Choose a complete pancake mix if you want to measure out as few separate ingredients as possible at the festival. An organic, multigrain or wholemeal variety is a better fit if you want to offer a product with a clearly different profile. For each variety, check what you need to add, how many portions you’ll get from a pack and which allergens it contains. If you’re selling unpackaged food, you must also handle it safely and be able to give customers allergen information, as advised by the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority.
When it gets busy, you need a recipe you can prepare the same way every time. A complete mix can reduce the number of separate ingredients, but you’ll still need water, cooking fat, mixing utensils and enough cooking capacity.
If you want to offer something other than a plain pancake, organic, multigrain and wholemeal mixes give you a clear difference to mention on the menu. Check the characteristics of the exact variety you choose.
If visitors ask about ingredients or a gluten-free option, both the label and the way you work at your stall matter. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority requires allergen information for unpackaged food; shared equipment can also lead to cross-contamination.
First, decide what matters most for your stall: cooking quickly, managing allergens carefully, offering a different menu item, or planning your purchasing and stock. Then compare the preparation instructions and packaging of the mixes that meet your needs.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Quick preparation | Check which ingredients you need to add and how many pancakes the pack is stated to make. | When the queue is growing, I want to make batter without measuring out milk and eggs every time. Around 27% of consumers prioritise this straightforward way of preparing pancakes. |
| Allergens and preparation methods | Read the allergen information for the exact mix and toppings; work out whether you can prepare a gluten-free option separately. | I want to be able to answer questions about allergens without shared equipment compromising the option I offer. This is the most important factor for around 33% of consumers. |
| A distinctive menu | Choose a clearly identifiable feature, such as organic, multigrain or wholemeal, and check that it suits your menu. | Alongside plain pancakes, I want to offer a variety whose difference visitors can recognise on the menu. This is the top priority for around 20% of consumers. |
| Purchasing and stock | Compare pack size, additional ingredients needed and stated yield with your own portion size. | I need to bring enough packs and additional ingredients without relying on the pack weight alone. Around 20% of consumers prioritise this kind of planning. |
The word doesn’t tell visitors whether a mix is organic, which grains it contains or what makes its preparation different.
Only describe a specific feature on your menu if you can check it on the packaging of the variety you’ve chosen. A different grain profile does not in itself indicate whether a product is suitable for people with allergies.
The packaging won’t tell you how many pancakes you can make using your portion size, or how much milk, how many eggs and how much cooking fat you’ll need to bring as well.
Compare the preparation instructions with your planned portions, and include any additional ingredients in your purchasing plans.
If a variety requires extra ingredients, you’ll also need to arrange how to store and handle them at the venue.
Using a separate dry mix won’t prevent contact with gluten from a shared spatula, work surface, griddle or topping. When selling unpackaged food, you must also give customers information about allergens present, according to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority.
Only offer a gluten-free option if you can check the mix’s characteristics and organise preparation and serving with appropriate separation.
Instructions vary by product: PLUS says its shaker bottle batter should be used immediately after adding milk. Perishable ingredients at an event also need to be kept at an appropriate temperature, as advised by the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority.
Follow the instructions for your chosen mix, prepare batches you can use as directed, and plan refrigeration for any ingredients and toppings that need to be kept chilled.
Koopmans offers Original, Complete, multigrain and gluten-free pancake mixes, among other varieties. Choose based on the specific variety; preparation methods and allergens differ.
Albert Heijn’s range includes AH mixes in plain, multigrain and wholemeal varieties, as well as an organic multigrain variety.
Jumbo offers its own plain and organic pancake mixes, as well as other grain varieties in its range.
PLUS offers, among other options, a complete boxed mix and a plain shaker bottle; each requires a different preparation method.
Lidl’s Belbake brand offers Original and multigrain pancake mixes.
ALDI’s Albona brand offers plain and multigrain pancake baking mixes.
These mixes suit three choices for a festival stall: a multigrain variety for your menu, a complete mix for straightforward preparation, and varieties for a basic offering or smaller batches. Choose pack sizes and instructions to suit your portions and the way you work.
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A multigrain variety if you want to offer a different grain profile alongside plain pancakes. For your chosen portion size, check the stated yield, additional ingredients needed and allergen information on the pack.
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A complete mix for anyone looking to cut down on separate ingredients during preparation. Check the water quantity and yield for this pack, and decide whether the batch size will meet expected demand. Also read the allergen information.
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An Original mix for a basic pancake on your menu. Plan the additional ingredients according to the preparation instructions, and compare the pack’s stated yield with the portions you want to serve.
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A shaker mix for making batter one bottle at a time. Check which liquid you need to add and how many portions a bottle makes at your chosen size; this will help you decide whether it suits the way you serve customers.
Yes. You must give customers information about allergens present in unpackaged pancakes. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says this information can be provided in writing or verbally; if you provide it verbally, customers must be able to see that they can ask for it. Make a note of the ingredients in both the mix and the toppings.
A complete mix can reduce the need to measure out separate ingredients, but it isn’t automatically the most convenient choice for every stall. Albert Heijn and PLUS say you need to add water to the complete mixes mentioned; check your own pack for cooking fat, yield, allergens and preparation instructions too.
Only if you can keep the gluten-free option separate from products containing gluten during both preparation and serving. A gluten-free mix alone won’t prevent cross-contamination from utensils, cooking surfaces or toppings. Check the mix you choose and make sure you can give customers accurate allergen information.
Store the dry mix in a cool, dry, dark place in a tightly sealed container, as advised by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre. Also follow the storage instructions on the pack; for batter you’ve already prepared, follow the instructions for the specific mix.
