Organisers filling a shared table
A large pack can supply a shared bowl. Keep its original packaging close to the food so visitors can check the ingredients and allergens.
Who is choosing the refreshments?
Organisers expecting families
Consider how portions will be offered to children and whether fresh fruit or other refreshments should sit alongside dried fruit.
Stallholders offering food for sale
Deciding between sealed packs and loose portions also means deciding how accurate ingredient and allergen information will stay with the food. Check with the relevant local authority whether your selling arrangements count as a food business.
What should you check before buying?
Choose the serving format first, then read the label for the exact fruit and pack you intend to offer.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Pack format | Check the total weight, whether the fruit is in one bag or separate portions, and how you plan to serve it. | I’m filling a shared bowl, or I’d rather hand visitors their own sealed packs. |
| Fruit and ingredients | Check whether it is mixed fruit, plain vine fruit or another fruit. Read the exact ingredient list for additions such as candied peel. | A plain fruit may suit my table better than a blend; I don’t want to assume every mixed pack contains the same ingredients. |
| Allergen information | Read the original allergen declaration and keep it available if you separate portions from the pack. Asda’s listed 1kg mixed fruit declares sulphur dioxide/sulphites. | If visitors ask what is in the food, I need the information for the product I actually served. |
| Children’s portions | Read the sugar information per serving on the exact pack and check for product warnings, including stones or stalks where stated. | Children may take a portion between meals, so I want other refreshment choices available too. |
| After opening | Follow the pack’s storage instructions and decide how opened fruit will be covered during the event. | If I open a large bag, I want to keep the remaining fruit in line with its label instructions. |
Mistakes to avoid
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Assuming every dried-fruit blend is alike
Ingredients differ between products. Asda’s listed mixed fruit includes candied citrus peel and declares sulphur dioxide/sulphites, so it should not be treated as equivalent to plain sultanas.
Choose the fruit you want to serve, then read the ingredients and allergen declaration on that exact pack.
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Treating dried fruit as an unrestricted children’s snack
The sugar information and serving size matter when fruit is offered between meals. Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust’s dental guidance lists fresh rather than dried fruit among between-meal snack options.
Check the portion information on the pack and consider offering fresh fruit or other refreshments alongside dried fruit.
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Separating portions from their label
Once fruit is decanted, visitors may no longer have its ingredient and allergen information in front of them. Food Standards Agency guidance addresses allergen information for food businesses supplying both prepacked and non-prepacked food.
Keep the original packaging with the portions and check the requirements that apply to how your stall supplies food.
Relevant brand and retailer ranges
Tesco
Tesco lists a 1kg mixed dried-fruit pack for shoppers considering one large bag.
- A stated 1kg pack size makes it straightforward to plan portions for a shared table.
- Check the exact pack label for ingredients and allergens before serving.
Asda
Asda lists both 1kg mixed fruit and 1kg sultanas, giving shoppers two different fruit formats to consider.
- The mixed-fruit listing declares sulphur dioxide/sulphites.
- Do not transfer the mixed-fruit ingredients or allergen declaration to the sultana pack; check each label separately.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s lists a 1kg mixed dried-fruit pack within its dried-fruit range.
- The stated pack size is relevant to a shared refreshment table.
- Read the ingredients and allergen panel for the exact pack before offering it to visitors.
Whitworths
Whitworths lists mixed fruit, vine fruit and smaller dried-fruit packs.
- Its range includes multipack formats for individual handouts.
- Check the fruit, portion size and label of the particular pack you choose.
M&S
M&S lists dried-fruit formats including snack boxes and 1kg Turkish sultanas.
- Its raisin-pack instructions describe how to reseal that product after opening.
- Follow the storage directions on the exact product rather than assuming every pack reseals in the same way.
Joybuy snack-pack options
These Joybuy options include portioned red dates, a dried-fruit-and-nut sharing pack and smaller blueberry packs. Check each format against how you intend to serve refreshments; they are not all plain dried-fruit bags.
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Hao Xiang Ni Ready-to-Eat Red Dates 900 g (30 x 30 g)
The 30 separate sachets provide individual portions for handing out at a stall. Check the dates for pits before serving, particularly if children may take a sachet.
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Dried-Fruit-and-Nut Sharing Pack 1.073kg (5-pack)
This five-pack offers dried fruit and nuts rather than fruit alone. It contains tree nuts; retain the packaging and check the ingredients and allergen information for each component before offering it to visitors.
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Three Squirrels Daily Blueberry Dried Snack 256g (16g x 16 packs)
The 16 separate packs suit individual handouts rather than filling a large shared bowl. Check the ingredient and nutrition panels if added sugar matters to your selection.
Common questions
Which pack format works for a shared refreshment table?
A large mixed-fruit bag works for a shared bowl if its ingredients suit the visitors you expect. Choose plain raisins or sultanas when you want one type of vine fruit; choose sealed portions when you would rather hand out individual packs.
Can I decant dried fruit into cups or bags?
You can plan to serve separate portions, but keep the original ingredient and allergen information available and check the rules that apply to your arrangements. Food Standards Agency guidance covers allergen information for food businesses supplying prepacked and non-prepacked food.
Does selling dried fruit at a car boot sale make me a food business?
That depends on how the stall operates, not simply on the fact that it is at a car boot sale. Ask the local authority for the stall location whether your arrangements count as a food business before selling or repacking food.
What should I consider if children may take dried fruit between meals?
Check the serving-size and sugar information on the exact pack, along with any warnings about stones or stalks. Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust’s dental guidance lists fresh rather than dried fruit among between-meal snack options.
How should I keep an opened pack during the event?
Follow the instructions on that pack. Asda’s 1kg mixed-fruit instructions specify a cool, dry place and an airtight container after opening; M&S advises resealing its raisin pack after opening.