Start by thinking about how you’ll serve the biscuits. Smaller packs are handy if you’re sharing them among lots of guests, while an assortment with different types of chocolate offers more choice. Then check the label on each option you choose and store your supplies as directed on the packaging. When serving outdoors, put out smaller amounts at a time and keep them out of direct sunlight.
For a larger garden party, it helps to compare the number of biscuits and how they’re packed inside, not just the total weight. For example, Jumbo lists a pack of Lotus Biscoff biscuits containing 7 × 3 pieces, while ALDI describes a pack of 20 Biscotto biscuits, individually wrapped in pairs.
If your guests have different preferences, you can compare an assortment of chocolates with individual varieties. ALDI describes Biscotto biscuits with dark, white and milk chocolate; Jumbo also lists individual chocolate varieties.
If any guests need allergen information, the packaging for the exact variety is what matters. Where you store the biscuits also matters when serving outdoors: Callebaut Chocolate Academy notes that keeping them at a consistent storage temperature helps slow down fat bloom, which causes chocolate to discolour.
First, decide how many individual portions you want to put out and whether one type of chocolate will be enough. Then check the ingredients, allergens and storage instructions on each pack before serving the biscuits outdoors.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Portions and packaging | Compare the number of biscuits, how they’re packed inside and the net contents. A listing such as 7 × 3 pieces doesn’t necessarily mean that each biscuit is individually wrapped. | When I’m serving a larger group, I want to know in advance how many small portions I can hand out. Around 40% of consumers prioritise portion planning. |
| Type of chocolate | Check whether the pack contains milk, white or dark chocolate, and whether it’s an assortment or a single variety. | When guests have different tastes, I want to be able to offer more than one type of chocolate; around 30% of consumers say that having this choice matters most to them. |
| Labelling and outdoor serving | Read the current ingredients list, highlighted allergens, best-before date and storage advice. | If I need to cater for allergies or set up a serving area outdoors, I want to know what I can safely offer and how to store the rest. Around 30% of consumers prioritise these checks. |
The type of chocolate doesn’t tell you which allergens are in the biscuit as a whole. According to the European Union, allergens present in prepacked foods must be emphasised in the ingredients list.
Check the ingredients and highlighted allergens on the packaging for the exact variety, especially if a guest has an allergy or intolerance.
The total weight doesn’t tell you how many biscuits you can hand out or how they’re packed inside. For example, Jumbo lists a Lotus Biscoff variety containing 7 × 3 pieces, while ALDI describes 20 Biscotto biscuits, individually wrapped in pairs.
Decide how many portions you want to serve, then compare the number of biscuits and how they’re packed inside with the net contents.
Storage conditions can affect the appearance of chocolate. Callebaut Chocolate Academy highlights the importance of a consistent storage temperature to slow down fat bloom, a greyish-white discolouration.
Follow the storage advice on the packaging, keep your supplies in a dry place out of direct sunlight, and top up the serving plate with smaller amounts at a time.
Albert Heijn says that product ingredients, nutritional values and allergy information can change. So a listing you looked at previously may not match the packaging you eventually buy.
Check the label on the pack you buy before purchasing, then check it again before offering the biscuits to your guests.
Speculoos biscuits with chocolate, available in different varieties. Jumbo lists, among others, a pack containing 7 × 3 pieces and a dark chocolate variety weighing 162 g.
Albert Heijn lists, among others, AH Choc chip coated milk and digestive varieties with milk or dark chocolate.
Jumbo’s own-brand range includes biscuits and digestive biscuits with different types of chocolate.
ALDI describes a Biscotto pack containing 20 butter biscuits with dark, white and milk chocolate, individually wrapped in pairs.
Lidl’s Sondey range includes Choco biscuits milk.
This selection of Joybuy products includes a chocolate biscuit and related snacks such as chocolate-coated wafers and biscuit sticks. When choosing treats for a garden party, consider the type of biscuit, the chocolate flavour and how the pack is portioned.
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A milk chocolate option to consider if you want to hand out biscuits in small portions. Check how they’re packed inside and read the current label for allergen and storage information.
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This strawberry and white chocolate variety offers a different flavour from a classic chocolate biscuit; it’s a wafer. Compare the number of pieces with your serving plan and follow the storage instructions on the packaging.
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Biscuit sticks are a different way to serve snacks compared with individual biscuits, especially when you want to put out smaller pieces. Check how many sticks are in the pack and whether they’re packed in a way that makes them easy to hand out.
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Consider this wafer if you’d like to offer a hazelnut and milk chocolate option alongside biscuits. For a group, check how many bars are in the sales unit; because it contains hazelnut, also read the current allergen information.
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This chocolate snack in stick form works well alongside biscuits as part of a selection of small treats. Check the pack to see how many pieces you can hand out, and read the allergen and storage information.
Decide how many portions you want to serve, then compare the number of biscuits and how they’re packed in each pack. For example, Jumbo lists a Lotus Biscoff variety containing 7 × 3 pieces, while ALDI lists a 20-piece Biscotto assortment, individually wrapped in pairs. The weight alone won’t tell you how you can portion out the biscuits.
You can’t tell from the words ‘dark chocolate’ alone: check the ingredients and allergens in the biscuit as a whole. According to the European Union, allergens present in prepacked foods must be emphasised in the ingredients list. So be sure to read the label on the exact variety you plan to offer.
Put out only the amount you’re serving at the time, in a dry place out of direct sunlight, and store the rest according to the label. Callebaut Chocolate Academy notes that a consistent storage temperature helps slow down the greyish-white discolouration caused by fat bloom.
Use it as a starting point, but check the packaging you actually bought before serving. Albert Heijn says that ingredients, nutritional values and allergy information can change.
