Choose individually wrapped biscuits or mini chocolates if you want to hand them out quickly. A box of chocolates is better suited to a thank-you gift or offering guests a choice of flavours. Whatever you choose, check the label on the pack you’ve bought if ingredients or allergens matter to your guests.
Would you like guests to help themselves to something with their coffee? Look for individually wrapped biscuits or mini chocolates. For example, Albert Heijn describes a Lotus Biscoff variety with six packs of three biscuits, while Tony's Chocolonely offers individually wrapped Tiny Tony's.
When the gesture matters most, the presentation of the packaging and the choice of flavours are more important than pre-portioned servings. A chocolate assortment is a different choice from a pack of biscuits to put on the table.
Ask which ingredients need to be avoided and check the label on the exact pack you’re buying. The Lotus Biscoff chocolate variety described by Albert Heijn, for instance, lists wheat, milk and soya; this doesn’t apply to every product from the brand.
Choose these: if guests can help themselves to a small pack with their coffee.
Keep in mind: a pack of biscuits doesn’t have the presentation of a gift box by default.
Choose this: if you want to give a thank-you gift or offer guests a choice of flavours.
Keep in mind: the weight of the box doesn’t tell you how many individual portions it contains.
Choose these: if you want to hand out chocolate without having to portion it first.
Keep in mind: if you choose a mix of flavours, check the ingredients of the varieties you’ll be offering.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Easy to hand out | Check how many portions are in the pack and whether they’re individually wrapped. | If I want guests to help themselves to something with their coffee, I don’t want to have to portion everything out first. Around 40% of consumers prioritise ease of serving. |
| Presentation and flavours | Compare a gift box with a sharing pack and check which flavours it contains. | When I’m bringing a thank-you gift, I want the recipient to have a choice of flavours. Around 30% of consumers prioritise this type of gift. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the label on the pack you’ve bought, including the allergen information and any warnings about possible traces. | If I’m buying for guests with different allergies, I want to know what I’m actually serving. Around 30% of consumers prioritise checking ingredients and allergens. |
Different chocolate flavours may also contain different ingredients. The assorted boxes described by merci list ingredients including milk, nuts, soya and wheat, as well as warnings about possible traces of other allergens.
Ask about any relevant allergies and read the label on the exact pack before serving it. Don’t rely on the brand name or the picture alone.
The weight of a box of chocolates doesn’t tell you how many pieces you can hand out. Albert Heijn describes the Lotus Biscoff variety in question as six packs, each containing three biscuits.
Decide whether you want to set out a portion for each guest, share a pack or give a single gift. Then check the number of pieces and the type of packaging.
If a guest has an allergy, the information on the pack you’ve bought is what matters when deciding what to put on the table.
Check the ingredients, allergens and best-before date on the physical packaging before serving the biscuits or chocolate.
Biscuits to enjoy with coffee, including a chocolate variety described by Albert Heijn.
Chocolate assortments for offering guests a choice of flavours or giving as a gift.
Tiny Tony's are mini chocolates for anyone who wants to hand out individually wrapped pieces.
Pralines as an alternative to biscuits when you want to serve chocolate.
Pralines for anyone looking for filled chocolates to serve with coffee.
This selection includes chocolate biscuits to enjoy with coffee, pralines as a thank-you gift and chocolate assortments to share. Choose the type of packaging based on how you want to serve or give them.
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Chocolate biscuits to serve with coffee. The pack is 150 g; if you’re buying for a group, check the number of portions and the allergens on the label.
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A chocolate-flavoured biscuit snack for a coffee break. The pack is 47 g; check the label for the number of pieces and allergen information.
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A chocolate assortment to consider as a small thank-you gift. The pack is 125 g; check the number of chocolates, the presentation and the label if these matter to your choice.
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Pralines filled with milk cream for anyone looking for chocolate to give as a thank-you gift. The pack is 110 g; check the number of pralines and the presentation before choosing it as a gift or serving portions to guests.
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A chocolate assortment to share at a coffee morning. The pack is 143 g; check the number of pieces if every guest needs a portion, and read the label for allergen information.
Choose individually wrapped biscuits if you want guests to be able to grab something with their coffee quickly. Choose a box of chocolates if you’re giving a thank-you gift or want to offer a choice of flavours. Individually wrapped mini chocolates are another option if you want to hand out chocolate one piece at a time.
Check the number of pieces or portions, not just the weight. For example, Albert Heijn describes a Lotus Biscoff pack containing six packs of three biscuits. Decide in advance whether you want to set something out for each guest, share a pack or give a single gift.
Check the ingredients and allergen information on the pack you’ve bought. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority lists 14 allergens that must be declared on the labels of prepacked foods. Also look out for any warnings about possible traces.
Use the product page to help you decide, but before serving, read the label on the variety you’ve actually bought. This is particularly important when you’re catering for guests with allergies.
