Who is each format for?

Hosts serving mixed tastes

If guests have different preferences, selected bars let you vary the cocoa percentage and flavours. A mixed bundle offers variety too, but check whether it also contains milk chocolate, nuts or filled pieces.

People saving portions for later

Separate bars and a stated pack count make it easier to plan what goes on the tea table and what stays unopened. For a box of chocolates, check its piece count and wrapping if later portions matter.

Buyers checking dietary requirements

Dark chocolate is not an allergy category. Check the exact product’s ingredients and precautionary warnings, particularly when choosing filled chocolates or serving someone who needs to avoid milk or nuts.

What should you check before choosing?

Selected dark bars

Choose when: You want to pick each dark flavour and keep separate bars for another occasion.

Bear in mind: You need to assemble the selection yourself and check which bars qualify for any multibuy.

Mixed variety bundle

Choose when: An informal tasting matters more than having dark chocolate in every bar.

Bear in mind: Divine Chocolate’s seven-pack variety bundle includes milk as well as dark chocolate.

Boxed selection

Choose when: You want pieces to set out for sharing rather than separate bars to keep.

Bear in mind: Filled pieces can differ in ingredients, so check the selection as well as the box description.

Priority What to check Your needs
Cocoa level Compare the stated cocoa percentage on each product. Check plain and flavoured bars separately rather than assuming they will suit the same tastes. I’m serving people with different preferences, so I want a choice of stated cocoa levels rather than one intensity for everyone.
Pack contents Read the itemised contents for dark and milk bars, fillings and inclusions. For a build-your-own selection, check the bars actually chosen. If I’m putting out an all-dark plate, I need every included item to be dark chocolate.
Later portions Check the number of bars or pieces and whether portions are individually wrapped. A box weight alone does not tell you the piece count. I’d like to serve some chocolate with the cream tea and set aside manageable portions for later.
Allergens Inspect the exact pack’s ingredients, allergen declarations and precautionary statements. Read the current physical label before serving. Someone at the table needs an ingredient check, so a general ‘dark’ or ‘made without milk’ description is not enough for me.

What is easy to overlook?

  • Assuming a dark-led bundle contains only dark bars

    Divine Chocolate’s seven-pack variety bundle includes both dark and milk chocolate. Other assortments can also include fruit, nuts or filled centres, changing what you can offer each guest.

    Read the complete contents list. If every bar must be dark, choose the individual bars rather than relying on the bundle name.

  • Equating ‘made without milk’ with allergy suitability

    Montezuma’s says its Absolute Black bar is made without milk, but its product information also warns that it may contain traces of milk, nuts and peanuts.

    For a guest with an allergy, check the exact current pack’s ingredients and precautionary statements before serving; do not rely on a general dark-chocolate or vegan description.

  • Choosing one cocoa level for an unfamiliar group

    The stated cocoa levels in the referenced ranges include 70%, 85% and 100%. A single high-cocoa choice may not match every guest’s preference.

    Ask about preferences or offer more than one stated cocoa level, reserving a 100% cocoa bar for guests who specifically want it.

  • Relying on a web listing when the pack arrives

    Marks & Spencer advises shoppers that product and allergy information can change. A saved listing may therefore differ from the pack being served.

    Use listings to shortlist choices, then check the delivered pack’s label, best-before date and storage instructions.

Which brand ranges are relevant?

Divine

Divine Chocolate lists a seven-pack variety bundle containing dark and milk chocolate.

  • Its itemised contents help you plan a mixed-flavour tasting.
  • It is not an all-dark pack; check the bundle’s allergen warnings before serving.

Lindt

Lindt Shop UK lists a five-bar, 100g-per-bar EXCELLENCE build-your-own selection.

  • Separate bars allow you to choose which styles to put out or keep for later.
  • Check the cocoa percentage and ingredients of each bar selected; the bundle format does not determine the final mix.

Montezuma’s

Montezuma’s lists plain and flavoured dark bars in a qualifying five-bar multibuy.

  • The listed choices include FitzRoy Organic 74%, Sea Dog, Royal Mint and Black Forest.
  • Its 100% cocoa Absolute Black bar is excluded from that multibuy and carries precautionary allergen warnings.

Hotel Chocolat

Hotel Chocolat lists dark selectors and batons among its dark-chocolate range.

  • These formats offer an alternative to setting out full bars.
  • Check each product’s fillings and ingredients; a dark selection need not consist of plain pieces.

M&S

Marks & Spencer lists an 85% dark bar and a separate dark-chocolate selection with filled pieces.

  • The bar and the selection give you distinct serving formats to consider.
  • Marks & Spencer marks its dark selection as unsuitable for several allergy groups and advises checking the current pack label.

Green & Black’s

Green & Black’s UK site has a gift listing filtered for 70% cocoa multipacks.

  • The filtered range is a place to look if a 70% multipack is the format you want.
  • Check the chosen product’s current contents and label before planning portions or serving guests with dietary requirements.

Joybuy boxed chocolate options

These Joybuy options are boxed dark chocolates for a shared cream-tea table. If you also want portions for later, check the piece count and wrapping of the particular box.

Nestle Black Magic Dark Chocolate Box 348g

Nestle Black Magic Dark Chocolate Box 348g

This 348g dark-chocolate box is an option for setting out at a shared cream tea. Check its current ingredients and allergen label before serving, and confirm the piece count if you plan to save portions.

View on Joybuy
Lindt Lindor Dark 70% Cocoa 200g

Lindt Lindor Dark 70% Cocoa 200g

This 200g Lindor box states 70% cocoa, giving you a labelled cocoa level to consider for the tea table. Check the current pack’s ingredients and allergens, and confirm the piece count if later portions matter.

View on Joybuy

Questions about serving and portions

Should I choose 70%, 85% or 100% cocoa for a cream tea?

For guests with different preferences, offer a choice rather than assuming one cocoa level will suit everyone. Divine Chocolate lists 70% dark options, Marks & Spencer lists an 85% bar, and Montezuma’s lists a 100% cocoa bar; check which styles your guests actually enjoy.

Does a dark-chocolate assortment contain only dark chocolate?

Not necessarily. Divine Chocolate’s seven-pack variety bundle includes milk as well as dark bars. Read the itemised contents if every bar needs to be dark, and check the ingredients of filled selections separately.

Is chocolate described as made without milk suitable for someone with a milk allergy?

That description alone is not enough to decide. Montezuma’s describes its Absolute Black bar as made without milk but also warns that it may contain traces of milk. Check the exact current pack’s ingredients and precautionary statements against the guest’s requirements.

What matters if I want chocolate left over for lunchboxes?

Check the number and wrapping of the portions you plan to keep, as well as any food or allergen rules at the school or childcare setting. Follow the chosen pack’s storage instructions; Marks & Spencer, for example, advises keeping its 85% dark bar in a cool, dry place away from sunlight.