If you’re giving someone a gift during a journey without access to refrigeration, choose a non-refrigerated box of chocolates rather than ice lollies. Ice lollies need to stay frozen until they’re eaten. For a box of chocolates, check the storage instructions, ingredients and condition of the packaging, then keep it away from heat.
A non-refrigerated box makes it easy to give someone a gift during the journey, without having to transport a frozen product. Carrefour and Auchan offer chocolate assortments that are suitable for gifting. Check the storage instructions for the one you choose.
An ice lolly is a different choice from a gift box. If you’re not going to eat it straight away, plan how to keep it frozen: the DGCCRF and Anses recommend using an insulated bag and limiting the time frozen products are in transit.
The recipes in an assortment can vary from one piece to another. If the recipient has particular preferences or needs to avoid certain ingredients, check the ingredients and allergen information for the exact box rather than relying on the picture.
Choose this if: you want to give someone a gift during the meal and can’t keep a frozen product cold.
Bear in mind: this isn’t a substitute for an ice cream dessert, and the assortment needs to suit the recipient’s tastes and dietary requirements.
Consider these if: you plan to eat them straight away or can genuinely keep them frozen until you’re ready to enjoy them.
Bear in mind: keeping them frozen makes your journey more complicated. The DGCCRF and Anses recommend using an insulated bag and limiting the time frozen products are in transit.
| Factor | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Transport and storage | For ice lollies, plan how to keep them frozen until you’re ready to eat them. For a box of chocolates, read the storage instructions and keep the box away from heat. | I want to travel without having to keep a frozen product cold along the way; around 46% of consumers would put this need first. |
| Gift and assortment | Check the varieties, ingredients and allergens, as well as the condition of the box you choose. | If I’m giving chocolates as a gift, I want the presentation and flavours to suit the recipient; around 36% of consumers would make this their priority. |
| Ice cream dessert | Make sure you can eat the ice lollies straight away or keep them frozen until then. Also check the ingredients of the product you choose. | I’d rather enjoy an ice cream during the meal and can plan how to keep it frozen; around 18% of consumers would put this first. |
An ice lolly is a frozen product, so transporting it comes with different challenges from carrying a non-refrigerated box intended as a gift.
Decide whether you’re looking for an ice cream dessert or a gift to give someone during the journey. Only take ice lollies if you can genuinely keep them frozen.
A box may contain several different recipes. The type of chocolate on the front doesn’t tell you all the ingredients or allergens in each piece.
Read the label on the exact product, especially if the recipient needs to avoid certain ingredients.
A product listing doesn’t guarantee that it will be available in your chosen shop or for your preferred collection option. Carrefour, for example, marks some boxes as unavailable for drive-through collection.
Check the product, shop and collection option before planning your purchase.
A brand to consider for an ice cream dessert, rather than as an alternative to a box of chocolates for gifting.
The retailer offers both boxes of chocolates and ice lollies, in separate categories.
The retailer has a category for sweets and gift boxes.
These chocolates and sweets are options to take with you for a treat, rather than frozen desserts. The bars, biscuits and bags below shouldn’t be confused with gift boxes: check how they’re presented if you’re planning to give them as a gift.
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A pack of bars to consider for sharing chocolates during the journey, rather than for giving as a gift.
Check the ingredients on the packaging and keep the chocolate away from heat.
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Individually portioned sweets to enjoy during your journey, rather than a gift box.
Check the allergens on the packaging and keep the chocolate away from heat.
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These chocolate biscuits are better suited to a snack during the journey than to anyone looking for a box of chocolates.
Check the ingredients before sharing, and keep them away from heat.
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The bag is an option for sharing a sweet treat during the meal; it isn’t a gift box.
If you need individually wrapped portions, check the packaging before buying. Also check the label for allergen information.
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If you’re planning to give this chocolate sweet as a gift, check the packaging: its name doesn’t tell you whether it comes in a gift box.
Also check the weight, how the pieces are packaged and the ingredients on the exact product.
Only if you can keep them frozen until you’re ready to eat them. The DGCCRF and Anses recommend using an insulated bag and limiting the time frozen products are in transit. If you don’t have a suitable way to keep them frozen during your journey, choose a non-refrigerated product instead.
A non-refrigerated box is the easiest option to transport if you can’t keep ice lollies frozen. However, check the storage instructions, ingredients and condition of the box you’re planning to give as a gift.
Read the label on the exact product, as recipes vary. Carrefour, for example, lists dairy ingredients and almonds in its Magnum white chocolate and almond ice lolly. These ingredients don’t necessarily apply to other Magnum products or boxes of chocolates.
Not necessarily: availability depends on the product, shop and collection option. Carrefour, for example, marks some boxes as unavailable for drive-through collection. Check your chosen product before relying on it for your journey.