Organiser catering for dietary requirements
You want to offer guests a suitable option and, if someone has an allergy or needs to eat gluten-free, you check which product they can have.
Who is this choice important for?
Host filling a platter
You’re looking for biscuits with a recognisable chocolate coating and want to work out how many packs you’ll need by checking the contents, number of biscuits or portions.
Organiser putting together a varied platter
You want guests to choose between different types of chocolate and keep the information from each individual pack available.
What should you look for when choosing?
First, establish whether a dietary requirement limits your choice. Then compare the presentation you’re after, the quantity you need and the difference between a chocolate coating and chocolate in the biscuit.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who this matters most to |
|---|---|---|
| Dietary requirements and allergens | Read the ingredients, allergen information and any dietary claims on the current packaging. Discuss any necessary restrictions with your guest. | If a guest has a specific dietary restriction, I want to know first which biscuit actually meets their requirements. For around 31% of consumers, this is the top priority. |
| How the platter looks | Check the number of biscuits or portions, and whether the pack contains one type of biscuit or different types of chocolate. | For a self-service buffet, I want to put out a platter with a choice of flavours. This presentation matters most to around 25% of consumers. |
| Quantity | Compare the net weight with the stated number of biscuits or portions, and check the best-before date. | I want to put out enough biscuits without relying on the size of the pack alone. Around 25% of consumers give quantity the highest priority. |
| Chocolate and texture | Look at the product description to see whether it refers to a chocolate coating, chocolate pieces or a filling. | If I’m looking for chocolate-coated biscuits, I don’t want to choose a cookie that only contains chocolate pieces. For around 19% of consumers, this distinction is the first thing they consider. |
Common mistakes
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Mistaking chocolate pieces for a chocolate coating
Jumbo describes its Chocolate Cookies as biscuits with dark chocolate pieces, while Albert Heijn describes its sugar-coated biscuits as having a milk chocolate coating. The two options will look different on your platter.
Read the product description and choose between chocolate pieces, a coating or a filling.
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Assuming gluten-free means free from all allergens
According to Jumbo, its Lekker Vrij van Gluten Digestives Melkchocolade also contain milk, oats and soya, and may contain nuts.
Discuss any allergy or other essential dietary restriction with your guest, and check all relevant information on the current packaging.
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Relying on an online product description alone
Ingredients and allergen information can change. At a buffet, guests need to be able to check what’s in the biscuit they’re being served.
Check the physical packaging before serving, and keep the packs or ingredient information for each type of biscuit nearby.
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Assuming a product shown will be in stock for Christmas
A product listing doesn’t tell you whether a biscuit will be available in your shop around Boxing Day.
Check availability when planning your shopping, and look at the best-before date when you buy.
Brands to consider
Albert Heijn
This own-brand range includes sugar-coated biscuits with a milk chocolate coating, making them an option for a platter featuring one type of biscuit.
- Albert Heijn lists this variety as 400 g, around 30 portions, with a coating of 27% milk chocolate.
- The product information lists milk, cereals containing gluten and soya, among other ingredients. Check the packaging for the full, up-to-date allergen information.
Jumbo
Jumbo lists both biscuits with milk chocolate and cookies with chocolate pieces, as well as a separate gluten-free digestive.
- The regular Digestive Biscuit Melkchocolade is available in a 300 g pack; the gluten-free digestive is a different product variety.
- According to Jumbo, the gluten-free variety still contains milk, oats and soya, and may contain nuts.
Biscotto
This ALDI own brand offers chocolate biscuits in dark, white and milk chocolate varieties.
- ALDI describes the pack in question as containing 20 shortbread biscuits, with a total weight of 250 g.
- If you’re catering for a dietary requirement, check the ingredients and allergens on the packaging of the variety you choose.
Sondey
Lidl lists products under this brand including Choco biscuits melk.
- Lidl lists the Choco biscuits melk in a 125 g pack.
- Check the label on this specific biscuit and its availability when shopping for your buffet; other Sondey products won’t necessarily have the same characteristics.
Lotus Biscoff
Lotus Bakeries describes the original Biscoff biscuit as crunchy and caramelised.
- The original biscuit offers a different flavour alongside biscuits with a chocolate coating.
- If you’re looking for a chocolate-coated option, don’t assume the original Biscoff description applies; check the packaging of the specific variety.
Products for different buffet options
These Joybuy products include biscuit sticks, chocolate biscuits, cookies and wafers for different ways of serving. A wafer isn’t a biscuit; if you expect a product to have a chocolate coating, check the packaging description.
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Lu Mikado Milk Chocolate Biscuit Sticks, 75 g
Biscuit sticks make a different addition to a buffet platter than round biscuits. The pack contains 75 g; check the number of sticks and the latest allergen information if they matter for your planning or guests.
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Lu Scholiertje Milk Chocolate Biscuits, 150 g
Milk chocolate biscuits are a good choice if you’d rather serve biscuits than sticks. This pack contains 150 g; for your platter, check the number of biscuits on the packaging and make sure you check the allergens.
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Milka Choc Cookies with Chocolate, 175 g
Consider these cookies if you want to serve another type of sweet treat alongside biscuits. The pack contains 175 g; before buying, check how the chocolate is included and whether the texture and allergens suit your buffet.
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Milka Choco Wafer Milk, 180 g
This 180 g milk chocolate wafer offers a different format alongside cookies and biscuits. Check the number of wafers and the packaging if you want to serve individual portions.
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Glico Pocky Cookie Bar Chocolate Flavor, 47 g IN
This variety is an option if you want to add a smaller pack with a chocolate flavour alongside the other biscuits. The pack contains 47 g; check the product format, number of pieces and allergens before deciding whether to include it.
Frequently asked questions
Is the front of the pack enough information for a buffet?
No, check the ingredients and allergens on the current packaging too. The European Union lists ingredients, allergen information, net quantity, date marking and nutritional information as mandatory details for prepacked foods. Keep the relevant packaging available for guests who want to check for themselves.
Is a gluten-free chocolate biscuit suitable for every guest with an allergy?
No. Jumbo also lists milk, oats and soya in its Lekker Vrij van Gluten Digestives Melkchocolade, which may contain nuts. If a guest has a specific dietary restriction, discuss the choice with them and read the current packaging.
How should I store opened chocolate biscuits until the buffet?
Follow the storage instructions on the relevant pack. Jumbo advises resealing its Digestive Biscuit Melkchocolade pack after opening and storing it in a dark place; for the smaller Melkchocolade Biscuits, Jumbo recommends an airtight biscuit tin.
Is a cookie with chocolate the same as a biscuit with a chocolate coating?
No, chocolate can be included in different ways. Jumbo describes its Chocolate Cookies as containing dark chocolate pieces, while Albert Heijn lists a milk chocolate coating on its sugar-coated biscuits. Read the description if you specifically want a coating on the biscuit.