Person in charge of a shared biscuit tin
You’re looking for a pack that suits the number of colleagues helping themselves and how often you top it up. Portion sizes and storage advice after opening also matter.
Who is this choice relevant to?
Organiser who needs to consider allergens
You’re buying for colleagues who may need to avoid ingredients such as wheat, milk, soya, egg or nuts. Check the ingredients and warnings on the pack of the exact product you’re putting out.
Buyer planning the office supplies
You want to know how many biscuits or portions a pack contains, and whether that amount suits how they’ll be eaten in the office, without opening too much at once.
What should you look for when choosing?
First, decide whether the biscuits are intended for everyone who uses the shared tin. Then choose a pack size and format that suit how it will be used. Only compare flavours once you’ve checked that the ingredients are suitable for the colleagues concerned.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who does this matter most to? |
|---|---|---|
| Allergens and dietary requirements | Read the ingredients, highlighted allergens and any warnings about traces on the current pack. | If a colleague has a specific dietary restriction, I don’t want to put anything in the shared tin without reading the label. Around 31% of consumers would prioritise suitability for allergies and dietary requirements. |
| Portions and storage | Check how the biscuits are divided into individual biscuits or portions, and follow the storage advice after opening. | When colleagues help themselves at different times, I want to avoid having a large quantity open at once. Around 31% of consumers would consider this their main priority. |
| Pack size and stock | Compare the weight in grams with the number of biscuits or portions, and estimate how quickly the pack will be used. | If the tin needs topping up often, I want to have enough biscuits ready without opening more than necessary. An estimated 23% of consumers would prioritise this kind of stock planning. |
| Chocolate and biscuit type | Check whether the product contains chocolate chips, a chocolate coating, a filling or just chocolate flavouring. | For a treat, I want to know what colleagues will actually be getting: a biscuit with chocolate is different from one that only tastes of chocolate. For around 15% of consumers, this would be the deciding factor. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming a brand name tells you about allergens
Ingredients and warnings can differ between products from the same brand. Albert Heijn also points out that product information can change.
Just before sharing the biscuits, check the label on the pack you bought, including any warnings about possible traces.
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Assuming gluten-free or lactose-free means suitable for all allergies
A claim like this relates to one specific feature and does not, by itself, tell you anything about other ingredients or possible traces.
Compare the full allergen information with the dietary restriction of the colleague concerned. Don’t put biscuits in a shared tin based only on the front of the pack.
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Opening a large pack all at once
If the biscuits won’t be eaten quickly, the storage advice after opening becomes more important. For its Chocolate Cookies, Jumbo advises resealing the pack securely after opening.
Fill the tin with an amount you expect people to eat, and store the rest according to the label.
An opened pack that isn’t used in time can lose quality and lead to food waste.
Brands to consider
Verkade
The range includes individually wrapped Duo’tjes and Oaties Milk Chocolate, which Verkade markets as gluten-free.
- The small Duo’tjes packs may be handy for sharing at different times.
- The product information for Duo’tjes lists wheat, milk and soya, and warns about possible traces. Check each Verkade product individually.
Lotus Biscoff
Lotus Speculoos with chocolate combines a speculoos biscuit with chocolate and is sold as 3 pieces × 7.
- The product page from Lotus Bakeries Netherlands clearly states that the biscuits are divided into smaller packs.
- The product information lists wheat, milk and soya, among other ingredients. Check the warnings about possible traces too.
Albert Heijn
AH Choc chip chocolade melk & puur is a 225 g pack containing dark and milk chocolate chips.
- Albert Heijn states that this product contains 29% dark chocolate chips and 11% milk chocolate chips.
- Albert Heijn says that ingredient and allergen information can change. Check the pack.
Jumbo
Jumbo Chocolate Cookies with dark chocolate chips are listed as a 225 g pack containing 12 portions.
- The pack size and number of portions are useful when planning a shared tin.
- According to Jumbo, this particular product contains wheat and gluten and comes with storage advice for after opening.
Sondey
Lidl’s Sondey Chocolate chip cookies are crisp biscuits with dark chocolate chips in a 225 g pack.
- The product type and pack size are listed on Lidl Netherlands’ product page.
- Before sharing these biscuits, check the ingredients and allergens on the pack in store.
Biscotto
ALDI Netherlands describes Biscotto Chocolate Biscuits as a 250 g box containing 20 butter biscuits with dark, white and milk chocolate.
- According to ALDI, the biscuits are packed in pairs, which makes them easier to share.
- Check the box you buy for ingredient and allergen information.
Chocolate biscuits on Joybuy
These biscuits come in different chocolate varieties, chocolate flavours and pack sizes for the office tin. Check each product’s packaging to see how you can portion it and whether it’s suitable for the colleagues who’ll be eating it.
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LU Scholiertje milk chocolate biscuits 150 g
An option if you’d like to serve milk chocolate biscuits with coffee or tea. Before putting them in a shared tin, check the portion sizes and allergens on the current pack.
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LU Scholiertje white chocolate biscuits 150 g
For anyone who’d like to offer a white chocolate biscuit in the tin too. Check the pack to see how many portions you can share, how to store the rest and which allergens are listed.
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Franzzi Mellow dark chocolate flavour biscuits 115 g
This variety may suit anyone who prefers a dark chocolate flavour, although that description alone doesn’t tell you how much chocolate it contains. Check the ingredients, allergens and storage instructions on the pack before sharing the biscuits.
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Verkade Gv Oaties Milk Chocolate 150 g
Verkade markets this Oaties variety as gluten-free. If a colleague has a specific dietary restriction, the ingredients and all allergen information on the current pack are what matter. Reseal the biscuits after opening, following the label instructions.
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Verkade Nobo Spritzed Milk Chocolate 150 g
A milk chocolate variety for anyone who’d like to offer a selection of biscuits in the tin. The product information gives conflicting details about nuts and sesame. Only share these biscuits once you’ve checked the allergen information on the pack you bought.
Frequently asked questions
Should I choose chocolates or chocolate biscuits for an office biscuit tin?
Choose chocolate biscuits if you want a supply that colleagues can help themselves to at different times; chocolates are a different type of product. With biscuits, pay particular attention to portion sizes, storage instructions and the allergen information for the pack you choose.
How do I compare packs with different weights?
Check both the weight and the number of biscuits or portions. A 250 g box with 20 biscuits, such as the Biscotto box described by ALDI, will need to be portioned differently from a 225 g pack with 12 portions, as listed by Jumbo for its Chocolate Cookies.
Are gluten-free or lactose-free biscuits suitable for everyone with an allergy?
No. Such a claim doesn’t automatically cover all other allergens. For each colleague concerned, check the full ingredients list and any warnings about possible traces on the specific pack.
How should I store opened chocolate biscuits in the office?
Follow the storage advice on the pack and, if instructed, seal the remaining biscuits securely after opening. Jumbo advises this for its Chocolate Cookies; for its Choc chip biscuits, Albert Heijn recommends storing them in a closed tin after opening.