Banjo

Product brand

Banjo was a British chocolate bar brand sold initially in the Greater London area and later reintroduced as a twin-bar wafer confection.

Last updated October 22, 2026

AI crawler reads

No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.

Overview

Banjo was a British chocolate bar brand whose documented history spans two distinct product periods. The original bar was sold in the Greater London area and was discontinued in 1954. In that first form, it was a chocolate wafer filled with chocolate and coated in milk chocolate, placing it in the same broad product family as other chocolate-covered wafer bars. The brand returned in 1976 following a substantial television advertising campaign. Its second incarnation differed materially from the earlier product. It was presented as a twin bar, with a shape and format comparable to a Twix, and consisted of a Drifter-like centre with an added layer of chopped peanuts, all covered in milk chocolate. The product was distributed in a distinctive navy-blue wrapper carrying the Banjo name in yellow block lettering. Its packaging was notable for using a heat-sealed wrapper closure, an approach that was relatively unusual among domestically produced British chocolate bars at the time, when reverse-side folded wrappers were more common. A coconut variant was also offered in a red wrapper with yellow lettering. The reintroduced Banjo remained available into the 1980s, but the brand is now defunct. The available reference material does not identify the manufacturer, current or former corporate owner, precise launch dates for the individual variants, sales figures, or the markets in which the bar was sold outside its documented Greater London and broader British context. Accordingly, Banjo is best understood as a discontinued British confectionery brand remembered for its two-bar format, peanut or coconut variations, distinctive color-coded packaging, and television-led relaunch.

History

Banjo was a British chocolate bar brand associated with the Greater London market. Its first documented form was sold before 1954 and consisted of a chocolate wafer with a chocolate filling, covered in milk chocolate. This placed the bar within the established wafer-confectionery category, alongside products built around layered wafer and chocolate components. The original version was discontinued in 1954. The brand was revived in 1976 in a substantially different format. Rather than simply reproducing the earlier wafer bar, the relaunch used a twin-bar configuration similar in overall presentation to a Twix. The centre was described as being comparable to a Drifter, but with a layer of chopped peanuts, and the complete product was coated in milk chocolate. The relaunch was supported by a substantial television advertising campaign, indicating an effort to give the revived name broad consumer visibility. Packaging was a notable part of the second Banjo's identity. The standard product used a navy-blue wrapper with the brand name printed prominently in yellow block text. It was also among the early British snack bars to use a heat-sealed wrapper closure, rather than the reverse-side fold that was common on many domestically produced chocolate bars at the time. A coconut version was sold in a red wrapper using the same yellow lettering treatment, creating a simple visual distinction between the variants. The relaunched product was available into the 1980s, after which Banjo disappeared from the market and became a defunct brand. The supplied references do not establish the manufacturer, ownership history, exact distribution beyond the original Greater London description, precise final discontinuation date, or any financial performance. They also do not document later revivals, acquisitions, controversies, recalls, or surviving commercial operations. Banjo's historical significance therefore rests primarily on its change from an early chocolate wafer bar to a later twin-bar confection, its peanut and coconut variants, its distinctive wrapper design, and its television-supported 1976 reintroduction.

1976
Banjo reintroduced as a twin bar
[1]Banjo (chocolate bar)en.wikipedia.org
Banjo returned in a redesigned twin-bar format with a Drifter-like centre, chopped peanuts, and a milk-chocolate coating. The relaunch received substantial television advertising support.
1954
Original Banjo discontinued
[1]Banjo (chocolate bar)en.wikipedia.org
The first documented Banjo formulation, a chocolate-filled wafer covered in milk chocolate, was discontinued after being sold in the Greater London area.
Coconut variant introduced
[1]Banjo (chocolate bar)en.wikipedia.org
A coconut version was offered in a red wrapper with yellow Banjo lettering. The exact introduction year is not identified in the available material.
Product available into the 1980s
[1]Banjo (chocolate bar)en.wikipedia.org
The revived Banjo range continued to be available into the 1980s before the brand became defunct; the precise end date is not documented here.

Products and positioning

A British chocolate-bar brand positioned around chocolate-covered wafer confectionery, later differentiated through a twin-bar format and peanut or coconut variants. Its 1976 relaunch also used prominent television advertising and distinctive navy-blue or red packaging.

Chocolate wafer bar
Banjo original
The original Banjo was a chocolate wafer bar with a chocolate filling and a milk-chocolate coating. It was sold in the Greater London area and was discontinued in 1954. No precise dimensions, manufacturer, or detailed ingredient specification is provided in the available reference.
Peanut chocolate bar · 1976
Banjo twin bar
The 1976 revival used a twin-bar format similar in general shape and size to a Twix. Its centre was described as comparable to a Drifter, with a layer of chopped peanuts, and the whole bar was covered in milk chocolate. It was packaged in a navy-blue wrapper with yellow block lettering and used a heat-sealed closure.
Coconut chocolate bar
Banjo coconut
The coconut version was a variant of the relaunched Banjo range. It was identified by a red wrapper carrying yellow lettering. The available material does not specify its precise recipe, launch date, or whether its bar construction exactly matched the peanut version.

Marketing campaigns

1976Banjo television relaunch campaign
United Kingdom
Banjo was reintroduced in 1976 with a substantial television advertising campaign. The campaign accompanied a major product redesign from the earlier single chocolate wafer bar to a twin-bar confection with chopped peanuts and a milk-chocolate coating.
Outcome. The product remained available into the 1980s, although the available reference does not provide audience figures, sales results, advertising expenditure, or a precise date for the brand's final discontinuation.
Source

Brand decisions

1976
Redesign and relaunch as a twin barGeneration change
Background
The brand was brought back after its earlier discontinuation.
Action taken
Banjo was relaunched as a twin bar with a Drifter-like centre, chopped peanuts, a milk-chocolate coating, new packaging, and television advertising support.
Aftermath
The relaunched product and its variants remained available into the 1980s before the brand became defunct.
Source
1954
Discontinuation of the original barOther
Background
The original Banjo was a chocolate-filled wafer bar coated in milk chocolate and sold in the Greater London area.
Action taken
The original product was discontinued.
Aftermath
The brand later returned in a substantially redesigned format in 1976.
Source

Recent events

1976
Banjo returns with a television advertising campaign[1]Banjo (chocolate bar)en.wikipedia.org
Campaign · Product launch · Product generation
Banjo was reintroduced in a new twin-bar form supported by a substantial television advertising campaign.
1954
Banjo chocolate bar discontinued after its original sales period[1]Banjo (chocolate bar)en.wikipedia.org
Other
The original Banjo bar, a chocolate-filled wafer coated in milk chocolate and sold in the Greater London area, was discontinued.
Banjo remains available into the 1980s before eventual discontinuation[1]Banjo (chocolate bar)en.wikipedia.org
Other
The relaunched Banjo range, including peanut and coconut variants, was available into the 1980s. The precise final sales year is not identified in the reference material.

Sources7 sources

Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/banjo · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled