Couples planning a self-serve sweet table
Individually wrapped mini bars give guests a defined portion. Buttons and truffles can be set out as loose pieces, but need a serving arrangement that keeps their product information clear.
Who is each format for?
Hosts catering for varied dietary needs
Check the exact product’s ingredients and precautionary allergen statements, and keep that information available at the buffet. A vegan recipe alone does not establish suitability for someone with a milk allergy.
Guests who prefer higher-cocoa chocolate
A selection can include a 70% dark chocolate alongside a separately labelled 100% cocoa bar. Check each pack: cocoa percentage does not tell you whether a product contains, or may contain, a particular allergen.
What should you check before buying?
Decide how guests will take a portion, then check the exact products and the information you will need at service.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Portions and serving | Compare individually wrapped 12.5g mini bars with loose buttons, truffles or bars that need breaking. Plan how loose pieces will be served. | I want guests to take a defined portion without someone breaking chocolate bars during the event. |
| Allergen information | Read the current pack’s ingredients and precautionary statements. Keep product-specific information with open bowls as well as wrapped items. | Guests need to be able to identify what each chocolate contains or may contain; a dark or vegan label is not enough for an allergy decision. |
| Cocoa choice | Compare the cocoa percentage and ingredient list of each product. Label a 100% cocoa, no-added-sugar bar separately from other dark chocolates. | I would like to offer a higher-cocoa choice without assuming that a specialist 100% cocoa bar is what every guest wants. |
| Storage | Follow the purchased pack’s storage instructions and plan where chocolate will be kept before service. M&S specifies a cool, dry place away from sunlight for its Swiss Extra Fine Dark Chocolate. | The chocolate needs a suitable place to be stored before it goes on the buffet. |
What can complicate buffet service?
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Assuming dark or vegan means allergy-safe
These labels do not replace an ingredient list or precautionary allergen statement. Lindt’s LINDOR Dark 70% 1kg truffles contain milk, soya and barley malt extract, while Divine’s 70% bar may contain gluten, milk and nuts.
Check the exact purchased packs and keep accurate product information available beside the chocolates.
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Choosing bars without planning how to serve them
A bar needs breaking or portioning before guests can take individual pieces. Divine’s 12.5g mini bars are already individually portioned; loose buttons call for a different serving setup.
If using bars or buttons, prepare suitable containers and serving utensils, and retain the product information.
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Offering only 100% cocoa
Montezuma’s Absolute Black is a 100% cocoa bar with no added sugar, making it a distinct choice from its other dark-chocolate products. Its precautionary statement includes milk, nuts and peanuts.
Label it separately and consider offering another dark-chocolate option rather than treating one cocoa percentage as every guest’s preference.
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Using an old listing for the buffet label
M&S warns that product information can change, so an earlier ingredient list may not match the chocolate delivered.
Check the actual packs after purchase and update any buffet information cards to match them.
Which brands offer relevant formats?
Divine
Divine lists a 70% dark-chocolate bar and a pack of 160 individually portioned 12.5g bars.
- The mini-bar format gives each guest a defined piece.
- Divine’s 70% bar carries a precautionary statement for gluten, milk and nuts; check the exact mini-bar pack separately before service.
Lindt
Lindt offers EXCELLENCE Dark 70% bars and LINDOR Dark 70% truffles, including a 1kg truffle format.
- Truffles provide individual confectionery pieces without breaking a bar.
- The 1kg truffles contain milk, soya and barley malt extract and may contain nuts. Lindt says its EXCELLENCE 70% vegan-recipe bar is not suitable for people with a milk allergy.
Montezuma’s
Montezuma’s lists Organic 74% Dark Chocolate Buttons for sharing and an Absolute Black 100% cocoa bar.
- The buttons are loose pieces, while the 100% cocoa bar offers a separate no-added-sugar choice.
- The buttons may contain milk, soya, tree nuts and peanuts; Absolute Black may contain milk, nuts and peanuts. Check the buttons’ current pack for its cocoa-solids declaration.
Hotel Chocolat
Hotel Chocolat lists 70% Dark Chocolate Batons in a 15-finger format.
- The baton format offers individual fingers for a buffet presentation.
- Check the purchased pack’s ingredients and allergen information before deciding how to label or serve it.
M&S
M&S lists Swiss Extra Fine Dark Chocolate with at least 72% cocoa solids, in a bar format that hosts can portion.
- The stated cocoa percentage helps distinguish this bar from other dark-chocolate options.
- M&S says it is not suitable for people with milk, nut, peanut or soya allergies and advises reading the current product label.
Green & Black’s
Green & Black’s lists a Dark 70% 90g bar in a bulk-box format.
- A bulk listing may be useful when planning to portion several bars.
- Check the actual packs’ current ingredients and allergen statements before using them for an allergy-sensitive buffet.
Joybuy dark-chocolate options
These options cover a 200g truffle box and two 90g bars for a high-cocoa wedding-buffet selection. Plan portions and check each purchased pack’s allergen information before service.
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Lindt Lindor Dark 70% Cocoa 200g
A truffle option for guests to take as individual pieces rather than portions broken from a bar. Check the 200g box for its piece count when planning quantities, and keep its current ingredient and allergen information available.
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Divine Chocolate 70% Dark Chocolate with Raspberries 90g
This 90g raspberry dark-chocolate bar needs portioning before guests serve themselves. Check the current pack’s ingredients and allergen statements, and keep that information with the served pieces.
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Green & Black’s Dark 70% Chocolate 90g
This 90g bar can be broken into buffet portions before service. Check the actual pack’s milk and nut precautions and use its current label for guest information.
Frequently asked questions
Does a wedding buffet need allergen information for dark chocolate?
If the venue or caterer operates as a retail or catering food business, Food Standards Agency guidance says it must provide allergen information for prepacked and non-prepacked food and drink. Keep accurate information for each chocolate available, particularly when wrappers have been removed.
Is vegan dark chocolate suitable for a guest with a milk allergy?
Not automatically. Lindt says its EXCELLENCE Dark 70% 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. Check the exact product’s current ingredient and precautionary allergen statements.
Should 100% cocoa be the only dark chocolate on the table?
Do not assume every guest wants the same cocoa composition. Montezuma’s Absolute Black is a 100% cocoa, no-added-sugar bar that can be labelled as a separate choice alongside another dark chocolate. Its pack also needs checking for precautionary milk, nut and peanut statements.
How should dark chocolate be stored before the buffet?
Follow the purchased product’s label. M&S specifies a cool, dry place away from sunlight for its Swiss Extra Fine Dark Chocolate; Joybuy’s Lindt Lindor Dark 70% Cocoa 200g listing specifies cool, dry storage and keeping the packaging sealed after opening.
Can an online listing be used as the final allergen label?
Check the purchased pack instead. M&S warns that ingredients, dietary and allergen information can change, so any buffet card should reflect the chocolate actually being served.