For generous toppings at a retirement party, you can slice and toast bread yourself, choosing the thickness and trying a canapé with the topping you plan to serve. Ready-made Melba toast isn’t automatically a sturdy base: Jumbo describes Van der Meulen Melba Multigrain as extra thin. That variety may work for small bites with light toppings or dip; when buying, always check the size and allergens of the pack you choose.
If you want to make canapés with fairly generous or heavy toppings, start by checking the size and thickness of the base. Jumbo describes Van der Meulen Melba Multigrain as extra thin; don’t take that description as proof that the toast will hold the toppings you have planned. Slicing and toasting bread yourself lets you try out the thickness beforehand.
Melba toast can be a good option for small toppings, spreads or dips. Jumbo presents Van der Meulen Melba Multigrain as suitable for topping and dipping, but also describes it as extra thin. So decide first how big and how substantial your bites will be.
If you’re buying for guests with specific ingredient or allergy requirements, read the information on the pack of the variety you choose. The Melba toast products described here contain different grains and other allergens. Don’t assume a product contains iodine just because it belongs to a particular category: according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bread doesn’t have to be baked with baker’s salt.
For a retirement party, first decide whether you want to serve small bites with light toppings or more substantial snacks with generous toppings. Then compare the specific pack’s ingredients, size and availability.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| How well it holds generous toppings | Check the size and thickness of your chosen base, and try a canapé with the toppings you plan to serve. Jumbo describes Van der Meulen Melba Multigrain as extra thin. | If I want to serve generous toppings, I want to know in advance whether the canapé will hold together. For around 33% of consumers, how well it holds toppings is the top priority. |
| Ingredients and nutritional information | Read the ingredients and allergen information on the current pack; compare fibre and salt per 100 g if they matter to your choice. | When I’m buying for several guests, I want to know which ingredients and allergens the variety contains. Checking ingredients comes first for around 27% of consumers. |
| Type of bite | Choose between small bites with dip or spread and larger topped snacks. To help you decide, compare Melba toast with another type of product, such as crackers or homemade toast. | For small bites with a spread, I want a crunchy base that doesn’t need to be thick. Around 20% of consumers put this way of serving them first. |
| Pack size and availability | Check the pack size and current availability at the shop where you plan to buy it. Lidl lists a 240 g pack of Melba toast as available in store only. | For a party with several guests, I want to be able to buy enough packs of the variety I want. For around 20% of consumers, pack size and availability are the most important things to consider when buying. |
Jumbo describes Van der Meulen Melba Multigrain as extra thin. That doesn’t tell you how other varieties perform, but it does mean this one isn’t an obvious choice for generous toppings.
Check the size of the specific product and, before buying for all your guests, try a canapé with the toppings you’ll actually serve.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bread doesn’t have to be baked with baker’s salt. So you can’t tell from the word ‘toast’ whether a particular product has been made with baker’s salt.
Check the ingredients on the pack you choose rather than relying on the product category.
Albert Heijn lists the Van der Meulen plain Melba toast product page we checked as no longer available in its range. What you saw in an earlier product description may also differ from the pack you buy later.
Check current availability at your chosen shop and read the label on the pack you actually buy.
The multigrain and plain varieties described list different grains and other allergens. So checking only the type of product isn’t enough if you’re buying for guests with specific requirements.
Compare the ingredients and allergens on the current pack of each variety.
Melba toast in several varieties, including the multigrain option listed by Jumbo.
A supermarket option for comparing Melba toast and party toast, including own-brand products and products from Van der Meulen.
A supermarket option with a selection of different toasts and Melba toast varieties.
A shop option for the 240 g pack of Melba toast listed by Lidl.
A brand to explore for other crunchy products alongside Melba toast, including crackers, crispbread and crisp rusks.
You can’t assume every type of Melba toast is suitable just from the product name. Jumbo describes Van der Meulen Melba Multigrain as extra thin; for generous toppings, check the size of the variety you choose and try a canapé with the topping you have planned.
Always check the allergens for the specific variety. The multigrain variety described lists wheat, oats, rye, sesame and soya, among other ingredients; the plain variety described by Albert Heijn lists different grains and may contain traces of other allergens. The label on the pack you buy is what matters.
No, you can’t tell from the name ‘toast’. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that bread doesn’t have to be baked with baker’s salt. Check the ingredients of the specific product rather than assuming all products in this category contain iodine.
Store Van der Meulen Melba Multigrain in a cool, dry place, as stated in the product information on Jumbo. Seal an opened pack tightly and follow any instructions on the pack you buy.
Lidl’s product page lists the 240 g pack of Melba toast shown as available in store only. Before you go, check whether your chosen shop has the variety you want.
