Choose a plain or wholemeal digestive as your standard biscuit with hotel-room coffee if wheat is suitable for your selection. A chocolate digestive is another option for a more indulgent presentation; guests avoiding gluten will need a separate option clearly labelled as gluten-free. Check the latest allergen information for each product, and make it available when serving biscuits loose.
You want to offer a familiar biscuit with coffee that’s easy to include in your in-room supplies. A plain or wholemeal digestive could be a good choice, provided wheat and gluten are suitable for your selection.
You want to offer a clearly identifiable gluten-free option and check which other allergens are relevant for each biscuit. When serving biscuits loose, allergen information must be available to guests, according to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority.
You’re looking for a chocolate biscuit to serve with coffee instead of a plain digestive. The McVitie's dark chocolate option described by Jumbo Supermarkten also lists milk and soya as allergens.
First decide which biscuit you want to offer in the room. Then check that the allergen information, pack size and storage instructions suit the way you’ll be serving it.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Standard biscuit with coffee | Choose between plain and chocolate, and check that wheat and gluten are suitable for your selection. | I want to offer a familiar biscuit with coffee, without chocolate as the standard option. This basic choice comes first for around 33% of consumers buying for hotel rooms. |
| Dietary requirements and allergens | Check the label of each option for allergens that are present or may be present; identify any gluten-free option separately. | If I offer guests a choice of biscuits, I want to be able to say which allergens are relevant for each product. This is the top purchasing priority for around 25% of consumers. |
| Treat flavour | Compare plain, chocolate and other types of coffee biscuits without treating them as the same product category. | A chocolate biscuit is a better fit for the treat I want to leave in the room. This flavour choice is the deciding factor for around 25% of consumers. |
| In-room stock | Compare the pack size with expected usage and check how the product should be stored after opening. | I want to avoid an opened pack sitting around for a long time while I replenish rooms gradually. Manageable stock levels come first for around 17% of consumers. |
The product name doesn’t mean that a biscuit aids digestion. The product information for McVitie's Digestives Dark Chocolate at Jumbo Supermarkten explicitly states that the biscuit ingredients contain no substances that aid digestion.
Choose based on the type of biscuit, its ingredients and how you plan to serve it, rather than on an assumed effect.
A gluten-free biscuit may contain other allergens. The product information for Schär Digestive Landtaler, as described by Jumbo Supermarkten, lists soya and warnings that lupin and egg may be present.
For each product, check both the ingredients and warnings about allergens that may be present.
Guests must be able to get allergen information about food served unpackaged. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains this information requirement for the hospitality industry.
Make the information for the biscuits you serve available before guests choose. For example, provide a card or clearly direct guests to a member of staff who can give them the information.
A larger pack isn’t automatically more convenient if you serve only a few biscuits each day. Storage advice for products including AH Digestive and McVitie's Digestives recommends keeping them dry and closing the pack after opening.
Choose a pack size that suits expected room usage and follow the storage instructions for your chosen option.
If a pack stays in use for a long time after opening, take extra care to keep the biscuits dry and the pack closed.
Offers Digestives Original and chocolate varieties. Choosing between them also changes which allergens are listed in the product information.
Digestive Landtaler is a separate biscuit option when you need a product labelled as gluten-free.
A caramelised biscuit alternative for when you don’t specifically need a digestive.
A retailer’s own-brand plain digestive, with ingredients and product information listed by Albert Heijn.
A retailer’s own-brand wholemeal digestive for anyone specifically looking for a wholemeal wheat option.
ALDI describes Biscotto Digestive Biscuits as wheat biscuits in a 300 g pack, to enjoy with tea or coffee.
Here you’ll find plain and chocolate digestives alongside two other types of biscuit to enjoy with coffee. First decide whether you need a digestive; then check the variety, pack and allergen information for each product.
Image unavailable
An option if you’d like to serve a milk chocolate biscuit with coffee instead of a digestive.
150 g pack. Before serving, check the allergens on the packaging and make sure the packaging format suits your in-room presentation.
Image unavailable
A plain digestive if you want to serve a biscuit without a chocolate coating with coffee.
400 g pack. Check that the pack size and storage instructions suit your room usage. Before serving, also check the latest allergen information.
Image unavailable
A milk chocolate digestive if you want to offer a chocolate biscuit alongside the plain option.
266 g pack. Read the allergen and storage information for this variety, and check that the pack suits how you’ll be serving biscuits in each room.
Image unavailable
A dark chocolate digestive for an in-room presentation where a chocolate option is a good fit.
266 g pack. Check the allergens, storage instructions and suitability of the pack size for serving.
Image unavailable
A coffee biscuit alternative for when the biscuit in the room doesn’t have to be a digestive.
250 g pack. Check the allergens and make sure the pack is suitable for the number of rooms you plan to supply.
No. Don’t assume they have this effect from the product name. The product information for McVitie's Digestives Dark Chocolate at Jumbo Supermarkten states that the biscuit ingredients contain no substances that aid digestion.
Yes. Allergen information must be available to guests for biscuits served unpackaged. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that hospitality businesses must inform customers about allergens. Make sure guests know where to find information for each biscuit you offer.
No. The product information for Schär Digestive Landtaler at Jumbo Supermarkten lists soya and states that lupin and egg may be present. So, if you choose a gluten-free option, check the latest packaging for other allergens too.
Choose a pack size to suit the number of biscuits you expect to serve, and follow the storage advice once the pack is open. For AH Digestive, Albert Heijn recommends storing it in a cool, dark and dry place and keeping it in a sealed tin after opening. Check the instructions for the variety you choose.
Check the latest packaging of the biscuits you’re serving too. Albert Heijn warns that product information can change; Lidl Nederland says it does not provide an online list of ingredients, allergens or nutritional values for its food products.
