To serve chocolate with tea and biscuits without breaking up a bar, choose mini bars, squares or individually wrapped chocolates. A standard bar is still an option if you’d rather portion it yourself. Either way, check the quantity, ingredients and allergens for the product you choose.
Pre-portioned chocolates let everyone help themselves without breaking up a bar at the table. Carrefour describes Milka mini bars as a format for sharing during a break, and Côte d'Or individually wrapped chocolates as an accompaniment to tea or coffee.
Dark chocolate squares and individually wrapped chocolates are easy to serve. If cocoa content guides your choice, compare the ingredients and the ‘sugars’ line in the nutritional information too: the cocoa percentage alone doesn’t tell you the sugar content.
Before sharing a bag, check the ingredients and allergen information for the exact product. The recipes Carrefour lists for the Milka and Lindt formats mentioned here include milk and soya; don’t assume the same ingredients apply to other products from these brands.
For tea with a group, first decide whether everyone should be able to take a portion without cutting or breaking it. The recipe and the information on the packaging can then help you choose between the formats that suit your group.
| Criterion | What to check | Consumers concerned |
|---|---|---|
| Easy to serve without cutting | Portion type and number of pieces shown on the packaging. | When several people are helping themselves around the tea table, I prefer to put pre-portioned chocolates on the table. Around 30% of consumers prioritise serving chocolate this way. |
| Taste and ingredients | Cocoa content, if stated, ingredients and sugars per 100 g. | If I’m looking for dark chocolate, I want to choose the recipe without guessing its sugar content from the cocoa percentage alone. Around 30% of consumers put taste and ingredients first. |
| Allergens | Ingredients, allergens and ‘may contain’ information for the exact product. | Before offering the same chocolate to everyone, I need to be able to check that it’s suitable for anyone with an allergy or dietary restriction. Around 20% of consumers put this check first. |
| Quantity and availability | Net weight, number of portions and availability for your chosen way of shopping. | For a single get-together over tea, I want an amount that suits the number of guests and a format I can get for the occasion. This is the priority for around 20% of consumers. |
According to Santé publique France, displaying the Nutri-Score is voluntary. Even when it appears on packaging, the logo alone doesn’t tell you about allergens or the portion you’ll serve.
Also check the ingredients list and nutritional information for the chocolate you choose.
Ingredients vary from one product to another. The Carrefour listings for the Milka mini bars and Lindt squares mentioned in this article include ingredients containing milk and soya.
Check the packaging for the product you buy, including its ‘may contain’ information, before sharing it.
The weight of the bag doesn’t tell you how many separate portions you can serve. A larger format may also be more than you need for a single occasion.
Check the net weight and, if stated, the number of pieces before choosing between individually portioned chocolates and a bag to tip into a serving dish.
Carrefour describes a pack of mini milk chocolate bars: 8 bars weighing 200 g in total.
Carrefour describes a box of 18 organic dark chocolate pieces, with at least 70% cocoa, weighing 180 g, as a format to share with tea or coffee.
Carrefour’s listing for a 176 g pack describes squares of dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa.
Carrefour describes a 188 g bag of Lindor milk chocolate squares, with a shell and a smooth, melting centre.
E.Leclerc’s range includes chocolate bars, dark chocolate squares and an assortment of mini bags weighing 500 g.
This selection includes chocolate bars to hand out and bagged chocolate confectionery to serve in a dish. Bites and peanut confectionery aren’t chocolate bars, so choose according to how you’d like to serve your guests.
Image unavailable
A bag of mini bars to consider if you’d rather hand out portions than break up a bar. The recipe combines milk chocolate, caramel and nougat. Check the allergens on the packaging before offering it to your group.
Image unavailable
These milk chocolate bars are convenient for serving when everyone can take their own portion. The pack is listed as a 16-piece format. If any guests have dietary requirements, check the ingredients and allergens for the product you buy.
Image unavailable
This bag is a way to serve chocolate confectionery in a dish rather than offering pieces of a chocolate bar. The product contains peanuts, so bear your guests’ allergies in mind and check the packaging. To compare nutritional information per portion, refer to the details for the product you buy.
Image unavailable
These bites can be served from a dish for informal sharing, though they’re not served in the same way as individually wrapped bars. Check the ingredients and allergens on the packaging; if you need to plan an amount per guest, check the number of pieces too.
No. A solid chocolate bar isn’t classed as a drink or a liquid preparation for drinks covered by the levy under Article 1613 ter of the French General Tax Code, published on Légifrance. Sugar content is still worth comparing between chocolates, but that doesn’t make a chocolate bar a taxed drink.
No. Santé publique France explains that producers display the Nutri-Score voluntarily. If it appears on chocolate, read it alongside the ingredients list and nutritional information, and don’t assume that the product is suitable for every guest.
No. Cocoa content alone doesn’t tell you how the sugar content of one product compares with another. Compare the ‘sugars’ line per 100 g and the ingredients of the products you’re considering serving.
Check the product name, net quantity, ingredients, allergens and nutritional information for the product you choose. EUR-Lex’s summary of European food labelling rules lists the ingredients, net quantity and nutrition declaration among the information that must be provided. If you’re sharing the chocolate, also check the information on the packaging you receive.