Parents supplying a stall
Check which products and serving arrangements the school accepts. Keep the original packaging available so stall volunteers can answer ingredient questions.
Who is buying for the sale?
Organisers planning portions
Decide whether a sale portion means one cake from a larger box or an intact three-cake snack pack before calculating quantities.
Shoppers checking ingredients
Read the label of the exact pack being supplied. The cited McVitie's and own-label examples have different ingredient declarations, so a familiar name is not enough for an allergen check.
What should you check before choosing?
Agree the serving format with the school, then count portions using the unit that will actually be offered at the stall.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| School rules and ingredients | Ask which products and serving arrangements are accepted. Read the purchased pack's allergen declaration and retain its packaging for enquiries. | I need stall volunteers to have the right ingredient information when someone asks about a cake. |
| Individual cakes | Use the stated cake count if cakes will be served separately. ASDA lists 30 cakes in its McVitie's original pack; Sainsbury's lists 33 in its original triple pack. | If each sale portion is one cake, I can work out how many boxes to bring from the cake count. |
| Grouped portions | Tesco describes the McVitie's snack-pack box as six servings of three cakes. Confirm that an intact three-cake pack is the portion the organiser wants. | Keeping cakes together matters to me, but six inner packs would give the stall six grouped portions, not 18 individually wrapped cakes. |
| Smaller boxes | ASDA suggests 12 servings for its 150 g own-label pack; Sainsbury's gives approximately 12 for its 150 g orange pack. Check each pack's label rather than assuming the recipes match. | I may need to adjust the number of boxes I bring without committing to a larger pack. |
| Storage after opening | Follow the purchased pack's directions. ASDA's listing for the McVitie's 30-cake pack specifies cool, dry storage and an airtight container once opened. | If cakes will be served from an opened box, I need a plan for storing the remaining cakes and retaining their label. |
Common packing mistakes
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Assuming every Jaffa Cake has the same ingredients
ASDA's listing for McVitie's 30-cake original pack declares wheat, egg, milk and soya; its own-label pack has a different allergen declaration. Neither name alone establishes whether a particular cake is suitable for someone.
Check the school's rules and the actual pack label, and leave the packaging with the stall.
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Counting a snack pack as one wrapped cake
Tesco describes the McVitie's six-by-three box as 18 cakes arranged in six three-cake servings. That makes a difference if the inner packs will stay intact.
Agree what constitutes one sale portion before deciding how many boxes are needed.
Brands and pack formats
These retailer listings illustrate different portion formats; check the label of the particular pack you buy.
McVitie's
ASDA lists a 30-cake original pack, Sainsbury's lists a 33-cake original triple pack, and Tesco lists six three-cake snack packs.
- The stated counts let you plan either individual cakes or grouped portions.
- ASDA's 30-cake listing declares wheat, egg, milk and soya; check other variants separately.
ASDA
ASDA lists a 150 g own-label Jaffa Cakes pack alongside a larger McVitie's pack.
- ASDA suggests 12 servings for its own-label pack.
- Its listing declares wheat, soya and egg and notes possible presence of other specified allergens; check the current label.
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's lists a 150 g own-label orange pack and a McVitie's 33-cake pack.
- The own-label listing gives approximately 12 servings, while the McVitie's listing gives a cake count.
- The cited own-label ingredients include wheat and egg; do not assume its recipe or serving size matches McVitie's.
Tesco
Tesco lists McVitie's six-by-three snack packs and a 2 × 150 g own-label orange twin pack.
- Its McVitie's snack-pack listing identifies six three-cake servings.
- Check the own-label twin pack itself for its ingredients and cake count before using it to plan portions.
M&S
M&S lists 100 g mini Jaffa Cakes, a different format from a counted box of standard cakes.
- The mini format is an option to discuss if the organiser intends to offer small, loose treats.
- M&S lists gluten, egg and milk and says its minis are unsuitable for people with nut or peanut allergies. Read the purchased label.
Waitrose
Waitrose lists 125 g own-label mini Jaffa Cakes and a McVitie's original triple pack described as 30 cakes.
- The listings offer a choice between a mini format sold by weight and a stated standard-cake count.
- A weight for the minis is not an equivalent standard-cake count; Waitrose advises checking labels because recipes can change.
Joybuy pack options
These McVitie's options cover two ways to supply a school stall: grouped three-cake snack packs and a larger triple pack for an organiser planning to serve cakes from a shared pack.
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McVitie's The Original Jaffa Cakes Snack Pack 6 × 3, 198 g
For a stall keeping three-cake portions together, this box contains six inner packs rather than 18 individually wrapped cakes. Confirm that a three-cake pack is the school's intended sale portion. The supplied product information identifies gluten, milk and soya and notes that the product may contain eggs and nuts; check the purchased pack's label.
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McVitie's Jaffa Cakes Original Triple Pack, 330 g
This 330 g triple pack is a shared-pack option if the school accepts cakes served from an opened pack. Check its cake count on the purchased pack before calculating individual sale portions; counts stated for other McVitie's triple packs should not be transferred to this one. The supplied product information identifies wheat, egg, milk and soya.
Questions about the bake sale
Can I bring shop-bought Jaffa Cakes to a school bake sale?
Ask the school which products and serving arrangements it accepts before buying. Food Standards Agency guidance for community events, including school fetes and fundraisers, says food supplied or sold must be safe to eat.
Should the original packaging stay with the stall?
Yes, keep it available for ingredient checks. The Food Standards Agency recommends retaining the packaging for prepacked food served at community or charity events; volunteers can then refer to the label of the cakes actually supplied.
Are McVitie's original Jaffa Cakes gluten-free?
Do not describe ASDA's listed McVitie's original 30-cake pack as gluten-free: its allergen declaration includes wheat. Check the current label of any other pack or variant rather than assuming it has the same ingredients.
How should cakes from an opened large pack be stored?
Follow the directions on the pack you buy. ASDA's listing for the McVitie's 30-cake pack specifies a cool, dry place and an airtight container once opened; keep its packaging available if cakes are moved to a container.