Choose a dark bar with a declared cocoa percentage if guests want a cocoa-forward option; Lindt’s 70% and 78% EXCELLENCE bars also show different sugars-per-100g values, so check the exact bar rather than treating dark chocolate as one choice. White chocolate suits a dessert-decoration plan, while an assortment offers several chocolate types. Whichever you serve, check each pack’s allergen wording and keep the chocolate away from heat and direct sunlight.
Start with how you plan to serve the chocolate: as a dark bar, a dessert ingredient or a choice of pieces for guests.
A labelled dark bar gives you a specific cocoa percentage to compare. Lindt Shop UK lists its EXCELLENCE 70% and 78% bars separately, with 29g and 17g sugars per 100g respectively; neither figure tells you which flavour every guest will prefer.
White chocolate makes sense when it is part of the dessert plan. Marks & Spencer describes its 100g white chocolate for home baking and dessert decoration and instructs customers to store it away from sunlight.
An assortment can offer milk, dark and white chocolate, but each product and filling needs its own label check before it is shared. A mixed box is not automatically suitable for a guest with a food allergy.
Decide whether you need a tasting bar, chocolate for decorating or several types for sharing. Then check the exact pack for allergens and storage instructions before setting it out.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Cocoa and sugars | Compare declared cocoa percentage and sugars per 100g on the exact bars. Lindt Shop UK lists at least 70% cocoa and 29g sugars per 100g for EXCELLENCE 70%, versus at least 78% cocoa and 17g sugars per 100g for EXCELLENCE 78%. | I want a cocoa-forward bar, but I need to choose a percentage my guests are likely to enjoy. A higher percentage alone does not settle that taste choice. |
| Serving format | Check whether the product is a bar, a baking or decorating ingredient, or an assortment. Marks & Spencer describes its white chocolate for baking and decoration; its 440g Collection box contains milk, white and dark chocolates with varied centres. | For decorated desserts, I need an ingredient that fits the recipe. If guests want different types of chocolate, I would rather offer a selection than assume they all want the same bar. |
| Allergen wording | Read the ingredients and precautionary statements on every current pack, including the fillings in an assortment. Lindt Shop UK gives “may contain” warnings for its 70% and 78% bars; Marks & Spencer says its white chocolate is unsuitable for people with nut or peanut allergy. | Before putting chocolate on a shared table, I need to know what I can offer each guest. Neither a dark colour nor a high cocoa percentage establishes allergy suitability. |
| Outdoor storage | Follow the pack’s storage directions and keep chocolate out of direct sunlight. Marks & Spencer specifies a cool, dry place away from sunlight for its white chocolate; Joybuy’s Cadbury White Giant Buttons listing says to protect the pack from heat and direct sunlight. | I want the pieces and decorations to stay presentable, so I can keep spare chocolate shaded and bring out smaller amounts as needed. |
Cocoa and sugars declarations differ even between Lindt’s EXCELLENCE 70% and 78% bars. Choosing by the word “dark” alone can miss the distinction you intended to offer guests.
Compare the cocoa percentage and sugars per 100g on the particular bars you are considering, then choose with your guests’ tastes in mind.
Outdoor heat can affect the appearance of pieces and dessert decorations. The Cadbury White Giant Buttons listing instructs customers to protect the product from heat and direct sunlight.
Keep unopened packs in a cool, dry, shaded place and put out only the amount you need for serving.
Lindt’s cited dark bars carry precautionary allergen warnings, while Marks & Spencer says its cited white chocolate is unsuitable for people with nut or peanut allergy. The Food Standards Agency explains that “may contain” wording can signal possible unintended allergen presence.
Read the current label for each product and filling before serving it to someone with an allergy; do not rely on the chocolate type or a label from a previous pack.
These product lines show different ways to plan a chocolate table; a brand name by itself does not establish the ingredients or suitability of every product it makes.
The EXCELLENCE 70% and 78% dark bars are examples for comparing declared cocoa percentages.
The cited products cover two distinct plans: white chocolate for baking or decorating, and a box containing milk, dark and white chocolates.
White Giant Buttons provide a white-chocolate piece format for an informal serving table, rather than a high-cocoa dark-bar option.
These options include dark bars with declared cocoa percentages and white buttons for sharing. Choose by the format and flavour direction you need, then check the current pack before serving outdoors.
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An 85% cocoa dark bar for guests who want a cocoa-forward choice. Keep it shaded before serving and check the current pack’s allergen and storage instructions.
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A 72% cocoa dark bar if you want to offer a different declared percentage from the 85% bars. Compare labels rather than assuming how guests will find the flavour, and check the current pack before serving.
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Another 85% dark-bar option, in a 90g format. Protect chocolate from heat when planning an outdoor serving table, and read this bar’s current allergen and storage wording.
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A 100g dark bar labelled 85% cocoa. This is a different variant from Lindt’s 70% and 78% bars discussed above; check its own current label for allergens and handling instructions.
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White-chocolate buttons for an informal sharing table, rather than a dark-bar tasting option. The Joybuy listing gives 63g sugars per 100g, identifies milk and soya allergens, and instructs customers to protect the pack from heat and direct sunlight. Check the current pack before serving.
Choose a dark bar if a declared cocoa percentage is central to the choice, white chocolate if you are decorating desserts, or an assortment if guests may want different types. Lindt Shop UK lists distinct 70% and 78% EXCELLENCE bars, while Marks & Spencer describes both a white chocolate for decoration and a box containing milk, dark and white chocolates. Check the particular products rather than assuming one type suits everyone.
Keep spare packs cool, dry and out of direct sunlight, bringing out smaller amounts when needed. The Joybuy listing for Cadbury White Giant Buttons specifically says to protect them from heat and direct sunlight; it does not establish that they will hold their appearance at every outdoor temperature.
Read the current ingredients and precautionary allergen wording for every product and filling. Marks & Spencer says its cited white chocolate is unsuitable for people with nut or peanut allergy, while Lindt Shop UK lists “may contain” warnings on its cited 70% and 78% dark bars. The Food Standards Agency explains that such wording can indicate possible unintended allergen presence.
Not necessarily: the Department for Education’s September 2026 guidance for England says the school food standards do not apply to food provided for celebrations or fundraising events, among other stated circumstances. Establish how the particular event and food provision are organised with the school before relying on that distinction. England’s retail HFSS promotion and placement rules, described separately by the Department of Health and Social Care, do not determine whether food may be served at a school celebration.