New to dark chocolate with tea
A plain 70% bar gives you a starting point without committing to a higher-cocoa style. Compare the ingredients and allergen statements of individual bars before choosing.
Who is each style for?
Looking for a more cocoa-led bar
If you already enjoy an intense cocoa flavour, compare higher-percentage bars. Read sugars per 100g on each nutrition panel rather than assuming the percentage tells you the sugar content.
Choosing by ingredients or sourcing
Look for Fairtrade, organic or recipe claims on the exact bar that interests you. If allergens matter, check the current pack as well: a vegan recipe does not cancel a precautionary milk warning.
What should you check?
Start with the cocoa style you expect to enjoy, then compare the exact bars for ingredients, nutrition and pack information.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Cocoa style | Check the cocoa percentage on the exact bar. Compare plain formulations if you want the chocolate itself, rather than added flavours, to guide your choice. | I would start with a plain 70% bar if I am unsure about stronger styles. If I already like a more intense cocoa flavour, an 85% bar is another option. |
| Sugars and portions | Compare sugars on the same per-100g basis. Use any per-serving figures alongside the amount you actually plan to eat; a bar need not be one serving. | For a short break, I want to decide how much to have with tea and compare nutrition figures without confusing different serving sizes. |
| Allergens | Read the current ingredients and any may-contain statement for the exact bar. Check these even when its recipe is described as vegan. | If I need to avoid an allergen, the front-of-pack description alone cannot tell me whether this particular bar is suitable. |
| Ingredients and sourcing | Compare ingredient lists and look for claims such as Fairtrade, organic or no soya on the individual product. Do not assume two 70% bars have the same recipe. | A stated sourcing claim or a particular ingredient matters to me, so I need to choose by the bar rather than by cocoa percentage alone. |
Common buying mistakes
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Treating “vegan” as a milk-allergy assurance
A bar can be made to a vegan recipe and still carry a milk cross-contact warning. Lindt makes that distinction for its EXCELLENCE 70% bar.
If you have an allergy, read the current pack’s ingredients and precautionary wording rather than relying on a vegan label or cocoa percentage.
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Assuming all 70% bars are alike
The shared cocoa percentage does not mean Lindt, Divine and Green & Black’s use identical ingredients or carry identical sourcing and allergen statements.
Compare the claims and label of the specific bar you intend to buy.
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Choosing the highest percentage by default
A 100% cocoa bar is a different flavour choice from a plain 70% bar. Montezuma’s describes its Absolute Black 100% bar as a particularly intense cocoa option.
If you are uncertain about that style, start with a plain 70% bar; consider higher percentages when you know you prefer a stronger cocoa flavour.
Brand references
These examples illustrate different bar styles and product-specific claims; check the current label of any bar you choose.
Lindt
Lindt’s EXCELLENCE Dark 70% is a 100g option for comparing plain 70% bars.
- Lindt states a minimum of 70% cocoa solids for this bar.
- Lindt describes a vegan recipe but also gives milk and other precautionary allergen warnings for this product.
Divine
Divine’s 70% dark chocolate is a 90g bar for buyers comparing product-specific sourcing and recipe claims.
- Divine describes this bar as made with Fairtrade ingredients and without palm oil or soya.
- Its vegan description does not override the product’s precautionary allergen wording.
Green & Black’s
The 90g Organic 70% bar provides another plain-bar comparison.
- Tesco lists this particular bar as organic and Fairtrade, with a minimum of 70% cocoa solids.
- The listing warns of possible nuts and milk; read the current pack if these matter to you.
M&S
M&S has cited plain dark bars at 75% and 85% cocoa for comparing higher-percentage styles.
- Their nutrition panels allow a per-100g sugar comparison between those particular bars.
- M&S says the cited bars are not suitable for people with milk, nut or peanut allergies.
Montezuma’s
Absolute Black is a 90g, 100% cocoa bar for someone deliberately seeking a very intense style.
- Montezuma’s labels Absolute Black as 100% cocoa.
- Its made-without-milk description does not remove its precautionary milk, nut and peanut warnings.
Hotel Chocolat
Its 70% Dark Chocolate Slab Selector offers a different single-bar format.
- The product is identified as a 70% dark-chocolate slab selector.
- Check the pack’s ingredients, nutrition and allergen details before comparing it on dietary requirements or sugars.
Dark chocolate bars on Joybuy
These single bars include a 70% starting option, a nearby 72% option and three 85% options for buyers who prefer a higher-cocoa style.
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Green & Black’s 70% Dark Chocolate 90g
A plain 70% bar to consider if you are starting with a moderate cocoa percentage for tea. Its listing warns that it may contain almonds, hazelnuts, other nuts and milk; check the current pack if these matter to you.
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Morrisons The Best 72% Cocoa Dominican Republic Dark Chocolate 100g
This 72% bar is close in stated cocoa percentage to the 70% starting options. Soya is listed as an ingredient, and the listing warns that it may contain gluten, milk, nuts and peanuts; check the current pack.
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Morrisons The Best 85% Cocoa Ecuador Dark Chocolate 100g
Consider this 85% bar if you already prefer a higher cocoa percentage to the 70–72% options. Its listing warns that it may contain gluten, milk, nuts and peanuts; check the current pack.
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Green & Black’s 85% Dark Chocolate 90g
This 90g bar is a higher-cocoa alternative to the brand’s 70% option. Its listing warns that it may contain almonds, hazelnuts, other nuts and milk; check the current pack.
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Lindt EXCELLENCE 85% Cocoa Dark Chocolate 100g
Choose between this 85% bar and a 70% option according to the cocoa style you prefer, then compare their current nutrition panels. Check this bar’s pack for the listed nuts, milk, soya and sesame allergen information.
Questions about choosing a bar
Is 70% dark chocolate a sensible starting point for tea?
Yes, if you want to try a plain dark bar before choosing a more intense style. Lindt, Divine and Green & Black’s each have a cited 70% option, but the percentage alone does not make their ingredients or allergen statements interchangeable.
Does a higher cocoa percentage always mean less sugar?
No: check sugars per 100g on the nutrition panels of the exact bars you are comparing. Then consider how much of the bar you intend to eat, since pack sizes and displayed serving sizes can differ.
Is a vegan dark-chocolate bar suitable for someone with a milk allergy?
Not automatically. Lindt describes its EXCELLENCE 70% bar as made to a vegan recipe but also gives a milk warning. Read the current pack’s ingredients and precautionary allergen statement for any bar you are considering.
Can I rely on online ingredients and allergen details?
Use online details to narrow your choice, then check the physical pack if ingredients, allergens or dietary suitability matter to you. Tesco and M&S advise shoppers that product information can change.