Self-service buffet manager
Wants guests to take a sealed portion and to keep stock easy to manage. A dispenser can help, as long as its contents also suit the breakfast selection you want to offer.
Who is this relevant to?
Hotel buyer looking for chocolate
Is looking for a familiar chocolate product that can be offered individually. A consumer pack may work for a small buffet, but the number of items in each pack determines how often it needs replenishing.
Buffet manager responsible for allergen information
Checks the ingredients and allergens on the packaging actually being used, and makes sure guests can consult the information before eating a product. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority highlights the duty to inform customers about allergens present.
What should you look for when buying?
First decide whether chocolate, a biscuit rather than a waffle, and exactly one biscuit per sealed pack are essential requirements. Then check how many items you need for breakfast service. Allergen information is important whatever you choose.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Particularly relevant to |
|---|---|---|
| Individually wrapped portions | Check that each biscuit has its own sealed wrapper and that the number of items suits breakfast occupancy. A pack containing two biscuits is not the same as two individually wrapped biscuits. | If guests serve themselves, I want to offer one sealed biscuit without having to open a pack each time. For around 42% of consumers, individual portions come first. |
| Chocolate and product type | Check whether the product contains chocolate, whether it is a biscuit or a waffle, and how many items are in each portion. Lotus Biscoff is speculoos, not a chocolate biscuit. | When chocolate is part of the breakfast selection, I don’t want to offer speculoos as a substitute. Chocolate is the first-choice requirement for around 33% of consumers. |
| Allergen information | Read the current ingredients list, the allergens stated and any warnings on the variant you have bought; make this information accessible to guests. | Before serving guests, I want to know exactly which allergens are listed on the packaging being used. For around 25% of consumers, this information is the top priority. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming a hotel dispenser contains chocolate biscuits
Lotus Bakeries Nederland offers dispensers of individually wrapped Biscoff biscuits for hotels and other settings. The contents are speculoos, so they do not meet a requirement for chocolate.
Decide which type of product you need before comparing dispensers, quantities and restocking arrangements.
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Confusing two biscuits in one pack with individual wrapping
ALDI states that Biscotto chocolate biscuits are packed in pairs. A guest would therefore take one sealed pair, not a single individually wrapped biscuit.
Check the specific packaging to see how many biscuits are in each sealed portion.
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Inferring allergens from the product photo
A photo does not show which allergens or warnings apply to the variant you have bought. For Kanjers milk chocolate caramel waffles, Jumbo lists egg, milk, nuts, soya and wheat, among other things.
Use the current packaging as the source of information you give guests. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says customers must be informed about allergens present.
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Buying a small pack without planning stock levels
Jumbo describes Kanjers milk chocolate caramel waffles as a pack of four individually wrapped items. Work out how many packs you need for the expected breakfast occupancy.
Also plan when buffet stock will be replenished.
If you need a large number of items, small packs may take more time to set out and replenish.
Brands to consider
Kanjers
Jumbo describes Kanjers milk chocolate caramel waffles as individually wrapped in a pack of four.
- Chocolate and individual wrapping are specified for this waffle variant.
- It is a waffle, not a biscuit. Check the current packaging for allergens before serving it at the buffet.
Lotus Biscoff
Lotus Bakeries Nederland lists a dispenser containing 150 individually wrapped Biscoff biscuits and a box of 300 for professional use.
- Lotus also recommends the dispenser for hotels and self-service.
- Biscoff is speculoos without chocolate; also check the allergen information for the packaging you choose.
Verkade
Verkade describes, among other products, Duo’tjes with a dark chocolate filling and Tops with a milk chocolate topping.
- Several chocolate varieties are available.
- Check whether each biscuit in your chosen variant is individually wrapped.
Biscotto bij ALDI
ALDI describes Biscotto chocolate biscuits as a pack of 20.
- The product is described as chocolate biscuits.
- According to ALDI, the biscuits are packed in pairs. This does not meet a requirement for one sealed biscuit per guest.
Chocolate products at Joybuy
These products offer two different portion sizes for a hotel breakfast: LU Scholiertje is a chocolate biscuit with two biscuits in each sealed portion; Kanjers is a milk chocolate caramel waffle that is individually wrapped. Check which product type and portion size suit your buffet.
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LU Scholiertje milk chocolate biscuits 150 g
A chocolate biscuit for a buffet where a sealed portion containing two biscuits is acceptable; this is not a pack with each biscuit individually wrapped.
150 g pack. Check the allergen information on the packaging actually being used before serving.
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Kanjers milk chocolate caramel waffles, 4 pieces
For a small buffet or as a top-up where a chocolate caramel waffle works instead of a biscuit. Jumbo describes these waffles as individually wrapped.
Each pack contains four pieces. Check the current allergen information on the packaging you have bought, particularly details about nuts, before serving it to guests.
Frequently asked questions
What allergen information should be available at a hotel breakfast?
Guests must be able to get information about allergens present in the products on offer. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority highlights this duty to inform; check the current details on the packaging you have bought and make sure guests can consult them before eating.
Can I serve Kanjers waffles to guests with an allergy without checking first?
No. Don’t rely on the product name or on packaging you have seen before. For Kanjers milk chocolate caramel waffles, Jumbo lists egg, milk, nuts, soya and wheat, among other things. Check the current packaging, including any warnings about traces, and make this information accessible to guests.
What are the benefits of a dispenser at a busy self-service buffet?
A dispenser lets you set out individually wrapped biscuits without having to open small packs each time. Lotus Bakeries Nederland lists a Biscoff dispenser containing 150 pieces for hotels and other settings, as well as a box of 300. Both contain speculoos, so neither is suitable if chocolate is required.
Is a pack containing two biscuits the same as individually wrapped biscuits?
No, not if each guest needs to be able to take exactly one individually sealed biscuit. ALDI states that Biscotto chocolate biscuits are packed in pairs; for other products, check how many biscuits are in each sealed portion too.