Hosts of medium coffee mornings
If you want to plan around one pack, Sainsbury's listed McVitie's Original Triple Pack with 33 cakes. Decide how many to allow per guest before relying on that count.
Who is choosing a pack?
Hosts of small workplace or home breaks
A 20-cake twin pack, as listed by Waitrose, gives you a smaller quantity to plan around when attendance is modest or leftovers are a concern.
Hosts serving guests with dietary or allergy needs
Keep the exact pack available for ingredient checks. The reviewed McVitie's original listings identify wheat, egg, milk and soya ingredients; M&S says its Mini Jaffa Cakes are not suitable for people with nut or peanut allergy.
What should you check?
Start with the number of guests and the cakes you plan to put out, then check the exact pack and its current label.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Portions | Check the cake count, not just pack weight. Waitrose lists 20 in its twin pack; Sainsbury's lists 33 in its Original Triple Pack. Asda and Waitrose list larger formats of 36 and 40 respectively. | I want enough for everyone without planning around a much larger pack than the gathering needs. |
| Exact variant | Compare the weight and stated cake count on the pack you will receive. Joybuy's 330g Original Triple Pack differs in weight from the 363g triple-pack format listed by Tesco. | If I am planning servings from a 33-cake listing, I need to check that I am buying that same variant. |
| Availability | Confirm stock for your collection or delivery slot. Asda's 36-cake Party Pack and Waitrose's 40-cake Pole were marked unavailable when their listings were reviewed. | For a larger gathering, I need a pack I can actually obtain in time, not just a suitable count on a listing. |
| Allergens | Read the current ingredients and allergen declaration for the exact product. M&S states that its Mini Jaffa Cakes are not suitable for people with nut or peanut allergy. | Guests need to be able to check the original packaging rather than assume that original and mini products have the same ingredients. |
| Serving and storage | Check the pack's storage instructions and keep its label available after opening. Plan how much to put out at once if you may have cakes left over. | I want guests to see the ingredient information even when the cakes are served away from their packaging. |
Common buying mistakes
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Planning around the largest listed pack
Asda's 36-cake Party Pack and Waitrose's 40-cake Pole were both marked unavailable when reviewed.
Confirm stock for your slot before using either count in your serving plan. If you need a fallback, recalculate portions using a pack you can obtain.
Changing packs close to the event may also mean changing how many cakes you allow per guest.
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Assuming Jaffa-style products have identical allergens
The reviewed McVitie's original listings identify wheat, egg, milk and soya ingredients, while M&S says its Mini Jaffa Cakes are not suitable for people with nut or peanut allergy.
Read the physical pack for each product you serve and keep the packaging available so guests can check it themselves.
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Choosing by pack weight without counting cakes
The retailer listings describe formats from 20 to 40 cakes. Weight alone does not tell you how many cakes you can offer each guest.
Estimate attendance and decide on a serving plan, then check the stated count on the exact pack.
Brand and retailer references
McVitie's
The original Jaffa Cakes brand appears in the reviewed 20-, 33-, 36- and 40-cake retailer listings. Its own range also includes other flavours and formats.
- The listed original formats offer several cake counts for different attendance plans.
- Check the particular retailer listing and pack: a format in the range is not necessarily in stock.
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's lists a 33-cake McVitie's Original Triple Pack and a separate 24-cake own-label product.
- The stated 33-cake count helps with medium-group planning.
- Its own-label product was marked out of stock when reviewed; do not assume its ingredients match McVitie's.
Tesco
Tesco's Jaffa Cakes category lists McVitie's 363g Original Triple Pack alongside smaller formats and an own-label orange Jaffa Cake twin pack.
- The category shows different pack formats to compare against your serving plan.
- Check the weight and count of the chosen variant rather than treating every triple pack as identical.
Asda
Asda lists McVitie's Original Party Pack at 439g with a typical count of 36 cakes.
- The stated count gives larger gatherings a clear portion-planning figure.
- The Party Pack was marked unavailable when reviewed; confirm stock before relying on it.
Waitrose
Waitrose lists a 20-cake McVitie's Original Twin Pack and a 40-cake Pole format.
- The twin pack has a stated count suited to planning for a smaller group.
- The 40-cake Pole was marked unavailable when reviewed.
M&S
M&S presents its Mini Jaffa Cakes as a bite-size option for sharing on a coffee break.
- The mini format offers a different way to serve cakes at a coffee morning.
- M&S states that this product is not suitable for people with nut or peanut allergy; check local stock and the current pack.
Joybuy pack options
These McVitie's options cover a bulk pack, smaller snack packs and a 330g triple pack. Check the count and format of each rather than applying the 33-cake retailer listing to every triple pack.
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McVitie's 80 Jaffa Cakes 1.07kg
The stated 80-cake count gives a larger coffee morning a definite figure for portion planning.
Pack weight: 1.07kg. Check how many guests will attend before choosing this quantity; the product information identifies milk, soya, wheat and egg allergens.
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McVitie's Original Jaffa Cakes Snack Pack 6 × 3, 198g
Six smaller packs of three cakes offer an 18-cake option when you want to hand out packs rather than serve from one large pack.
The stated ingredients include gluten, milk, soybeans and coconut; the product information also says it may contain traces of eggs and nuts. Check the current pack before serving guests with allergies.
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McVitie's Jaffa Cakes Original Triple Pack 330g
This triple-pack format may suit a shared serving plate, but check its cake count against your guest list before ordering.
The pack is stated as 330g, unlike the 363g triple-pack format listed by Tesco. Its product information identifies milk, wheat, egg and soy and says it may contain nuts; check the current label for guests with allergies.
Coffee-morning questions
How many Jaffa Cakes should I plan for each guest?
Choose a serving plan before choosing the pack. At three cakes per guest, a 20-cake pack covers six guests and a 33-cake pack covers 11; these are calculations from the counts listed by Waitrose and Sainsbury's, not serving recommendations. Check the count on the exact pack you buy.
Should I choose a larger party-format pack?
Choose a larger count only if your attendance and serving plan call for it, and confirm stock first. Asda listed a typical 36 cakes in its Party Pack and Waitrose listed 40 in its Pole, but both products were marked unavailable when reviewed.
Are the original McVitie's packs suitable for vegetarians?
The reviewed McVitie's Original Triple Pack, Asda Party Pack and Waitrose Twin Pack listings identify them as suitable for vegetarians. Check the label on the exact product you serve, particularly if you choose a different flavour or format.
Which allergens should I check before serving Jaffa Cakes?
Check the current pack for every product you serve. The reviewed McVitie's original listings identify wheat, egg, milk and soya ingredients, while M&S says its Mini Jaffa Cakes are not suitable for people with nut or peanut allergy. The Food Standards Agency recommends keeping prepacked-food packaging at community and charity events in England, Northern Ireland and Wales so guests can inspect it.
What should I do with the packaging after opening a pack?
Keep it available for ingredient checks while the cakes are being served. Follow the storage instructions on the pack you bought, including any directions for cakes left after opening.