For a small gift or a treat to share at a café terrace meet-up, a box of chocolates is a better choice than chocolate sprinkles: Albert Heijn describes the chocolate sprinkles reviewed as a bread topping, while Jumbo offers an assortment of chocolates to give or share. Choose the packaging to suit the occasion, check the current label if anyone has an allergy, and follow the storage instructions. Ask the venue in advance whether you can open your own chocolates at the table.
Want to give someone a little something before or after meeting on a café terrace, or share some chocolate with a small group? Individually wrapped pieces are easy to hand out. Jumbo lists this packaging for the merci assortment box reviewed here.
Are you buying chocolate for someone with a known allergy, or for a group whose allergies you don't know? Read the label on the actual pack you plan to give. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says allergen information must be provided on pre-packed products.
If you want something for bread, yoghurt, porridge or baking, you're looking for a product with a different purpose. Albert Heijn describes the De Ruijter chocolate sprinkles reviewed as a bread topping, not as a box of chocolates to share.
First decide whether you're looking for a gift or a topping. If you're choosing a box of chocolates, then consider how easy it is to share, check the label and storage instructions, and think about the journey to your get-together.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it's important to |
|---|---|---|
| Sharing | Check how many pieces are in the box and whether they are individually wrapped. For the 250 g merci assortment box, Jumbo lists twenty individually wrapped bars. | If I'm sharing with a small group, I want to be able to give everyone an individual piece. For around 28% of consumers, ease of sharing would be the main reason to buy. |
| Allergens | Check the current packaging for both the allergens the product contains and those it may contain. | When buying for someone with an allergy, I need to check the ingredients before giving the gift. For around 28% of consumers, this would be their top priority. |
| Storage and transport | Check the storage instructions and keep the box out of direct sunlight and heat while travelling. For the Lindt LINDOR box reviewed here, Jumbo says to store it in a cool, dry place. | If I'm giving the box later in the day, I want to know how to store it until then. Around 22% of consumers would see transport and storage as the main consideration. |
| Type of product | Check whether you're looking for a gift or a treat to share, or for chocolate sprinkles to use as a bread topping. | For breakfast, I want something different from a small gift for a café terrace meet-up. For around 22% of consumers, choosing between these types of product would be the main consideration. |
Albert Heijn describes the De Ruijter chocolate sprinkles reviewed here as a bread topping. They aren't automatically a suitable alternative to a box of chocolates to give or share.
Before comparing brands, decide whether you're buying for breakfast or for a gift-giving occasion.
The merci and Lindt assortments reviewed here list several allergens. A varied selection doesn't mean it's suitable for someone with a food allergy.
If you know someone has an allergy, check which ingredients they need to avoid and read the label on the current packaging before giving the box.
The product information for the Lindt LINDOR box reviewed here says to store it in a cool, dry place; for the merci box reviewed, it emphasises protecting it from heat.
Follow the storage instructions on the packaging and plan how to keep the box out of the sun and heat until you give it.
Whether you can open and share chocolates you've brought with you on a café terrace depends on the venue's policy.
Ask the venue in advance, or give the box unopened without assuming you can share it there.
The 250 g Chocolates Assortment Box described by Jumbo is designed as a small gift or to share.
The 200 g mixed chocolates box reviewed here can be given as a single gift or shared with a small group of people whose allergies you know.
Jumbo lists the 340 g Chocolate Mix among its chocolate gifts.
A box of chocolates is a more natural choice for a gift or a treat to share. Albert Heijn describes the De Ruijter chocolate sprinkles reviewed here as a bread topping; choose sprinkles when that's what you need them for.
Check the ingredients, allergens, best-before date and any storage instructions on the packaging you buy. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, allergen information must appear on the label of pre-packed products. If someone has an allergy, also look for warnings about possible traces.
Follow the storage instructions on the packaging and keep the box away from direct heat until you give it. For the Lindt LINDOR box reviewed here, Jumbo says to store it in a cool, dry place; the information for the merci box reviewed here says to protect it from heat.
When checking for allergens, use the label on the current packaging. Product information can change, so if necessary, compare an older online listing with the box you're actually buying.
