Office workers planning a chocolate break
A single retail bar is convenient to keep for more than one break, but a 90g or 100g pack need not be eaten in one sitting. Decide whether you want to divide it into smaller portions.
Who is this for?
Shoppers with ingredient and sourcing preferences
If Fairtrade, organic or palm-oil-free claims matter to you, compare the claims on the particular bar. They do not necessarily apply to every product from the same brand.
People buying for colleagues with dietary requirements
Check the current wrapper before sharing. Ingredient declarations and may-contain warnings matter even when a bar is described as made to a vegan recipe.
What should you check?
Start with taste and the intended eating portion, then check the exact product’s allergen information and any ingredient claims that matter to your choice.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Cocoa and flavour | Compare cocoa percentages on the exact bars. The cited products include 70%, 74% and 85% options; check nutrition per 100g if sugars are part of your comparison. | I want a bar whose cocoa taste suits a short break. If I already prefer a more pronounced cocoa flavour, I can consider an 85% bar rather than choosing by percentage alone. |
| Allergens | Read the current ingredients and may-contain statements for the recipient’s relevant allergens. Do not equate a vegan recipe with milk-allergy suitability. | Before I share a bar at work, I need to know whether its current label meets the recipient’s allergen requirements. |
| Pack and portion | Distinguish the bar’s total weight from any smaller reference portion shown in its nutrition information. Plan how the bar will be divided or stored. | One retail bar might last me several breaks. If I need individual portions for colleagues, a large bar may not be the format I want. |
| Ingredient claims | Look for organic, Fairtrade or palm-oil-free wording on the specific product. Check its other ingredients and allergen information separately. | I may favour a particular sourcing or formulation claim, but I still want to choose a bar that suits the person eating it. |
Common buying mistakes
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Choosing by cocoa percentage alone
An 85% bar may not suit someone expecting the flavour of a 70% bar. Cocoa percentage also does not settle the bar’s allergen or portion considerations.
Choose a percentage the intended eater is likely to enjoy, then compare the exact products’ labels rather than treating a higher number as an overall verdict.
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Using ‘vegan’ as an allergy check
Lindt says its cited EXCELLENCE 70% and 85% bars are made to vegan recipes but are not suitable for people with a milk allergy because they are manufactured in a facility that uses milk.
For a shared snack or gift, check the current wrapper against the recipient’s allergen requirements before choosing a bar.
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Confusing one bar with one eating portion
The cited dark chocolate bars include 90g and 100g packs. Buying one bar does not mean planning to eat the whole pack during one break.
Decide whether to divide the bar across breaks or share it. If separate ready-portioned snacks are needed, consider a different pack format.
Brand references for dark chocolate bars
These examples illustrate product-specific cocoa percentages and label claims; a brand name alone does not establish the details of another bar in its range.
Green & Black's
Tesco describes the cited 90g 70% bar as organic and Fairtrade.
- A specific 70% bar to consider if those two claims matter to you.
- Tesco lists may-contain warnings for nuts and milk and advises checking the physical pack as product information can change.
Divine
Divine presents its cited 90g 70% bar as an option for shoppers interested in Fairtrade ingredients and the brand’s farmer co-ownership.
- Divine describes this bar as made without palm oil or soya.
- Its product information says the bar may contain gluten, milk and nuts.
Lindt
The cited EXCELLENCE bars offer distinct 70% and 85% cocoa choices in 100g packs.
- Lindt lists 29g sugars per 100g for its cited 70% bar and 15g per 100g for its cited 85% bar.
- Lindt says both cited bars are made to vegan recipes but are not suitable for people with a milk allergy.
Montezuma's
Montezuma’s describes FitzRoy as a 90g organic dark chocolate bar with 74% cocoa solids.
- The FitzRoy product page states that the bar contains no palm oil.
- It also says the bar may contain traces of milk, nuts and peanuts.
Hotel Chocolat
Hotel Chocolat’s cited dark range includes Slab Selectors at 70% and 85% cocoa, alongside a fruit-and-nut 80% Selector.
- The range offers different cocoa percentages and formats for an occasional office treat.
- Check the ingredients and allergens of the exact Selector or Slab, particularly when choosing a flavoured or nut-containing product.
M&S
M&S lists its cited Collection bar as a 100g dark chocolate option with at least 85% cocoa solids.
- Its product page gives 15.9g sugars per 100g and describes the cocoa beans as Fairtrade.
- M&S says this bar is not suitable for people with milk, nut or peanut allergies.
Dark chocolate bars on Joybuy
These single bars span 72% to 90% cocoa. Compare their pack sizes and current labels according to whether you are buying for your own breaks or to share at work.
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Green & Black's Dark 85% 90g
A 90g bar for someone seeking an 85% cocoa option for breaks across the working day. The listing gives may-contain warnings for nuts and milk; check the current wrapper before sharing.
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Morrisons The Best 85% Cocoa Ecuador Dark Chocolate 100g
This 100g bar is another 85% cocoa choice. Its listing warns that it may contain cereals containing gluten, milk, nuts and peanuts; check the wrapper if buying for someone else.
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Morrisons The Best 72% Cocoa Dominican Republic Dark Chocolate 100g
The 72% cocoa content offers a different choice from the 85% bars here. This is a 100g retail bar; the listing says it contains soya and may contain gluten, milk, nuts and peanuts, so check the current wrapper before sharing.
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Lindt EXCELLENCE 85% Cocoa Dark 100g
This 100g bar is an 85% cocoa option. Lindt lists 15g sugars per 100g and says its vegan-recipe 85% bar is not suitable for people with a milk allergy; check the current pack for all relevant allergens.
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Lindt EXCELLENCE 90% Cocoa Supreme Dark 100g
Consider this 100g, 90% cocoa bar if the intended eater specifically wants that cocoa percentage. Its listing warns that it may contain hazelnuts, almonds, other nuts, milk and soya; check the current wrapper before sharing.
Frequently asked questions
Is a vegan dark chocolate bar suitable for someone with a milk allergy?
Not automatically. Lindt says its cited EXCELLENCE 70% and 85% bars are made to vegan recipes but are not suitable for people with a milk allergy because they are manufactured in a facility that uses milk. Check the current label against the recipient’s requirements.
What should I check before sharing dark chocolate at work?
Check the exact bar’s current ingredients and allergen warnings against each recipient’s requirements. The cited products differ: Divine’s 70% bar may contain gluten, milk and nuts, while Montezuma’s FitzRoy may contain milk, nuts and peanuts. Do not assume another bar from either brand has the same declaration.
Does a single 90g or 100g bar count as one snack portion?
Not necessarily: those weights describe retail packs, not a required eating portion. Tesco gives nutrition for an 18g reference portion of the cited Green & Black’s 70% bar. If you want chocolate for several breaks, decide how you will divide and store your chosen bar.