Organising an informal coffee morning
If you want guests to be able to help themselves, sliced gingerbread is worth considering. Jumbo describes sliced gingerbread as easy to serve one slice at a time.
Who is each option best for?
Organising a thank-you occasion
If you want to give a guest, volunteer or colleague a little something, a chocolate assortment is a good fit. As well as what’s inside, consider how the chosen pack is presented.
Organising an event with dietary requirements in mind
If ingredients or allergens matter to your guests, start by checking the information on the exact pack. The product category alone won’t tell you whether a cake or chocolate assortment is suitable.
What should you look for when choosing?
First decide whether you mainly want something to put on the table or a thank-you gift for someone. Then compare the packaging and ingredients.
| What to consider | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gifting and variety | Check whether the pack is suitable as a gift and which types of chocolate it contains. | If I want to thank someone, presentation matters, and I want to know what’s in the assortment. For around 40% of consumers, the desire to give a gift is the deciding factor. |
| Easy to serve | Check whether the gingerbread is sliced or made up of individual portions, and how many portions the pack contains. | When guests are helping themselves to something with their coffee, I don’t want to have to slice anything during the get-together. Easy serving is the top priority for around 30% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current ingredients and allergen information for the exact cake or chocolate box. | If I need to consider what my guests can eat, the ingredients matter more than the presentation. For around 20% of consumers, checking this is the top priority. |
| Getting the quantity right | Compare the number of portions with the number of guests, or the number of packs with the number of recipients. | I want to have enough to go round without lots left over. For around 10% of consumers, getting the quantity right matters most. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming all gingerbread contains iodised baker’s salt
The product category doesn’t tell you which ingredients are in a particular gingerbread cake.
Check the ingredients list on the pack you choose, and don’t assume gingerbread is a source of iodine without product-specific information.
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Choosing a chocolate box without checking the allergens
An assortment can contain a range of ingredients, and the ingredients in gingerbread also vary between varieties.
Ask in advance which allergens you need to look out for, and check the information on the exact pack before choosing.
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Looking only at the size of the pack
A gift box serves a different purpose from gingerbread served in portions on the table. The size alone won’t tell you how many guests it will serve or how many thank-you gifts you’ll have.
Work out how many guests and recipients there are, then check the number of portions or gift packs.
A pack that doesn’t suit those numbers could leave you with leftovers or mean you need to buy more.
Brands to consider
Peijnenburg
Worth considering if you’re looking at individually wrapped portions of gingerbread: Peijnenburg describes a plain pack containing ten individually wrapped cakes.
- According to Peijnenburg, this specific variety contains 38% rye flour.
- The same product information states that this variety may contain milk, hazelnuts, almonds and other cereals containing gluten. Check the label on the pack you buy.
merci
A good choice when the chocolate is mainly intended as a thank-you gift. According to the product description, the 400 g Merci Gift Box listed by Albert Heijn contains eight types of chocolate.
- The box mentioned offers a choice of different types of chocolate.
- This information applies to the 400 g Gift Box and not automatically to other Merci packs. Check the allergens on each pack too.
Jumbo
Jumbo’s range shows the different pack formats you can compare for a coffee morning.
- Jumbo lists both sliced and unsliced gingerbread, as well as chocolate gifts.
- A product range category doesn’t tell you which ingredients or allergens are in individual products. Check the packaging for that information.
Products to serve or give
The chocolate packs below are suitable as a thank-you gift or a treat to share. Gingerbread is an option if you want to serve portions with coffee. Choose the pack to suit the number of guests or recipients, and check the latest ingredients information.
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Tony's Chocolonely Chocolate Gift Pack 288 g
A chocolate pack to consider for a thank-you occasion or to share. The product name states 288 g; check the contents and allergens on the pack you choose.
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Merci Petits Chocolate Collection 125 g
A chocolate collection to consider if you’re looking for a small thank-you gift. This pack is 125 g; check the assortment and the current label, even if you’re familiar with another Merci box.
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Celebrations Chocolate Assorted 385 g
A chocolate assortment to consider if you want to put something on the table or give as a gift. The pack is 385 g; check the exact packaging for the ingredients and allergens.
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g'woon Breakfast Cake, 6 pieces
A gingerbread option for a coffee table where you want to serve individual portions. The product name states six pieces; check whether they’re individually wrapped if that matters for serving, and read the current label.
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Milka Chocolate Assortment Party Pack 143 g
A chocolate assortment to consider if you want to share something during your coffee morning. The pack is 143 g; check the individual varieties if choice is important to you, and read the allergen information.
Frequently asked questions
What should I choose for a regular coffee morning: gingerbread or a chocolate box?
Choose sliced or individually wrapped gingerbread if you mainly want guests to be able to help themselves easily. If the treat is also a thank-you gift, a chocolate box is a better fit. In either case, check that the pack suits the number of guests or recipients.
How can I take allergens into account with either option?
Read the latest allergen information for the exact cake or chocolate box before choosing. For example, Peijnenburg lists rye flour for its plain 10-pack and states that it may contain milk, hazelnuts, almonds and other cereals containing gluten. Don’t assume this information applies to other varieties.
Does all gingerbread contain iodised baker’s salt?
You can’t tell from the product category. Check the ingredients of the gingerbread you choose, and don’t assume it contains iodised baker’s salt without product-specific information.
How do I work out how much gingerbread or chocolate I need?
For something you’re serving, start with the number of guests and the number of portions in the pack. If you’re giving thank-you gifts, count the recipients first and work out how many individual gift packs you need.