Iconic ’90s chocolate bar with controversial past makes its return to Asda’s shelves

Asda has brought back one of its most iconic chocolate biscuits (Picture: Getty Images)

So far, 2026 has been a great year for shoppers with a sweet tooth.

In July, M&S put four ‘iconic’ retro chocolate bars back on shelves, and just a week ago Terry’s delighted fans by bringing back its ‘amazing’ White Chocolate Orange.

And it seems as though they’re not the only ones embracing nostalgia.

Asda has officially relaunched Puffin bars – its own-brand biscuit that first hit stores 30 years ago. Individually wrapped, each bar features a biscuit centre coated in chocolate.

On August 17, photos of the beloved chocolate bars back on shelves started circulating on social media.

For just £1, customers can bag eight Puffin bars – not a bad deal. But given the contentious court case Asda faced back in 1997, it seems not everyone is rushing to get their hands on the former fan favourite.

Is it Penguin or Puffin?

You may not remember, but Puffin bars have a rather controversial history.

As most Brits already know, one of the most popular chocolate biscuits of the 2000s were McVitie’s Penguin bars.

A classic after school snack, Penguins have two layers of biscuit with a chocolate-flavoured filling in between, covered in a layer of milk chocolate. Sound familiar?

Well, back in the 90s, shortly after the Puffin bar was launched, McVitie’s took Asda to court – suing the supermarket chain for creating a product it claimed was confusingly similar to its Penguin bar.

Asda has been struggling with customer satisfaction as of late. Could bringing a nostalgic chocolate biscuit back do the trick? (Picture: Getty)

From the packaging to the recipe itself, McVitie’s argued that Asda had deliberately designed the Puffin bar to confuse consumers.

Ultimately, the judge mostly cleared Asda of direct trademark infringement.

The supermarket was allowed to keep the ‘Puffin’ name and sell existing stock, but was forced to redesign the product’s packaging.

Clearly still harbouring resentment over the 1997 court case, one Facebook user Heberdavid Martin reacted to the news by stating: ‘Basically it’s just a cheap Asda version of a Penguin chocolate biscuit’.

@Adrianmoore4 on Instagram added: ‘Meh, we’ve got Penguins and Tim Tams – why do we need another of these types of chocolate biscuit?’

The Puffin bar has stirred up some controversy over the years (Picture: Asda)

A few users also expressed disappointment in seeing the phrase ‘chocolate-flavoured’ on the packaging, with one individual noting: ‘It’s not real chocolate so I won’t be buying’.

Towards the end of last year, rising cocoa prices led a number of brands to use alternative ingredients, meaning some products were no longer eligible to be classed as chocolate.

Nevertheless, lots of people seem pleased to see Puffin bars back on store shelves.

Jess Young-Vicks shared on Facebook: ‘I remember these! I’ll be filling my pockets!’

While @livingthelifeofsam added: ‘They need to bring the mint Puffin back! They were the best ones, my nana always had them in her fridge when I was a kid’.

The launch follows new research from Asda that more than eight in ten Brits (84%) say they’re more open to trying own-brand versions of their favourite snacks than they were five years ago.

And it’s not just about saving money. The supermarket’s survey also revealed that 85% say they enjoy the satisfaction of discovering a great own-brand alternative, with three in ten (30%) saying the real prize is finding one that tastes better than the branded original.

So, could the Puffin bar tempt you?

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