Hosts serving mixed tastes
A labelled 70% cocoa bar gives guests a starting point. Put a higher-cocoa bar alongside it rather than making the most intense option the only choice.
Who is the chocolate for?
Guests who enjoy pronounced cocoa flavour
Bars labelled 70%, 78% and 90% cocoa provide distinct choices for a tasting plate. Lindt UK identifies bars at each of those levels in its EXCELLENCE range.
Hosts checking dietary suitability
Keep the current wrappers available so guests can check the exact bars. Dark chocolate can carry milk or nut warnings, while KitKat Dark wafer bars contain wheat and milk ingredients, according to the brands’ UK product information.
What should you check before choosing?
Choose the cocoa levels you want to offer, then check the bar format and each pack’s ingredient and allergen information before planning portions.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Cocoa level | Look for a stated cocoa-solids percentage. Lindt UK lists EXCELLENCE bars at 70%, 78% and 90%; the word “dark” alone does not tell you which level a bar contains. | I’m serving guests with different tastes, so I’d start with a labelled 70% bar and make a higher-cocoa choice optional. |
| Coffee pairing | Check whether pairing advice applies to the exact product. Lindt UK suggests double espresso with its EXCELLENCE Dark 70% bar; that is the maker’s suggestion, not a taste-test result. | For a coffee tasting, I want guests to be able to try chocolate alongside their drink without assuming one pairing will appeal to everyone. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current wrapper, including “may contain” statements. Lindt UK says its EXCELLENCE Dark 90% bar is made to a vegan recipe but is not suitable for people with a milk allergy because it is made in a facility using milk. | If guests need to check ingredients, I’ll keep the wrappers available rather than treating “dark” or “vegan recipe” as an allergy declaration. |
| Serving format | Decide between a solid bar to break into tasting pieces and individual wafer bars. KitKat UK lists its 2 Finger Dark bar at 20.7g and its 4 Finger Dark bar at 41.5g; both are dark-chocolate-coated wafers, not solid cocoa-tasting bars. | I’d choose pieces from solid bars for a comparison of cocoa levels, or individual bars when separate portions matter more. |
What serving mistakes should you avoid?
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Assuming every “dark” bar is high in cocoa
A dark-chocolate-coated wafer and a solid bar with a stated cocoa percentage serve different purposes. KitKat Dark is a wafer bar; Lindt UK states cocoa-solids percentages for its EXCELLENCE Dark 70% and 90% bars.
For a cocoa tasting, check the percentage on each solid bar. Treat wafer bars as a separate serving format.
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Equating a vegan recipe with milk-allergy suitability
Lindt UK states that its EXCELLENCE Dark 90% bar is made to a vegan recipe but is not suitable for people with a milk allergy because the facility uses milk.
Ask guests about allergies and check the exact pack, including precautionary statements, before offering a bar as suitable.
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Putting out only a 90% cocoa bar
A 90% bar offers a distinct high-cocoa choice, but it should not be assumed to suit an unfamiliar group.
Offer a labelled 70% option as well, keeping the different cocoa levels separate so guests can choose.
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Relying on an old ingredient description
Allergen information applies to the particular bar being served. A guest checking a shared plate needs access to the information for that pack.
Keep the original wrappers beside the chocolate or available until everyone has had a chance to check them.
Which brands offer relevant options?
These brand ranges illustrate different cocoa levels and bar formats; their inclusion does not indicate which products are sold on Joybuy.
Lindt
The UK EXCELLENCE range includes dark bars labelled 70%, 78% and 90% cocoa, giving hosts several levels to put on a tasting plate.
- Lindt UK states at least 70% cocoa solids for EXCELLENCE Dark 70% and at least 90% for EXCELLENCE Dark 90%.
- Lindt says the 90% bar is not suitable for people with a milk allergy despite being made to a vegan recipe. Check each bar’s current allergen declaration.
Cadbury
Bournville Classic Dark is a solid dark-chocolate option when a familiar bar matters more than comparing stated cocoa percentages.
- Cadbury UK identifies Bournville Classic Dark as a 100g vegetarian-friendly dark-chocolate bar.
- Check the pack for a cocoa percentage before using it as a specified high-cocoa choice.
KitKat
KitKat Dark suits a plan built around individual wafer bars rather than pieces of solid chocolate.
- KitKat UK lists 2 Finger Dark at 20.7g and 4 Finger Dark at 41.5g.
- Both are dark-chocolate-coated wafers with wheat and milk ingredients. The stated percentage of dark coating is not a cocoa-solids percentage.
Galaxy
Check the specific Galaxy product rather than relying on a range name when planning a high-cocoa dark tasting.
- Galaxy’s UK bar collection is presented as a milk-chocolate collection. A dairy-free range description does not establish a cocoa-solids percentage for a particular bar.
Green & Black's
The brand’s dark range identifies 70% and 85% options for hosts considering more than one cocoa level.
- Green & Black’s brand materials name Dark 70% and Dark 85% products.
- Check the exact current pack for ingredients and allergens before serving guests with dietary restrictions.
Joybuy bars for a cocoa tasting
These solid dark bars provide labelled 70%, 72% and 90% cocoa choices for a coffee-morning tasting. The raspberry bar adds a flavoured option rather than a like-for-like comparison of plain chocolate.
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Morrisons The Best 72% Cocoa Dominican Republic Dark Chocolate 100g
A solid 100g bar for a labelled 72% cocoa choice on a shared tasting plate. The product description suggests pairing it with espresso; check the current wrapper for ingredients and allergens before serving.
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Divine Chocolate 70% Dark Chocolate with Raspberries 90g
A 90g bar with at least 70% cocoa solids and raspberry pieces for a flavoured choice alongside plain bars. Its product descriptions conflict over milk and vegan suitability, so check the exact pack before offering it to guests with dietary restrictions.
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Green & Black's Dark 70% Chocolate 90g
This solid 90g bar provides a labelled 70% cocoa choice for a tasting plate. Product descriptions differ on precautionary allergen statements, so use the current wrapper when checking suitability for guests.
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Lindt Excellence 90% Cocoa Supreme Dark 100g
A 100g solid bar labelled 90% cocoa for guests who actively want a very high-cocoa option. Keep it separate from the lower-cocoa choices and check the current pack’s allergen and precautionary statements before serving.
Coffee-morning chocolate questions
What cocoa percentage should I choose for mixed tastes?
A labelled 70% cocoa bar is a practical starting choice when you do not know everyone’s preferences. Add a separately labelled 78% or 90% bar for guests who want a more pronounced cocoa flavour rather than assuming a higher percentage will appeal to all.
Does dark chocolate mean it is suitable for a milk allergy?
No. Lindt UK states that EXCELLENCE Dark 90% is made to a vegan recipe but is not suitable for people with a milk allergy because it is made in a facility using milk. Check the current declaration on every bar you serve.
Can KitKat Dark be the dark-chocolate option?
It can be an individual wafer-bar option, but it does not replace a solid bar with a stated cocoa-solids percentage for a high-cocoa tasting. KitKat UK’s Dark wafer-bar ingredient information includes wheat and milk.
How can guests check allergens at a coffee morning?
Keep the original wrappers available so guests can read the current ingredient and allergen declarations for the exact chocolates served. Do not rely on memory or an older product description when answering a dietary question.
Should I buy solid bars or individual portions?
Choose solid bars if you want to break different cocoa levels into tasting pieces. Individual dark-coated wafer bars suit separate portions, but check their ingredients and do not present the coating percentage as a cocoa-solids percentage.