For dry aniseed sprinkles, don’t automatically buy a standard squeezy bottle: the squeezy bottles we looked at are designed for liquid or semi-liquid contents. A shaker for coarse dry ingredients is a more suitable option, but test a portion first to see whether your sprinkles come through the holes properly. You could also dispense them from the original packaging. Use a squeezy bottle only for a separate liquid topping, and make sure you have a clean serving routine and allergen information if serving unwrapped food.
If you don’t want to keep opening a packet, you could try a shaker for coarse dry ingredients. Test it in advance with your chosen sprinkles to see whether they come out evenly; Nisbets doesn’t list aniseed sprinkles as a suitable use for its shaker.
For self-service or a busy cupcake table, a resealable dispenser, a refill routine and clean serving equipment are all practical considerations. Agree on who will fill and clean the equipment.
If you’re serving products topped with aniseed sprinkles without their packaging, keep the information from the packaging to hand. According to Albert Heijn’s product information, De Ruijter pink and white aniseed sprinkles contain wheat starch. Check the packaging of the variety you’re actually serving.
When: If visitors need to sprinkle dry aniseed sprinkles over cakes or other items.
What to consider: Nisbets describes its shaker with 3 mm holes as suitable for coarse dry ingredients, but doesn’t mention aniseed sprinkles. Test how easily they flow through and how much comes out with each shake.
When: If an adult is serving portions with clean serving equipment or dividing the toppings in advance.
What to consider: Keep the product information by the serving area and agree on how to avoid spills and contact with other toppings.
When: If you want to dispense a liquid or semi-liquid decoration alongside the aniseed sprinkles.
What to consider: Baktotaal describes squeezy bottles for this kind of decoration, but that doesn’t make them suitable for sprinkling dry aniseed sprinkles.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who should pay particular attention? |
|---|---|---|
| Controlled sprinkling | Check the type of opening and try a portion to make sure your chosen sprinkles come out without getting stuck or suddenly spilling out. | I want to divide dry aniseed sprinkles between small portions without having to keep clearing blockages. For around 42% of consumers, precise dispensing would be their main concern. |
| Filling and refilling | Try out how many sprinkles fit in the dispenser and how easy it is to refill while serving. Don’t convert millilitres to grams without measuring. | When there’s a continuous queue at the serving table, I don’t want to keep stopping to refill. That’s why roughly 25% of consumers would focus mainly on capacity. |
| Clean and clear serving | Check how to clean the equipment, and keep the ingredients and allergen information for the aniseed sprinkles you’re using to hand. | If I’m offering unwrapped cupcakes, I want to be able to work cleanly and tell visitors about allergens before they buy. This would be the top priority for around 33% of consumers. |
Squeezy bottles for liquid or semi-liquid decorations aren’t necessarily suitable for dispensing dry aniseed sprinkles through a nozzle.
Choose a serving method designed for dry toppings and test it with a portion first. Keep the squeezy bottle for a separate liquid topping.
The Nisbets shaker has a capacity of 236 ml; according to Jumbo, De Ruijter Feest Muisjes are also sold in a 330 g pack. Without a test fill, volume and weight won’t tell you how many of those sprinkles will fit in the shaker.
Fill the shaker at home with your chosen sprinkles and weigh the contents if you want to estimate how often you’ll need to refill it.
You’ll lose the product information you need to tell visitors about the sprinkles you’re using. Ingredients can also vary between varieties.
Keep the original packaging and clearly display the correct allergen information for unwrapped products before they’re bought.
A school may have its own rules about treats, and the organisers need to arrange a food-safe way of serving them.
Check in advance which products are allowed, who will coordinate serving and how visitors will be given allergen information.
A brand of aniseed sprinkles to consider when choosing your topping and checking the packaging information, rather than a brand of the dispensers discussed here.
A range of shakers for dry ingredients, including the 236 ml versions we looked at, with either 3 mm or 1.5 mm holes.
An example of squeezy bottles for sauce or liquid decorations to serve alongside aniseed sprinkles.
A shaker with 3 mm holes is a good starting point to test with whole, dry aniseed sprinkles: Nisbets describes this version as suitable for coarse ingredients, while the 1.5 mm version is designed for fine ingredients such as flour and icing sugar. Try a portion to see whether the sprinkles flow through easily and whether too many come out at once.
If the school or organiser is offering food to consumers, information about any allergens present must be available before purchase, as the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority advises. Check the packaging of the sprinkles you’re using: Albert Heijn lists wheat starch in De Ruijter pink and white aniseed sprinkles.
Use clean equipment and agree in advance on who will serve the aniseed sprinkles, refill the dispenser and keep the serving area clean. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre points out that food must be handled safely at school too, so agree on the procedure with the school organisers.
