Picnic snack sharers
A packet of ordinary bourbons gives you one type of chocolate-flavoured sandwich biscuit to pass around. Compare pack sizes and follow the storage directions on the packet you take.
Who is each option for?
The first decision is whether you are bringing biscuits to serve or chocolates to present as a gift.
Picnic gift buyers
If you want to hand something to a host or guest, decide whether they would welcome bourbons or a presentation box of chocolates. A chocolate assortment is a different purchase from a biscuit packet.
Hosts checking allergens
When a guest has a stated allergy, check the ingredients and precautionary allergen statements on the exact pack before offering it. A vegan designation does not answer an allergy question.
What should you check before choosing?
Settle the sharing-or-gifting question first, then compare the treat itself, its label and how you will store it at the picnic.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sharing or gifting | Check whether the pack contains bourbons, one type of chocolate or an assortment. For a gift, look at the presentation format; for passing food around, consider the pack and portions. | I’m bringing a snack for the table, so a bourbon packet may be enough. If it is a gift, I’d choose the format the recipient would actually welcome. |
| Biscuit or chocolate | An ordinary bourbon is a chocolate-flavoured sandwich biscuit. M&S describes its 191 g coated bourbon as a cream-filled biscuit covered in milk chocolate; assorted boxes offer different chocolates instead. | I want the biscuit itself, perhaps with a coating, rather than assuming that a box of chocolates will contain bourbons. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the exact pack’s ingredients and precautionary statements. Tesco and Waitrose list the cited ordinary bourbons as vegan, but both warn that they may contain sesame. | A guest has told me about an allergy or dietary requirement, so I need to check this particular product before serving it. |
| Picnic storage | Follow the pack directions: Tesco and Waitrose specify cool, dry storage for their cited bourbons, while M&S says to keep its coated bourbons away from sunlight. The Food Standards Agency says foods normally kept in the fridge need a cool box or bag at a picnic. | If the food will spend time outdoors, I’ll plan where to keep it and separately chill anything in the picnic that normally requires refrigeration. |
Picnic buying mistakes to avoid
-
Treating a bourbon packet as a chocolate gift box
A packet of chocolate-flavoured sandwich biscuits does not offer the presentation or variety of an assorted chocolate box.
Decide whether the recipient expects bourbons, a selection of chocolates or a snack for everyone to share before choosing the format.
-
Assuming vegan means suitable for every allergy
Tesco and Waitrose label the cited bourbons vegan, yet their listings also include allergen information, including precautionary sesame statements.
Check the current physical pack against each guest’s stated allergens before serving.
-
Leaving coated bourbons in direct sun
M&S directs customers to store its milk-chocolate-coated bourbons in a cool, dry place away from sunlight.
Keep that pack shaded and follow its label. For other picnic foods normally kept in the fridge, follow the Food Standards Agency’s cool-box or cool-bag guidance.
Relevant biscuit brand references
These retailer listings illustrate biscuit formats and label differences; they are not a list of chocolates available on Joybuy.
McVitie’s
McVitie’s Tasties Bourbon Cream Biscuits are a conventional bourbon packet rather than an assorted gift box.
- ASDA lists a 300 g pack with a chocolate-flavoured cream filling.
- ASDA lists wheat as present and says the biscuits may contain milk and sesame; check the pack for the guests you are serving.
Tesco
Tesco’s own-label Bourbon Creams are a 296 g packet of chocolate-flavoured sandwich biscuits.
- Tesco labels the cited product vegan and directs buyers to keep it in an airtight container after opening.
- Its listing says the biscuits may contain sesame; the vegan label does not replace an allergen check.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s lists a 200 g own-label bourbon packet for someone seeking a smaller biscuit pack.
- The listing identifies it as bourbon creams and includes wheat in the ingredients.
- Sainsbury’s says this product is unsuitable for customers allergic to milk or barley because of manufacturing methods and cautions that ingredients may change.
Asda
Asda’s own-label Bourbon Biscuits are an ordinary 300 g biscuit packet.
- ASDA labels the cited product suitable for vegans.
- Its listing identifies wheat as present and gives precautionary statements for milk, rye, oats, barley and sesame.
M&S
M&S lists both Extra Cream Bourbon Creams and a separate milk-chocolate-coated bourbon.
- M&S describes the 191 g coated product as chocolate biscuits with a cream filling covered in milk chocolate.
- Its 165 g Extra Cream Bourbon Creams are a different product. Check which pack you are buying; M&S directs buyers to keep the coated product away from sunlight.
Waitrose
Waitrose lists ordinary bourbons alongside separate boxed-chocolate products, illustrating the snack-versus-gift distinction.
- Waitrose labels its cited 400 g Essential Bourbon Creams vegan and advises airtight storage after opening.
- The bourbons may contain sesame. Check any chocolate collection separately rather than applying the biscuit label to it.
Boxed chocolates on Joybuy
These options cover the boxed-chocolate side of the picnic decision: choose one if you want chocolates to present or share rather than a packet of bourbon biscuits. Check each pack’s current ingredients and storage directions before taking it along.
No image available
Celebrations Chocolate Sharing Giftbox 300g
A boxed-chocolate option for gifting or passing around at a picnic, rather than a packet of bourbons. Check the pack’s allergen information before sharing it with guests.
No image available
Nestle Black Magic Dark Chocolate Box 348g
A dark-chocolate box to consider when the recipient wants chocolates rather than bourbon biscuits. Check the ingredients and storage directions on the pack before giving or serving it outdoors.
No image available
Thorntons Classic Chocolate Box 449g
A 449 g chocolate box for someone choosing a gift or chocolates to share instead of bourbons. Compare its contents with guests’ preferences and read the current allergen label before serving.
No image available
Tony’s Chocolonely Tiny Tony’s Mix Gift Chocolate Box 180g
A 180 g mixed-chocolate gift box for the gifting route, not a bourbon biscuit packet. Check its current ingredients against recipients’ dietary requirements.
No image available
Maltesers Chocolate Box Gift 310g
A 310 g box for sharing Maltesers at the picnic. It is not a bourbon packet or a selection of different chocolates; check the packaging for allergens and storage directions.
Picnic biscuit and chocolate questions
Do ordinary bourbon biscuits need a cool box at a picnic?
Not solely because they are bourbons: Tesco and Waitrose direct buyers to store their cited ambient biscuit packs in a cool, dry place. The Food Standards Agency says foods normally kept in the fridge should travel to a picnic in a cool box or bag. Follow the label on your biscuits and apply the chilling guidance to any perishable foods you bring alongside them.
What should I do with an opened packet of bourbons?
Put the cited Tesco or Waitrose bourbons in an airtight container after opening, as their listings direct. Check the storage instructions on the particular packet you buy.
Can I use a vegan label to decide whether biscuits suit a guest with an allergy?
No. Read the ingredients and precautionary allergen statement on the exact pack: the cited vegan Tesco and Waitrose bourbons may contain sesame. Check those details against the guest’s stated allergy before serving.
Is a best-before date the same as a use-by date?
No. The Food Standards Agency distinguishes best-before dates, which concern food quality, from use-by dates, which concern food safety. Check both the date and storage directions on the picnic food you buy.