Breakaway did exactly what its name promised for nearly fifty years — four fingers of chocolate biscuit, designed to be snapped apart and shared, or not shared, depending on how generous you were feeling.
Launched by McVitie's in 1968
McVitie's introduced Breakaway in 1968, building it around a simple format: four individual fingers, each made of a two-layer biscuit, coated in milk chocolate and packaged together so they could be broken apart one at a time. It became a staple alongside other McVitie's biscuits, offering a more portable, snackable alternative to a full packet of biscuits.
The Format and Flavours
- Four fingers — individually breakable, sold together in a single wrapper.
- Layered biscuit — a two-layer biscuit base under the chocolate coating.
- Milk chocolate — the standard coating, with peanut and mint variants appearing at different points over the years.
The peanut and mint versions in particular built their own followings, giving Breakaway a bit more range than a straightforward single-flavour biscuit bar.
Discontinued in 2017
After nearly five decades on shelves, McVitie's discontinued Breakaway in the UK in 2017. The decision came as part of a broader trim of McVitie's biscuit range, with Breakaway among the lower-selling lines cut to focus on better-performing products. It disappeared with relatively little fanfare compared to some other discontinued bars.
Where Breakaway Stands Now
There has been no confirmed UK relaunch of Breakaway since 2017. It's now spoken of in much the same breath as other discontinued chocolate biscuit bars from the same era, like Trio — a product with a genuine fanbase but no current path back to supermarket shelves.
Frequently asked questions
What was Breakaway?
Breakaway was a chocolate biscuit bar made by McVitie's, launched in 1968. It came as four individually breakable fingers, each a layered biscuit coated in milk chocolate, sold as one multipack-style bar.
When was Breakaway discontinued?
McVitie's discontinued Breakaway in the UK in 2017, after nearly 50 years on shelves, citing falling sales as part of a wider trim of its biscuit range.
Is Breakaway coming back?
There is no confirmed UK relaunch. McVitie's has not announced plans to bring Breakaway back into regular production, so any stock found today is old or imported rather than newly made.