company has stopped making Toobs. The tangy tomato crisp — a favourite of Lifehacker — will no longer be sold due to a slump in sales. Worst Friday ever.
You may have noticed that bags of Toobs have been conspicuously absent from supermarket shelves in recent months. Unfortunately, it turns out that our worst fears have been realised.
When queried about the snack’s disappearance, Smith’s Consumer Information Centre sent the following reply to a Lifehacker reader who forwarded it on to us:
It is with a heavy heart that we advise Toobs is no longer available. Consumer demand for this tangy, tomatoey treat has declined and it is no longer possible to justify ongoing production. To our loyal Toobs fans out there, sincere thanks for your support.
We’ve investigated the validity of the email exchange and it unfortunately checks out: Toobs are dead.
Invented back in 1954, the Toobs brand has been a staple in supermarkets, convenience stores and pool canteens for several generations. The snack was previously discontinued in the ’90s but returned to shelves in 2006 due to customer demand. Sadly, it appears these customers eventually stopped buying.
Lifehacker’s commercial editor and cosplay/tech celebrity Rae Johnston has indicated her intention to start a Twitter campaign to bring Toobs back.
“I am not okay with this,” Johnston said earlier.
It’s been a bad year for retro snack addicts: back in July, Allen’s announced it would be killing off a range of old school confectionery including Spearmint Leaves — another Lifehacker favourite — Marella Jubes and Green Frogs.
If this is what growing up feels like, book me a return ticket to the womb. I seriously haven’t felt this bad since they pulled Monster Munch in the ’80s. What are they planning to take away next? Cherry Ripe? Violet Crumble? Nothing is safe.
Apparently, it’s still possible to snap up Toobs from select supermarkets but stocks won’t last forever — so get out there and start hoarding now! (I hereby stake my claim on all supermarkets between Circular Quay and Katoomba in NSW — you have been warned.)
Comments
56 responses to “It’s A National Tragedy: Toobs Have Been Discontinued”
Cheezels are better anyway. I say good riddance.
HECK YEAH WE ARE.
The are both good but I must admit I had a soft spot for Toobs.
Toobs for life!
🙁
Toobs are not an alternative to Cheezels. This is nothing short of an outrage.
I like toobs but I found I got sick of them very quickly. If I’d been able to buy 6 small packs rather than 1 big one, I may have bought them more often
As long as I start seeing some more burger men saucy snacks on the shelves, I don’t mind so much
Burger Men! \o/
Shame on you . Smiths I’ve always bought Toobs. I love them . Woolworths doesn’t have them on special often enough. I also miss the Pollywaffle bar .
Where have all the Curly Wurlys gone?
They went with everyone’s tooth fillings.
Huh. I didn’t know toobs was a thing, Cheezels are the bomb though, despite being messy =P
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Worst news in snack food since Cadbury discontinued Marble chocolate.
The discontinuation of Crumb-in-one was the worst news in bread crumbing.
Cadbury are asshats – every single good variety of chocolate they’ve had they’ve canned – They can Marble chocolate but somehow Vegemite chocolate gets a run
I still miss the Caramilk block they had 15 years ago (longer, probably) 🙁
Toobs must be a down south thing, never seen them before in QLD.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen them in WA either.
They existed in Victoria but I don’t think I’ve ever actually eaten them. Might just be NSW who’re into ’em.
Definitely not a QLD thing – I’ve never even heard of them, much less seen a bag anywhere.
Obviously never really looked. There were on the shelves at a couple of my local woolworths in QLD. I remember being able to buy them from school canteen 25 years ago..
Obviously a regional roll-out, you mean. Sunshine coast, and these things were not around at all.
I’m from Newcastle, and I’ve never heard of them, in 40 years of living in Sydney and the Hunter region. I just clicked through to this article to see where they’re actually from.
It’s rare to hear of an “icon” being discontinued, only to find you’ve never seen it on shelves, or even heard of it.
So, it seems they’re unknown in QLD, VIC, WA, NSW… where were they actually found?
30 from Newcastle and they are a staple food here.
For real? I’m 32 from Newcastle & they’re a staple snack food. They’ve always been on the shelves here.
Will have to go to Warabrook Woolies tomorrow & buy up the rest ? I saw them there a couple of days ago.
Dude, Woolies at Glendale *always* had toobs.
Same, from Lake Mac area – definitely a staple in the chip section. Love all the local comments.
36 from Qld here, toobs have been a staple in my life since primary school. They’re sold in both woolies and coles near me, but have a ridiculous price tage for a very light bag.
Yeah i’ve never seen them here in northern NSW, I have this feeling they’re a very Victorian thing, since a lot of my Victorian mates are devastated lol.
I’m Tasmanian and also devastated! Though admittedly I haven’t bought a pack since I stopped ‘partaking’ about five years ago.
never even heard of these before – let alone seen them and im in melbourne
Yeah I admit since moving to Qld I haven’t seen them either but they were definitely around in NSW
I always thought they were popular in the 90’s in QLD. They were everywhere on the shelves, and in the school tuckshops. I remember eating a bag a week when I was in primary school.
They were a bit hit and miss here after they came back out though. I had a hard time finding them anywhere, and always bought them when I did (Wollies seemed to be the best place.) Kind of a cop out for Smiths to say “they weren’t selling” when you couldn’t even find them anywhere half the time. :/
Ever been to a primary school in Qld? A Woolworths or Coles? They were staple items there in the chip section and on canteen shelves. They were primarily big in the late 80s and early 90s but petered out after that.
I’m just going to say it: Cheezels are shit. Cheezels are essentially tree bark doused in cheese flavouring. Toobz were great, but the problem with the remake Toobz (since 2k6) was that they were much milder and less tasty than they Toobz I grew up with in the late 80s/early 90s.
That’s good eatin’!
They should cut out the middle man and just sell us a bag full of that wonderful dusty cheese flavouring.
Not to mention smaller! They used to be the size of Cheezels…
I thought so, too, but I couldn’t figure out if that was because I was a kid and everything seemed big back then (but got smaller as I grew up, well, taller. :p)
Toobs are the phoenix of confectionery snacks.
I always thought it was part of the marketing to advertise that ‘They’re Back’. The strength of the product was the nostalgia of it making a come back. Just wait and see, especially if the above mentioned protests get traction.
I hope you are right and I pray for the third coming.
In the name of the Cheezel, the Burger Ring and the Tasty Toob, Amen.
RIP in peperonis.
Bring back tasty jacks the true flavour king
Fortunately I had a bit of advance notice about this so snuck in a final bag or two while I had the chance. But now the dream is over.
*pours out bag of burger rings*
I haven’t seen these on the shelves for years now. I assumed they’d been discontinued ages ago.
They’re not awful but they get pretty boring after a while.
Also dunno what’s with all the comparisons to Cheezels. They have nothing in common other than the shape.
Well shit… They were one of my go-to snacks. 🙁
R.I.P Toobs. You will be sorely missed.
Please bring back Toobs. I miss them…
I am dismayed at the chip industry these days – two of my favour varieties Samboy Chicken and Samboy Cheese & Onion (both way better than the smiths equivalent) were discontinued years ago and now look how hard it is to find a decent chicken chop.
Everything now is just targeted at food yuppies with ingredients like Sea Salt, Chilli, Lime, Soy – I mean WTF – all these hipster chip brands now take up the entire isle of a supermarket while the flavour we grew up with are consigned to the scrap heap
Tell me about it. I can’t get a Tomato Sauce Samboy to save my life.
Probably because they taste better.
Although still, nothing tastes better than sour cream and chives Grainwaves.
PS I remember eating Red Rock Deli chips at least 10 years ago (I was in grade 6!). It’s hardly a new thing.
Ugh. Anything tastes better than Grainwaves any flavour.
Exceeeeept for rice chips/crackers. Those should be sent to hell on a one way train in the front seat, with grainwaves tapping them on the back asking “are we there yet?”
@benj sour cream and chives grainwaves are the most amazing thing ever!
been eating alot of chick-a-dees. mmmmm