Hosts handing out refreshments
Separate, sealed portions let shoppers pick up a snack without anyone dividing fruit from an opened bag at the stall.
Who is choosing the refreshments?
Stallholders selling packaged snacks
Decide whether you will sell manufacturer-packed portions or pack food yourself. The Food Standards Agency’s rules for food businesses and food packed for direct sale can affect the information you must provide.
People serving families and mixed-age groups
Check each product’s ingredients, allergen information and child-safety warnings. An ASDA mixed-fruit snack-box listing, for example, declares sulphites and warns that small children can choke on small pieces of fruit.
What should you check before buying?
Start with how the fruit will be handed over, then count the portions you need and check the label on the exact product.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Portion format | Check whether portions are individually packed and whether the pack count is stated. If separating them, check what product information remains with each portion. | I want to hand a shopper one portion without scooping from an open bag. |
| Portion planning | Check the number of portions and grams per portion, not just the total weight. For example, ASDA lists 10 × 14g mixed-fruit boxes, while Sainsbury’s lists 12 × 14g mini raisin packs. | I need enough separate portions for the shoppers I expect, without treating one large bag as a fixed number of servings. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current ingredients and allergen declaration for the exact variant. ASDA’s mixed-fruit snack boxes declare sulphur dioxide/sulphites; fruit-and-nut mixes require their own label check. | If I am offering food to people I do not know, I need to pass on accurate information rather than assume every dried-fruit product has the same ingredients. |
| Children’s warnings | Follow the warning on the product you buy. ASDA warns that small children can choke on small pieces of fruit; an individual portion does not remove that risk. | When families visit the stall, I need to consider whether a snack is appropriate for the child receiving it. |
| Repacking and storage | Check storage directions before an outdoor event. If packing food before it is selected at the place of sale, check whether the Food Standards Agency’s prepacked-for-direct-sale rules apply to your arrangement. | A larger bag works for my plans only if I can manage serving, storage and the information people need about the food. |
Common buying mistakes
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Choosing a large bag before deciding how to serve it
Dividing fruit into grab bags yourself changes the handling involved and can separate portions from the manufacturer’s product information. Food packed at the place where it is sold or offered before a customer selects it can fall within the Food Standards Agency’s prepacked-for-direct-sale rules.
If you intend to repack food for sale, check which labelling and food-business requirements apply before preparing the bags. Manufacturer-packed portions avoid that particular repacking step.
Repacking also means allowing time to prepare portions and provide the required information.
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Assuming “dried fruit” tells you everything about allergens
ASDA’s mixed-fruit snack boxes declare sulphites, while a fruit-and-nut mix has different ingredients from a fruit-only product. The Food Standards Agency identifies sulphites above its stated threshold and tree nuts among the allergens covered by food-business information rules.
Read the current label for each variant and keep its ingredient information available to the person receiving it. Do not describe a product as allergen-free based on its category name.
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Treating a small pack as suitable for every child
ASDA warns that small children can choke on small pieces of fruit. Dividing the fruit into smaller portions does not address that warning.
Follow the warning on the pack and consider the individual child and the supervision available before offering dried fruit.
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Relying on an earlier online ingredients panel
Product information can change between a retailer listing and the pack bought for the event. That matters particularly when passing ingredient or allergen information to someone else.
Check the physical pack’s ingredients, warnings, best-before date and storage directions before offering it.
Brand and retailer references
These examples show pack formats to look for; check the current product and its label before choosing refreshments.
ASDA
ASDA Groceries lists both individually portioned mixed-fruit snack boxes and a larger three-raisin mix.
- The mixed-fruit snack boxes contain 10 × 14g portions, a countable format for hand-outs.
- That product declares sulphites and carries a small-child choking warning. Check the pack you buy.
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury’s lists Mini Snack Raisins among its snacking-fruit products.
- The listed 12 × 14g format makes the number of individual portions clear.
- Check the exact pack’s ingredients and allergen information before offering it.
Tesco
Tesco Groceries lists a 12-pack of seedless raisins alongside larger dried-fruit packs.
- The listed raisin multipack contains 12 portions totalling 168g.
- A larger bag calls for a separate decision about serving and preserving product information.
Whitworths
Whitworths offers Sunny Raisins in individual packs as well as fruit-and-nut products.
- Sainsbury’s lists Sunny Raisins as 6 × 30g; its listing names raisins and sunflower oil as ingredients.
- Do not assume the ingredients of a Sunny Raisins pack apply to Whitworths fruit-and-nut mixes.
M&S
M&S lists Taste Buds raisin snack boxes alongside other fruit snacks.
- The Taste Buds multipack contains 10 raisin boxes with a total weight of 140g.
- M&S says product information and local stock can vary; check the current pack and local selection.
Joybuy product options
These options include individually packed dried fruit, a fruit-and-nut mix and a separately packed fruit-gum snack. Check the format and ingredients rather than treating them as interchangeable dried-fruit portions.
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Hao Xiang Ni Ready-to-Eat Red Dates, 30 × 30g
The 30 sachets provide separately packed portions for hand-outs. Check the current ingredients and label, and check the dates for pits before offering them to children.
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Three Squirrels Daily Dried Cranberries, 16 × 16g
The 16 individual packs make portions straightforward to count and hand out. Read the current ingredients and allergen declaration if recipients need that information.
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Three Squirrels Daily Blueberry Dried Snack, 16 × 16g
This 256g box contains 16 individual 16g packs for separate hand-outs. Check the exact pack’s ingredients, allergen declaration and warnings before offering it.
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The Fruit Factory Mixed Fruit Stars, 5 packs
These are separately packed fruit gums, not dried fruit. If considering them as an alternative hand-out, read the ingredients and follow the stated choking warning for children under 36 months.
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J.ZAO Classic Daily-Nut Mix, 30 × 25g
The 30 sachets offer separate portions, but this is a nut-and-dried-fruit mix rather than a fruit-only snack. Check and communicate the exact pack’s nut and other allergen information before offering it to shoppers.
Questions about serving dried fruit
Should I choose individual boxes or a large bag?
Individual portions are easier to count and hand over when several car boot sale shoppers will take a snack. A large bag can suit private sharing or managed serving, but opening or repacking it means considering handling and how recipients will receive the original product information.
Can dried-fruit snack boxes contain allergens?
Yes. ASDA’s listing for Mixed Fruit Snack Boxes declares sulphur dioxide/sulphites, and fruit-and-nut products need their own ingredient check. Read the current label on the exact product rather than relying on the words “dried fruit”.
Can I pack dried fruit into my own bags for sale?
Check the rules for your particular arrangement before packing it. Food packaged at the place where it is sold or offered to consumers before they select it can be prepacked for direct sale; Food Standards Agency guidance says businesses producing such food must label it with the food name, a full ingredients list and emphasised allergens. Ask the relevant local authority how the rules apply to your stall.
Do I need to register to sell refreshments?
If your activity is a food business, the Food Standards Agency says it must be registered with the local authority at least 28 days before trading or food operations start. Check your particular activity with the local authority rather than assuming that an occasional stall is automatically exempt.
How should I store dried fruit at an outdoor sale?
Follow the directions on the product you buy and keep its packaging intact until serving. ASDA’s mixed-fruit snack-box listing specifies a cool, dry place, while its larger three-raisin mix listing also says to keep the product out of direct sunlight.