Choose a box of chocolates with individually wrapped portions if you want to give several people a thank-you gift. Currant buns are a better fit when you’re mainly looking for a bread-like snack. For both options, check the allergens and make sure the packaging and storage instructions suit when you’ll be handing them out.
If you want to give something to several people without opening a shared pack, check how many portions are individually wrapped. Jumbo lists 20 and 32 individually wrapped bars respectively for two Merci boxes included in our research. Also check that the selection suits the recipients’ allergies.
Currant buns could be a good choice if you’re mainly giving someone a snack. Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS list options with different pack sizes and storage instructions. Choose the pack based on when you’ll be handing them out and how you can store the buns.
If you’re selling food, there’s more to consider than choosing suitable packaging. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority requires food at markets and events to be handled safely and hygienically. For unpackaged food, allergen information must be available before purchase.
Choose this if: you want to give several people a thank-you gift and the box you choose contains individually wrapped portions.
Bear in mind: the allergens in the exact selection and the need to protect it from heat.
Choose these if: you want to give someone a bread-like snack they can eat at the planned time.
Bear in mind: the storage instructions for the option you choose; a pack containing several buns won’t necessarily have each bun individually wrapped.
First, decide whether you’re looking for a gift to hand out individually or a snack. Then check the number of portions, storage requirements and ingredients on the specific pack.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Handing out individual portions | Count the individually wrapped portions. Jumbo lists 20 bars in the 250 g Merci box included in our research and 32 in the 400 g box. | If I want to give something to lots of people, I don’t want to have to divide up the pack there and then. Around 40% of consumers put ease of sharing first. |
| Snack and storage timing | Check whether the currant buns are fresh, have a longer shelf life or are frozen, and follow the storage instructions for that option. | If I’m giving someone a bread roll as a treat, I want the storage instructions to suit when I’ll be handing it out. For around 30% of consumers, the snack aspect matters most. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the ingredients and allergen information on the specific pack, including warnings about possible traces of other allergens. | If I don’t know what allergies the recipients have, I want to be able to check what I can responsibly offer them. Checking allergens is a top priority for around 20% of consumers. |
| Number of portions | Compare the number of portions you can actually hand out; the net weight alone won’t tell you how many people you can cater for. | If I’m buying for a group, I want to know whether one pack provides a portion for everyone. Around 10% of consumers give this the highest priority. |
The Merci boxes included in our research contain ingredients such as milk and nuts. According to the product information from Albert Heijn and Jumbo, other allergens may also be present. So, if you’re choosing a mixed selection, check the exact product.
Read the latest ingredients and allergen information before handing the chocolates out. If someone has a known allergy, only choose a product if you can confirm it’s suitable for them.
The AH option included in our research is frozen and must not be refrozen after defrosting. PLUS gives different instructions for the currant buns we looked at: freeze them at home on the day you buy them and use them within one month.
Plan when you’ll hand out the buns and follow the instructions on the pack you actually buy.
If the pack doesn’t suit your plans, you may end up not using it.
If you sell unpackaged food, the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that information about any allergens present must be available before purchase. Food at markets and events must also be handled safely and hygienically.
Keep the latest product information to hand, and check the requirements set by the organiser and local council for the type of stall you’re running before the market.
A brand offering chocolate selection boxes as gifts or for sharing.
A supermarket where you can compare the frozen currant buns and a Merci gift box included in our research as two different types of treat.
A supermarket offering packs of currant buns and Merci chocolate boxes included in our research.
A supermarket offering currant buns and chocolate products included in our research. A chocolate bar, however, is not the same as a gift box.
These Joybuy products suit the chocolate option: some are designed to be handed out in individual portions, while others are better as a gift or a treat to share. Before choosing one for several people, compare the number of portions and the packaging.
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The pack of six tubes is an option if you want to hand out chocolate by the tube rather than give someone the whole box.
If any recipients have allergies, check the latest packaging for milk, wheat and barley. Store the chocolate according to the instructions on the pack.
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The pack of nine is a good option for a smaller sharing round if the recipients enjoy matcha chocolate.
Check the current best-before date before planning when to hand them out. If anyone has allergies, check the packaging for wheat, milk and soya, as well as warnings about possible traces of other allergens.
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This chocolate selection is suited to a gift or a treat to share.
If you want to give each person an individual piece, check how many pieces are included and how they’re wrapped. If anyone has allergies, read the latest ingredient information; the product details list ingredients including milk, peanuts, wheat and soya.
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The gift pack of six small bars is ideal as a present or for a tasting session to share.
If you want to give a bar to each person, check whether they’re individually wrapped. For recipients with allergies, read the latest information about ingredients including milk, soya and nuts.
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This chocolate collection makes a thoughtful small thank-you gift if you give the whole pack to one person.
If you want to share the contents between several people, check how many pieces are included and how they’re wrapped. If anyone has allergies, read the latest information about ingredients including milk, nuts, soya and wheat.
Read the ingredients list on the specific pack. Albert Heijn lists iodised salt in the currant buns included in our research; the Jumbo pack we looked at lists baker’s salt. Don’t rely solely on the product category or the name of the salt.
Always check the latest information for the exact product. According to Jumbo, the currant buns included in our research contain gluten, milk and wheat, and may also contain other allergens. The Merci selection boxes we looked at contain ingredients including milk and nuts; warnings about possible traces vary by product.
Handle and store food safely and hygienically. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, this also applies when individuals sell food at markets and events. For unpackaged food, information about any allergens present must be available before purchase. Also check with the organiser and local council what requirements apply to your stall and the way you plan to sell.
Follow the instructions on the pack you buy. The frozen Albert Heijn currant buns included in our research must not be refrozen after defrosting, while PLUS gives instructions for freezing its option at home on the day of purchase. Keep chocolate away from heat and check before buying that the best-before date works with your plans.
