For a short tea break, plain dark chocolate buttons offer a pass-around format: Montezuma's lists 60%, 74% and 100% cocoa options in 120g packs. Choose coated fruit, nuts or a wafer sharing box only if those textures suit the group; they are different from plain dark chocolate and call for a check of the current pack's ingredients and allergen statements before serving.
If people will help themselves at the table, a bag of buttons or a box of individual wafers offers pieces to pass around without breaking up a bar. Montezuma's describes its buttons as made for sharing, while Lindt labels its Choco Wafer box for sharing.
Check both the percentage and what the product contains. Montezuma's lists plain button options at 60%, 74% and 100% cocoa; Lindt's Choco Wafer contains wafer and filling beneath a dark chocolate covering listed as 51%.
Check the exact pack before serving. Dark chocolate is not automatically free from milk, wheat, soya or nuts, and a vegan label does not settle an allergy question. The Food Standards Agency says allergens present in UK prepacked food must be emphasised in its ingredients list.
Start with how the chocolate will be shared, then compare its composition and the current label against your guests' needs.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sharing format | Look for pieces that can be passed around, and check whether the pack is a bag, sharing box or bar. Montezuma's lists 120g button bags; Lindt lists a 130g Choco Wafer sharing box. | I want people to help themselves during a short break, without dividing a bar first. |
| Chocolate and fillings | Compare the stated cocoa percentage and ingredients, not just the word “dark”. Montezuma's lists 60%, 74% and 100% cocoa buttons; Lindt describes its Choco Wafer as wafer and filling covered with dark chocolate. | If the group wants plain chocolate, I'll choose buttons rather than a filled wafer. For a different texture, coated fruit or nuts may suit. |
| Allergens | Read the current ingredients and precautionary statements for the exact variant. Lindt's dark wafer lists wheat, milk, lactose and soya, and says it may contain hazelnuts and almonds, among other ingredients. | Before putting anything out for a guest with an allergy, I need to check the pack they will actually be served from. |
| Product claims | Check whether vegan, organic or Fairtrade wording applies to the particular product. Divine labels its cited 70% dark bar vegan and Fairtrade; Montezuma's lists an organic 74% button variant. | I may want one of those stated features, but I won't assume it applies to every product from the same brand. |
A button bag and a filled wafer box differ in composition. Montezuma's lists dark buttons at 60%, 74% and 100% cocoa, while Lindt's Choco Wafer contains wafer and filling beneath its dark chocolate covering.
Compare the format, ingredients and stated cocoa percentage. Choose added fruit, nuts or wafer because guests want them, not because the front of the pack says “dark”.
Relevant dark-chocolate products can contain allergens or carry precautionary warnings. Lindt's dark wafer lists wheat, milk and soya among its ingredients; Divine's cited vegan 70% bar says it may contain milk and nuts.
For a guest with an allergy, read the ingredients and precautionary wording on the current pack immediately before serving.
Bars, batons and tasting collections offer a different serving format from an open bag of buttons, which matters during a brief, informal break.
Decide whether guests should help themselves to small pieces or whether you are happy to divide or unwrap chocolate before serving.
Its button range is the closest match here to a plain dark-chocolate sharing bag.
Its sharing-bag range includes dark chocolate paired with fruit or nuts rather than only plain chocolate.
Its 130g Choco Wafer Dark Chocolate Sharing Box offers wafer and filling covered with dark chocolate, rather than plain chocolate pieces.
Its cited 70% dark product is a 90g bar, an alternative for a tea break where a bag is not essential.
Its dark range includes batons and selections for a planned tea break where presentation matters more than a pouch.
Its cited options are organic dark bars and a tasting collection rather than a single sharing bag.
This dark-chocolate assortment box is an option when guests want varied individual chocolates at a planned break. It is not a plain dark-chocolate sharing bag.
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For a tea break centred on assorted individual chocolates rather than plain buttons, this 348g box contains filled pieces. Its product description states a minimum cocoa-solids content of 40% and describes nine different centres. The listed ingredients include almonds, hazelnuts, eggs and milk, with precautionary warnings for peanuts, soya and other tree nuts; check the current pack before serving.
A bag of bite-size dark buttons works when guests should be able to help themselves to plain chocolate. Choose a wafer sharing box if they want a crisp wafer and filling; a bar or tasting collection calls for a different way of dividing or serving the chocolate.
No. Lindt's dark Choco Wafer lists milk, wheat and soya among its ingredients, and other dark products may carry precautionary warnings. Check the exact current pack for the guest's allergens; the Food Standards Agency says allergens present in UK prepacked food must be emphasised in its ingredients list.
Do not rely on the vegan label to answer an allergy question. An M&S dark bar described as vegan is also stated by its retailer to be unsuitable for someone with a milk allergy because milk allergens are present in the environment. Read the allergen wording on the particular pack.
No. Use the description to narrow your choice, then check the physical pack before serving. Marks & Spencer warns that product ingredients and allergen information can change and advises shoppers to read the label.