Colleagues trying dark chocolate
If the office usually chooses sweeter chocolate, a declared 70% cocoa bar gives people a dark option without starting at 85% or above. Taste is personal, so ask about preferences before buying for everyone.
Who is the chocolate for?
People who prefer very high cocoa levels
For colleagues who specifically want 99% or 100% cocoa chocolate, Lindt lists EXCELLENCE bars at both levels. Its product pages list 1 g and 0.5 g sugars per 100 g respectively; check allergens before offering either bar to others.
Organisers of shared office snacks
A bar can be allocated to an individual, while a bag of pieces can be offered for sharing. Keep the original pack accessible so colleagues can read its current ingredients and allergen statement.
What should you check before buying?
Decide whether the office wants creamy white chocolate or a declared dark-cocoa level, then compare exact packs for nutrition, allergens and serving format.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Flavour and cocoa | Check whether the pack is white or dark chocolate. For dark bars, compare the declared cocoa percentages of the exact products. | I want a creamy white-chocolate option, or a dark bar at a cocoa level my colleagues are willing to try. |
| Listed sugars | Compare sugars per 100 g, not figures for different serving sizes. Lindt Shop UK lists 29 g per 100 g for EXCELLENCE 70% and 15 g per 100 g for EXCELLENCE 85%; those figures describe these two bars, not every chocolate at those cocoa levels. | If listed sugar matters to me, I want to compare the actual packs on the same basis rather than assume every dark bar has the same figure. |
| Allergens | Read the current ingredients and allergen statement on each pack. A vegan recipe or dark-chocolate label does not establish suitability for someone with an allergy. | I need colleagues to be able to check the pack for themselves before taking chocolate from a shared supply. |
| Serving format | Choose between bars for individual allocation and pieces for sharing. Cadbury describes Bournville Dark Giant Chocolate Buttons as a 100 g bag; keep its pack available if the contents are offered in a bowl. | For desk snacks, I may prefer separate bars. For a shared bowl, I need a way to keep the product information alongside it. |
What can go wrong with a shared supply?
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Treating every dark bar as a high-cocoa choice
“Dark” alone does not give you a cocoa percentage or a comparable sugar figure. Lindt Shop UK lists different cocoa levels and per-100-g sugar figures across its EXCELLENCE bars.
Compare the exact labels on a per-100-g basis, and ask which cocoa levels colleagues actually prefer.
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Assuming a vegan recipe is suitable for a milk allergy
Lindt Shop UK says its EXCELLENCE 70%, 85% and 99% bars are made to vegan recipes but are not suitable for people with a milk allergy.
Check the current allergen statement for the exact bar before offering it to someone with an allergy.
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Separating shared chocolate from its label
M&S and Waitrose advise checking product labels because recipes and allergen information can change. An old listing is not a substitute for the pack being served.
Keep the original packaging beside shared chocolate, and check each new pack.
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Applying school or retail rules to an ordinary office
Department of Health and Social Care guidance addresses HFSS promotion and placement by qualifying businesses selling to England. Department for Education school-food guidance concerns food and drink provided in state-funded schools in England; neither is a general rule for an employer’s office snack bowl.
If the purchase is for a school or a regulated retail setting rather than an ordinary office, check the rules for that setting and nation before ordering.
Which brand references help?
These references describe particular products or ranges; they do not establish what every product from a brand contains or whether it suits every colleague.
Lindt
Lindt Shop UK lists EXCELLENCE dark bars at 70%, 85%, 99% and 100% cocoa, giving shoppers declared levels to compare.
- Its pages list sugars per 100 g: 29 g at 70%, 15 g at 85%, 1 g at 99% and 0.5 g at 100%.
- Vegan-recipe wording does not remove the milk-allergy cautions on the 70%, 85% and 99% product pages.
Cadbury
Cadbury lists Bournville Classic as a 100 g dark-chocolate bar and Bournville Dark Giant Chocolate Buttons as a 100 g bag.
- The buttons provide a piece format for a shared supply.
- Check the exact pack if cocoa percentage, nutrition or allergens will determine the choice.
M&S
M&S lists a Collection 85% dark chocolate bar and distinguishes its dark options from creamy white chocolate.
- Its 85% bar lists 85% minimum cocoa solids and 15.9 g sugars per 100 g.
- M&S says that bar is not suitable for people with milk, nut or peanut allergies and advises checking the product label.
Waitrose
Waitrose lists Lindt EXCELLENCE 70%, making its product information another reference for that particular bar rather than a separate chocolate range.
- The listing states 70% minimum cocoa solids.
- Waitrose warns that recipe changes can affect nutrition and allergen information; use the current pack for an allergy decision.
Galaxy
Galaxy’s UK collection includes milk-chocolate bars and pouches alongside vegan products, for colleagues considering formats beyond a high-cocoa dark bar.
- Its collection shows both bar and pouch formats.
- Galaxy directs buyers to the allergen information on the back of the exact pack.
Dark chocolate options on Joybuy
These bars offer declared cocoa levels from 70% to 90% for individually allocated office snacks. They are dark-chocolate options, not substitutes for colleagues who specifically want white chocolate; check each current pack before sharing.
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Green & Black's Dark Chocolate 85% 90g
A 90 g bar for colleagues choosing an 85% cocoa option rather than a 70% bar. Check the current pack’s nutrition and allergen statement before sharing.
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Morrisons The Best Ecuador Dark Chocolate 85% 100g
Another 85% cocoa bar for an individual office snack. Its 100 g pack size is distinct from the 90 g bar above; use per-100-g figures when comparing nutrition, and check the pack for allergens.
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Lindt EXCELLENCE Dark Chocolate 85% 100g
A 100 g bar for colleagues who specifically want 85% cocoa. Lindt Shop UK lists 15 g sugars per 100 g for its EXCELLENCE 85% bar and cautions that the vegan-recipe product is not suitable for people with a milk allergy; check the current pack.
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Green & Black's Dark Chocolate 70% 90g
A 90 g bar to consider when colleagues want dark chocolate but have not asked for an 85% or 90% cocoa option. Check the current pack’s per-100-g nutrition and allergen information.
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Lindt EXCELLENCE Supreme Dark Chocolate 90% 100g
A 100 g bar for colleagues who have asked for a cocoa level above 85%. Confirm their taste preference and read the current pack’s nutrition and allergen information before adding it to a shared supply.
Common questions
Can white chocolate meet a high-cocoa dark-chocolate brief?
No. Choose white chocolate for a separate creamy-flavour preference. If the brief calls for dark chocolate at a particular cocoa level, check the percentage declared on the exact dark bar.
Does a higher cocoa percentage make a bar suitable for everyone in the office?
No. Lindt Shop UK lists allergen warnings for its EXCELLENCE 70%, 85%, 99% and 100% bars, and says the 70%, 85% and 99% products are not suitable for people with a milk allergy. Ask colleagues about requirements and check the current pack before sharing.
Do HFSS retail rules prohibit an ordinary office chocolate supply?
The Department of Health and Social Care’s England guidance concerns promotion and placement by qualifying retailers, including online retail; it is not a general prohibition on an employer providing office snacks. A retail promotion or another regulated setting needs its own compliance check.
Can the same office-snack advice be used when buying for a school?
No. Department for Education guidance dated September 2026 addresses food and drink provided in state-funded schools in England, while the Requirements for School Food Regulations 2014 define chocolate in any form, except hot chocolate, as confectionery. Check the current requirements for the school’s nation and setting before procurement; proposed changes to England’s standards remain subject to Parliamentary approval.