Organising a short coffee break
You want attendees to be able to help themselves to a small biscuit with their coffee or tea, without having to portion anything out. Jumbo Zakelijk describes small biscuits that are individually wrapped.
Who is each option suitable for?
Organising a break with a more substantial snack
You’re looking for one biscuit or bar per attendee for a longer break, rather than a small coffee biscuit. Lidl Nederland lists packs of six biscuit bars, while ALDI Nederland describes individually wrapped gingerbread bites.
Organising a meeting with dietary and allergen checks
You need to be able to check the ingredients and allergens in your chosen product. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority points to the allergen information in the ingredients list of pre-packed foods.
What should you consider when choosing?
First, decide whether you need a little extra to go with a drink or a more substantial snack for the break. Then check the packaging and the information that matters to your attendees.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Serving | Check whether each item is individually wrapped and how many portions you can hand out from the pack. | If everyone needs to be able to help themselves during the meeting, I don’t want to have to open a pack and portion everything out first. Around 36% of consumers prioritise ease of serving. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current ingredients list, allergen information and any details about possible traces. Keep the packaging available when serving. | If attendees tell me about dietary restrictions, I want to be able to answer their questions using the specific product packaging. Around 29% of consumers give this check top priority. |
| Portion size | Compare the number of items and the weight of each one if you need a more substantial snack for the break. | For a longer break, I’d rather offer one clearly defined portion per person than a small biscuit with coffee. A larger portion is the main consideration for around 21% of consumers. |
| Flavour with your drink | Choose a flavour to suit the coffee break, then check which variety is actually in the pack. | Once the practical requirements are covered, I mainly want a biscuit that goes well with the drink. Around 14% of consumers value flavour most; Lotus Bakeries itself positions Biscoff as a biscuit to enjoy with coffee. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming an individual wrapper guarantees a product is suitable for a diet
Individual wrapping makes serving easier, but it doesn’t tell you anything about the ingredients or allergens in the biscuit or bar.
Use the wrapper as a practical serving solution, and check the information for your chosen product if you have dietary questions. Keep the label so attendees can refer to it.
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Assuming a vegan option is suitable for every allergy
Lidl Nederland lists vegan options in its Sondey range. This doesn’t mean that every variety is vegan, or that a vegan product is free from allergens that may be relevant to attendees.
Check the label on the specific product and assess the ingredients and allergens separately.
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Judging a biscuit bar by its name
Terms such as ‘biscuit bar’ or ‘gingerbread’ don’t tell you, by themselves, which ingredients or nutritional values a particular product has.
If needed, compare the nutritional information per 100 g and per portion, and check the portion size. Don’t judge a product solely by its category name or a single nutritional value.
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Assuming a product page means it’s available locally
A listed range doesn’t necessarily tell you which pack you can get for your meeting from your chosen shop or ordering method.
Shortly before the meeting, check the product you’ve chosen, how many packs you need and whether it’s available through your chosen route.
Brands to consider
Lotus Biscoff
Lotus Bakeries says its crunchy, caramelised Biscoff biscuit goes well with coffee.
- A familiar flavour for anyone looking for a small biscuit to enjoy with coffee.
- Check how many biscuits in your chosen pack can be handed out individually, and read the ingredients and allergen information on the packaging.
Jumbo
Jumbo Zakelijk describes both small, individually wrapped biscuits for coffee and tea and larger, individually wrapped biscuits.
- The product types described let you choose between a small biscuit and a larger one.
- Check the packaging for each product and whether it’s available through your chosen ordering method.
Sondey
Lidl Nederland describes Sondey as a range that includes biscuits, cookies, wafers, bars and vegan options.
- There are different product types to compare and choose from.
- A feature of the range won’t necessarily apply to every Sondey product; check the label on the pack you choose.
Goud Gebakken
ALDI Nederland describes gingerbread bites in a pack of six individually wrapped pieces.
- The stated number of pieces makes it easier to plan for a group of a known size.
- Check the current packaging, ingredients and availability at your chosen shop.
Biscuits, wafers and a bar for your meeting
These Joybuy products include biscuits and wafers for a coffee break, as well as a cookie dough bar for a different kind of snack. For each pack, check whether the portions suit the number of attendees and how you want to serve them.
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Lu Scholiertje biscuits with milk chocolate, 150 g
A biscuit option for a coffee break; check how many portions you can serve from this pack.
Contents: 150 g. Read the current ingredients and allergen information before serving.
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Ulker Halley Mini Biscuit, 3 × 77 g
A mini biscuit to consider if you’d like to offer small biscuit portions; check how many individual portions the pack contains.
Pack format: 3 × 77 g. Read the ingredients and allergen information for the current variety.
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Hellema Smoeltjes Speculaas, 8 pieces, 200 g
Spiced biscuits for anyone looking to serve something with a warm, aromatic flavour at the meeting. Check the contents of the individual packs before planning to give one to each attendee.
Pack: 8 pieces, 200 g. Refer to the current label for ingredients and allergens.
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Garden coconut-flavoured wafers, 200 g
A wafer option if you’d like to offer a different flavour and type of snack alongside biscuits. Check the number of packets and the contents of each one before portioning them out.
Contents: 200 g. Check the ingredients and allergens on the current packaging.
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Holie's Chewy Bar Cookie Dough, 11 packs of 3 bars
A cookie dough bar if you specifically want to offer a bar rather than a traditional biscuit. Check the current pack format and the weight of each bar before planning portions.
The product name lists 11 packs of 3 bars. Read the ingredients and allergen information for the variety you choose.
Frequently asked questions
Should I choose small biscuits or larger bars for a work meeting?
Small, individually wrapped biscuits work well for a short coffee break. A larger biscuit or bar is an option if you’d like to offer each person a more substantial snack during a longer break. Then compare the number of portions you can actually hand out with the number of attendees.
Where can I check the allergens in pre-packed biscuits or bars?
Check the ingredients list on the current packaging. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that the allergens which must be declared have to be clearly distinguishable from the other ingredients. Keep the packaging available when serving the products.
Is a vegan biscuit suitable for every allergy?
No. A vegan label doesn’t answer every question about allergens or gluten. Check the specific product for allergens that may be relevant to attendees. If you need a gluten-free option, look for that label on the packaging.
How do I compare the nutritional information for biscuits and biscuit bars?
Compare the nutritional values per 100 g and, where listed, per portion, as well as the weight of the portion you plan to serve. A category name or a single nutritional value isn’t enough to assess the full composition of two products.