Hosts looking for a variety of flavours
You want to serve a recognisable, flavoured toast alongside a neutral option. Sesame is one specific recipe choice; with a seeded variety, check which seeds it contains and whether it’s available.
Who is this choice relevant to?
Shoppers mindful of allergens
If guests need to avoid certain ingredients, choose each type of toast based on the label on the pack you buy. The melba toasts described by Albert Heijn and Jumbo list allergens such as wheat, barley, soya or sesame, depending on the variety.
Hosts planning quantities
You want enough toast for the number of guests and the range of toppings. Compare the net weight and, where shown, the number of toasts or individual packs. Also check whether you can buy your chosen variety in store or online.
What should you look for in toast for a buffet?
First decide whether flavour, allergens or quantity matters most for your Boxing Day buffet. Then choose a neutral main toast or a flavoured variety, and compare the packs you actually plan to serve.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Flavour and presentation | Look for flavouring ingredients such as sesame and check which grains are listed. Check the pack if a variety is labelled organic. | If I want to serve something with its own flavour alongside plain toast, I’ll choose a different recipe deliberately. For around 40% of consumers, flavour and presentation are the top priorities. |
| Allergens and ingredients | Check both ‘contains’ and ‘may contain’ information on every current pack. Look out for wheat, barley, soya and sesame, among other allergens. | If a guest needs to avoid certain ingredients, I don’t want to judge toast by its appearance. Around 30% of consumers give this check top priority. |
| Quantity and planning | Compare the net weight and the number of toasts or packs. For a specific variety, check where you can buy it. | When I’m catering for several guests and offering a range of toppings, I want to know how many packs I’ll need. For around 30% of consumers, having enough toast for the buffet comes first. |
Common mistakes
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Treating ‘premium’ as a fixed product specification
That word doesn’t tell you what flavour, grains, packaging or nutritional information you’ll get. Those are precisely the features that vary between melba toast varieties.
Choose what matters for your buffet, such as sesame for a flavour boost or a particular seed mix, then compare the labels.
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Serving different toasts without checking their allergens
Plain, wholemeal and sesame toast can contain different ingredients and carry different warnings about possible traces. A different recipe isn’t automatically suitable for a guest with dietary restrictions.
Check the allergen information on each pack you buy and keep the packaging available at the buffet.
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Planning around a particular flavour before checking it’s available
Albert Heijn listed Van der Meulen Luxe 7 granen as discontinued; a Jumbo page said its tomato and basil toast was no longer in its online range. Lidl lists its melba toast as available in store only.
Check your chosen variety when you do your shopping, and decide in advance which plain toast would make a suitable alternative.
A last-minute change to your buffet plan could mean an extra trip to the shops.
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Relying on conflicting online allergen summaries
A Joybuy listing for crispy melba toast names wheat, barley and soya lecithin in the ingredient information, and says it may contain sesame. However, another section on the same page says the product contains none of the main EU allergens.
Don’t use that summary to decide the toast is suitable for a guest with an allergy. Check the full information on the current packaging first.
Brands and own-label options to consider
These brands and own-label ranges offer different types of toast or other crisp products; not every range mentioned is a line of melba toast. Compare the specific pack you plan to use, rather than relying on the brand name alone.
Van der Meulen
Melba toast, including plain and wholemeal varieties.
- Jumbo lists 9,7 g of fibre per 100 g for its wholemeal melba toast; this nutritional value applies to that variety.
- The wholemeal variety lists wheat, barley, rye, soya and sesame among its allergens.
Albert Heijn
Its own plain melba toast as a neutral base, with an organic sesame variety as a more flavoursome alternative.
- According to Albert Heijn, the 240 g plain pack contains 12 packs of 6 toasts; the organic sesame variety comes in a 100 g pack.
- Check the ingredients and allergens on the pack you buy, even if you’ve bought the same toast before.
Jumbo
A retailer with product information for several melba toasts, including varieties from Van der Meulen.
- Its product pages let you compare plain and wholemeal varieties by ingredients and nutritional information.
- A Jumbo tomato and basil variety shown on its site was no longer in its online range; check a specific flavour before planning to serve it.
Sun Snacks / ALDI
Sun Snacks Melba Toast Naturel at ALDI, a neutral toast option.
- ALDI lists this melba toast in a 240 g pack.
- The product page says it’s available in store; check whether your local branch has the pack you want.
Lidl
An in-store option for melba toast as a buffet staple.
- Lidl lists a 240 g pack of melba toast.
- This toast is listed as ‘In store only’; the product page doesn’t tell you whether your local branch has it in stock.
Bolletje
An alternative to consider if you’d like to serve other crisp products alongside melba toast.
- Bolletje’s range includes crackers and crispbread.
- Crackers and crispbread are different products from melba toast; check that their shape and use suit the toppings you’ve planned.
Toast options at Joybuy
This selection includes melba toast in 100 g and 240 g packs, plus Danish toast in individual portions. If you’re looking for classic, crisp melba toast to serve with toppings, check whether the texture of the latter option is right for you.
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Crispy Melba Toast, 240 g
A 240 g pack of melba toast to consider as a base for a range of toppings.
The online ingredient and allergen information is contradictory. If you’re managing an allergy, only assess its suitability after checking the current packaging.
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Delverde Classic Melba Toast, 100 g
Its neutral flavour works well on a buffet with a range of toppings. Check the 100 g pack size when working out how many packs you’ll need.
The product information lists wheat and barley. If you’re catering for dietary restrictions, also check the rest of the allergen information on the packaging.
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Conimex Delverde Melba Toast Round, 100 g
Round melba toast to consider if the shape of the toast matters to your buffet too.
The pack contains 100 g, so use that to work out how much you’ll need for your guests, and check the current allergen information.
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Thinmax Golden Danish Toast, 4 × 85 g
The four 85 g portions offer a different buffet format from a bag of melba toast.
This product is called Danish toast, so don’t assume it has the same crisp texture or works in the same way with toppings as melba toast. Check the current ingredient and allergen information too.
Frequently asked questions
Is regular melba toast suitable for guests who need to eat gluten-free?
Don’t assume that regular melba toast is gluten-free: the plain and wholemeal products described by Albert Heijn and Jumbo list wheat or barley, among other ingredients. For guests who need to eat gluten-free, choose a product explicitly labelled as such and check the current packaging.
How can I stop a flavoured variety from running out too quickly?
Compare the net weight with the amount you want to serve as your main toast, and consider serving a neutral variety alongside a smaller pack of flavoured toast. Albert Heijn lists its plain melba toast at 240 g and its organic sesame toast at 100 g; the number of packs you’ll need depends on your guests and the rest of the buffet.
Can I rely on a flavoured variety shown online being available?
Check availability before committing to that variety in your buffet plan. Albert Heijn listed its Van der Meulen Luxe 7 granen as discontinued, Jumbo said a tomato and basil variety was no longer in its online range, and Lidl lists its melba toast as available in store only.
Should I consider the iodine in baker’s salt when choosing toast?
Check the ingredients of the toast you buy; you can’t tell whether it contains iodine just from the type of product. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority names baker’s salt as one possible way of adding iodine to bakery products, but that doesn’t tell you what’s in a particular pack.