Trio is one of the great "bring it back" stories of British snacks — discontinued once, resurrected by public demand, and then discontinued again, which is roughly twice as dramatic a life as most biscuit bars get.
Launched by Jacob's in 1980
Trio was introduced by Jacob's, the biscuit maker best known for Cream Crackers and Twiglets, in 1980. It consisted of three fingers of biscuit topped with caramel and coated in milk chocolate — a similar idea to contemporaries like Blue Riband, but built around three separate fingers rather than a single wafer bar, giving it a chunkier bite and making it easy to split and share.
What Was In It
- Three biscuit fingers — the bar's defining feature, packaged together in one wrapper.
- Caramel layer — spread across each biscuit finger.
- Milk chocolate coating — covering the biscuit and caramel.
The format made it a popular lunchbox and packed-lunch choice through the 1980s and 90s, as it could be broken into three and shared or rationed out.
Discontinued, Then Brought Back
Trio was discontinued in 2001 as sales fell, disappearing from shelves for over a decade. A sustained wave of public nostalgia and online campaigning eventually led Burton's Biscuit Company, which by then owned the brand, to bring Trio back in a limited 2014 relaunch — echoing the way Cadbury briefly revived Spira around the same period in response to similar demand. The comeback didn't last, and Trio was discontinued again after its limited run.
Trio's Legacy
Trio remains one of the most-requested discontinued biscuit bars among UK sweet shoppers, and it sits alongside other retro sweets and biscuit bars from the same era, like Breakaway, that have never returned to full-time production. Its two relaunches show just how much appetite there still is for it, even without a permanent return.
Frequently asked questions
What was the Trio bar?
Trio was a biscuit bar made up of three fingers of biscuit and caramel coated in milk chocolate. It was launched by Jacob's in 1980 and became a popular lunchbox staple through the 1980s and 90s.
When was Trio discontinued?
Trio was discontinued in 2001 after sales declined. It was brought back in a limited relaunch in 2014 by Burton's Biscuit Company following sustained public demand, before being discontinued again.
Can you still buy Trio today?
Not as a mainstream product. Trio is not in regular UK production, though old stock and imported versions occasionally surface through specialist retro sweet retailers.