Cocoa-led snackers
If you want a pronounced cocoa flavour, look for a dark bar that states its cocoa-solids percentage. Lindt, Galaxy and Waitrose identify 70% or 72% options on their product pages.
Who is each option for?
Creamy-sweet chocolate fans
White chocolate is the alternative when a sweet, creamy flavour appeals more than a high cocoa-solids declaration. Check the ingredients and nutrition panel of the bar you choose.
Households checking allergens
Read the exact bar’s ingredients and precautionary allergen statements before sharing. A dark bar is not automatically suitable for someone avoiding milk.
What should you check before choosing?
High-cocoa dark chocolate
Choose it when: You want a cocoa-led bar with a stated percentage, such as 70% or 72%.
Keep in mind: Cocoa percentage does not establish sugar content or allergy suitability; check the exact pack.
White chocolate
Choose it when: A creamy, sweet flavour is more important to you than a dark bar’s cocoa-solids declaration.
Keep in mind: White chocolate is not a substitute for a high-cocoa dark bar; check its milk ingredients and nutrition panel.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Flavour and cocoa | Look for a cocoa-solids percentage on the exact dark bar. If sweetness matters, compare sugars per 100g on both products; Marks & Spencer lists 29.6g for its 70% dark bar and 54.8g for its white bar. | I would rather have a cocoa-led dark bar, or I would prefer the creamy sweetness of white chocolate. The Marks & Spencer figures describe those two bars, not every dark and white option. |
| Allergens | Read both ingredient and “may contain” statements on the current pack. Lindt says its EXCELLENCE 70% bar, despite its vegan recipe, is not suitable for people with milk allergy. | Everyone sharing the chocolate needs a bar that fits their own allergen requirements; colour and cocoa percentage cannot answer that for me. |
| Amount to share | Compare net weight and any stated serving information. Waitrose lists 10 servings for its 180g Belgian Dark 72% bar; other bars here come in smaller formats. | For a solo snack or a small group, I want to choose an amount that matches how much we expect to share. |
What is easy to overlook?
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Assuming “dark” means a stated high cocoa percentage
Lindt, Galaxy and Waitrose state 70% or 72% for the cited products, but a dark-chocolate name alone does not give you a comparable figure.
If cocoa percentage drives your choice, confirm it on the exact bar’s current wrapper or product page.
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Assuming dark chocolate is suitable for a milk allergy
Lindt says its EXCELLENCE 70% bar is not suitable for people with milk allergy because it is made in a facility using milk. Waitrose says its Belgian Dark 72% bar may contain milk.
Check the current pack’s allergen statement for each person sharing the bar; do not use a vegan-recipe description as a substitute.
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Mixing up retail HFSS rules and school-food rules
England’s Department of Health & Social Care guidance addresses promotion and placement of certain foods in relevant retail settings. England’s school-food regulations separately define chocolate as confectionery; these are distinct frameworks, not a rule against a household buying chocolate for a TV night.
If the question concerns food provided at school, check the applicable school-food requirements for that nation and setting rather than relying on a general HFSS description.
Which brand ranges are relevant?
Lindt
Lindt’s EXCELLENCE range includes dark bars with stated cocoa strengths, including 70% and 85%.
- The EXCELLENCE 70% product page states a 70% cocoa-solids minimum.
- Lindt says that bar is not suitable for people with milk allergy and may also contain nuts, soya and sesame.
Waitrose
Waitrose Belgian Dark 72% is an own-label dark bar with a stated cocoa percentage and serving information.
- The 180g bar lists 10 servings and 24.4g sugars per 100g.
- It may contain milk and other nuts; Waitrose advises checking the physical pack as product information can change.
Galaxy
Galaxy identifies a 70% cocoa dark chocolate option in its Fusions range.
- The stated cocoa percentage helps distinguish that option from an unspecified dark bar.
- Check the exact variant’s current nutrition and allergen panel before choosing it for a household.
Cadbury
Cadbury offers both Bournville Classic dark chocolate and a white chocolate bar.
- Cadbury identifies Bournville Classic as a 100g dark bar and its white bar as 90g.
- If you require a particular cocoa percentage, check the Bournville wrapper rather than assuming one from its dark-chocolate name.
M&S
Marks & Spencer provides nutrition panels for its 70% dark and white chocolate bars, allowing a comparison of those exact products.
- Its 70% dark bar lists 29.6g sugars per 100g; its white bar lists 54.8g per 100g.
- Those figures do not describe the wider categories. Check the current label for ingredients and allergens.
Milka
On its German-market page, Milka positions Darkmilk as more cocoa-intensive than its own Alpine Milk chocolate.
- That comparison describes how Milka distinguishes the two named ranges.
- For a UK purchase, check the exact product’s cocoa percentage, ingredients and allergen label rather than treating the German-market description as a UK product specification.
Joybuy chocolate options
These bars cover both sides of the TV-night choice: declared high-cocoa dark chocolate, a raspberry dark variant and a white chocolate option. Compare their individual labels before choosing one to share.
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Morrisons The Best 72% Cocoa Dominican Republic Dark Chocolate 100g
A 100g dark bar for a TV-night choice centred on a stated 72% minimum cocoa-solids content.
The listing gives nutrition per 20g portion and states 20.7g sugars per 100g. It lists soya and warns of possible gluten-containing cereals, milk, nuts and peanuts; check the current pack before sharing with someone managing an allergy.
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Morrisons The Best 85% Cocoa Ecuador Dark Chocolate 100g
Consider this bar if you want a stated 85% minimum cocoa-solids content rather than the 72% option above.
The 100g bar lists five 20g portions and 13.8g sugars per 100g. Its allergen warning includes possible gluten-containing cereals, milk, nuts and peanuts; check the current pack before sharing.
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Lindt EXCELLENCE 85% Cocoa Dark Chocolate 100g
This 100g dark bar is another option for someone choosing by a stated 85% minimum cocoa-solids content.
The listing states 15g sugars per 100g and names milk, nuts, soya and sesame in its allergen information. Confirm the current pack if anyone sharing has an allergy.
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Green & Black's White Chocolate 90g
This vanilla-flavoured white chocolate is the option here for a creamy, sweet TV-night bar instead of cocoa-led dark chocolate.
The 90g bar’s listing states 51g sugars per 100g, lists milk and soya, and warns that it may contain nuts. Check the current pack before sharing with someone managing an allergy.
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Divine Chocolate 70% Dark Chocolate with Raspberries 90g
Choose this 90g variant if you want a stated 70% minimum cocoa-solids content with raspberry pieces rather than a plain dark bar.
The listing states 3% freeze-dried raspberry pieces and 27g sugars per 100g. Although its marketing copy calls the bar vegan-friendly, its allergen information identifies milk; verify the current pack before selecting it for someone avoiding milk. It may also contain gluten-containing cereals and nuts.
Questions about choosing a bar
Does a higher cocoa percentage settle the TV-night choice?
No. A stated percentage helps you identify the cocoa content of a particular dark bar, but flavour preference, ingredients, sugars per 100g, allergens and the amount you plan to share also matter. Lindt EXCELLENCE 70% and Waitrose Belgian Dark 72% state their cocoa percentages; check the exact pack when a particular strength matters to you.
Is dark chocolate always lower in sugar than white chocolate?
No category-wide conclusion follows from a dark or white label. Marks & Spencer lists 29.6g sugars per 100g for its 70% dark bar and 54.8g per 100g for its white bar; compare the same per-100g measure on the exact products you are considering.
Can someone avoiding milk assume a dark bar is suitable?
No. Lindt says its EXCELLENCE 70% bar is made to a vegan recipe but is not suitable for people with milk allergy because it is manufactured in a facility using milk; Waitrose says its Belgian Dark 72% bar may contain milk. Read the current wrapper’s ingredient and allergen statements for the exact bar.
Are England’s HFSS retail rules the same as its school-food rules?
No. The Department of Health & Social Care’s England guidance addresses promotion and placement of certain foods in relevant retail settings, while England’s school-food regulations separately define chocolate as confectionery. Neither description makes every chocolate bar automatically subject to the same HFSS classification or describes a ban on buying one for a TV night at home.