For lots of individual coffee breaks, choose individually wrapped biscuits. Packs of two are better when visitors want to take a portion away or you’re filling a lunchbox. A mixed sharing pack needs more thought about how to store the contents after opening and how to provide allergen information. For seasonal biscuits, also check availability shortly before you buy.
If you’re expecting lots of individual visitors or coffee breaks, sealed portions that are easy to count are useful. If you take biscuits out of their packaging to serve them loose, information about the allergens present must be available, according to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority.
For a small group, a smaller multipack or biscuit selection may be a better match for the number of guests than a box containing hundreds of biscuits. Think about how many packs you’ll need to open and how you’ll store the remaining biscuits.
If you want to take biscuits with you without repacking them, look for individual packs or biscuits wrapped in pairs. Check the exact pack to see how many biscuits make up a portion and which allergens are listed on the label.
First, work out how many sealed portions you need. Then compare the number of biscuits per portion, the allergen information and the type of packaging that suits how you’ll be handing them out.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Sealed portions | Count the individual bags or wrapped biscuits and check how many biscuits are in each portion. | I want to be able to hand visitors a sealed portion quickly, without dividing up the biscuits beforehand. For around 40% of consumers, ease of handing out portions comes first. |
| Suitable quantity | Compare the number of portions with the number of visitors you expect. Also check the best-before date and storage instructions. | If visitor numbers are uncertain, I want enough biscuits without being left with a large pack that’s already been opened. Around 30% of consumers say stock planning is their top priority. |
| Allergens and ingredients | Read the label for the exact product, including allergens and any warnings about possible traces. | If I’m serving biscuits to different visitors, I want to be able to check which ingredients and allergens they contain. For around 20% of consumers, this clarity is their main concern. |
| Festive selection | Check shortly before buying that the product is available and that the quantity and packaging suit your plans. | I want Christmas-themed biscuits for my stall, but I need an alternative in case the seasonal product isn’t available. For around 10% of consumers, presentation comes first. |
The weight won’t tell you how many visitors you can give a sealed portion to. For example, ALDI describes a 250 g Biscotto pack containing 20 biscuits wrapped in pairs, while Jumbo lists a 300 g biscuit selection with around 33 portions. These aren’t the same kind of portion for handing out.
First plan how many portions you’ll need, then compare the number of bags, biscuits per bag and total weight.
Jumbo describes Lotus Biscoff XL 10x2 as suitable for vegans, but also lists wheat and soya for this variant. A label about dietary preferences doesn’t replace checking for allergens.
Read the current label on the exact pack before giving visitors information about its ingredients.
ALDI lists some Christmas biscuits as unavailable. A product page for a regular biscuit also doesn’t prove that the product will be in store when you’re ready to buy.
Check availability shortly before buying and have a suitable alternative ready.
According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, consumers must be given information about allergens present in loose food. This takes preparation if you remove biscuits from their original packaging.
Keep the product information available at your stall and make sure the person handing out the biscuits knows where to find it.
These brands and shops offer different biscuit formats to compare. Check the packaging of the specific product rather than choosing based on the brand name alone.
Lotus Bakeries Netherlands lists products including Pocket Pack 8x2, XL 10x2 and Mega Pack 20x2. For a Christmas market, the main difference is how many sealed portions you can hand out.
A place to compare regular biscuits, speculoos and branded products by pack size.
A place to look for both biscuits in set portions and mixed sharing packs.
An option to consider if biscuits wrapped in pairs suit your plans for handing them out.
A place to look for biscuits to hand out; the varieties shown are farmyard mix and smiley biscuits.
These packs are suitable for taking with you, sharing or a small number of occasions when you’ll be handing out biscuits. If you want to give visitors sealed portions only, check how each product is packaged inside.
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A 3x77 g pack to consider if you want to split the biscuits across several occasions when you’re taking them with you.
Check the pack to see how many biscuits you can give each visitor and how the portions are wrapped. Read the label for allergen information for this variant.
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A speculaas pack to consider for a small group or to serve with coffee.
The product name states 8 biscuits and 200 g. If you want to hand out sealed portions individually, check whether the biscuits are wrapped separately. Also read the current allergen information on the label.
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Two separate packs are handy if you want to split the biscuits across two occasions when you’re taking them with you or handing them out.
The total weight is 97 g. If you’re counting out biscuits for visitors, check how many each pack contains and consult the label for allergen information.
Yes. When serving loose food, you must tell consumers about the allergens it contains. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority refers to information about 14 allergens. Keep details of the biscuits you’re actually serving available at your stall.
For prepacked biscuits, allergen information is on the packaging label. The information requirements for loose food apply if you take the biscuits out of their packaging and serve them loose. In either case, check the label for the exact variant.
Jumbo describes this specific XL 10x2 variant as suitable for vegans. The product information also lists wheat and soya, so the vegan label doesn’t mean the biscuits are allergen-free. Check the current label before buying.
Don’t treat a product listing as confirmation that the biscuits will be available when you’re ready to buy. ALDI lists several Christmas biscuits as unavailable. Shortly before the market, check the store’s stock and the size and allergen information of the product you’ve chosen.
Store the biscuits according to the instructions on the packaging and protect them from contamination. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority reminds sellers at markets and events that they are responsible for food safety. If you open packs to serve individual biscuits, make sure allergen information is also available at your stall.
