Organising a group picnic
You want to take enough Dutch breakfast cake for several people, and choose packaging that’s easy to carry and share.
For a budget-friendly picnic, a larger unsliced loaf of Dutch breakfast cake is an option if you can cut it into slices at home and take them with you. If you want to hand out slices in the park without a knife, choose a pre-sliced version. Whichever you choose, check the ingredients, nutritional information and allergens on the packaging.
You want to take enough Dutch breakfast cake for several people, and choose packaging that’s easy to carry and share.
You want everyone to be able to pick up a slice straight away in the park. In that case, whether the cake is pre-sliced makes a difference.
Before you set off, you want to check the sugars and fibre in each product and see which allergens are listed on the packaging.
First, decide how much cake you want to take for the group. Then consider whether you can slice it at home and which label information matters to the people coming along.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this most important to? |
|---|---|---|
| Quantity for the group | Check the net weight and think about how many slices you want to take. | If I’m packing for several people, I want to take enough cake without buying more packs than I need. This quantity is the top priority for around 36% of consumers. |
| Ready to serve | Check whether the cake is sliced or unsliced, and how you can transport it once opened. | In the park, I want to be able to hand out slices without cutting them there. This convenience matters most to around 29% of consumers. |
| Nutritional information | Compare sugars and fibre on the same basis, for example per 100 g, and check the ingredients. | When choosing between varieties, I want to know what their labels say they contain. Around 21% of consumers prioritise this comparison. |
| Allergens | Check the current packaging to see which allergens the product contains or may contain. | If I’m bringing food for others, I want to check in advance whether they can eat the cake I’ve chosen. For around 14% of consumers, this is their first concern. |
A description such as wholemeal or Zero doesn’t, on its own, tell you how much sugar and fibre the Dutch breakfast cake you’ve chosen contains.
Compare the nutritional information on the specific packs on the same basis, and check the ingredients too.
The products described include rye and references to other cereals. So you can’t assume that every type of Dutch breakfast cake is suitable for the same people.
Check the current packaging before packing for the group, and keep products with different allergen information clearly separated.
The supermarket range reviewed includes Peijnenburg varieties such as plain and pre-sliced Dutch breakfast cake.
Albert Heijn stocks its own Dutch breakfast cake as well as Peijnenburg varieties.
Jumbo shows several varieties of Peijnenburg Dutch breakfast cake, including pre-sliced plain cake.
This brand, shown at ALDI, includes pre-sliced wholemeal Dutch breakfast cake and a pre-sliced Zero variety.
PLUS shows a 550 g pack of its own-brand plain Dutch breakfast cake, sold unsliced.
Tastino is a Dutch breakfast cake brand in the Lidl range shown.
These products are pre-sliced Dutch breakfast cakes or a pack of six, which you can consider when planning and serving a picnic. The packaging format and label should guide your choice.
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Pre-sliced cake is a handy option if you don’t want to use a knife in the park.
485 g pack. Check the current packaging for allergens before serving it to others.
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This pre-sliced wholemeal variety is a good fit if you want to hand out slices and compare the nutritional information of different varieties.
485 g pack. Check the current ingredients and allergen information before taking it for others.
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The stated number of pieces helps you plan how much to take on your picnic.
Pack of 6. Check the packaging format and allergens before serving the cake.
No. The name Zero isn’t a nutritional information table in itself. Check the sugars per 100 g on the packaging of the specific variety and compare it with another Dutch breakfast cake on the same basis.
Only choose a product after checking the current allergen information. The PLUS plain variety described lists rye and cereals containing gluten; the Peijnenburg reduced-sugar variety described also carries a warning that it may contain nuts.
No. A rule about baker’s salt doesn’t tell you which ingredients have been used in a specific Dutch breakfast cake. Check the packaging or ask the manufacturer about the ingredients in the product you want to take.