Do not assume bourbon biscuits are gluten free: Tesco’s standard Bourbon Creams list wheat flour and wheat starch, while its separately labelled Free From Bourbon Creams are a gluten-free bourbon-style option. If a guest needs to avoid gluten, choose a pack currently labelled gluten free and check its ingredients and allergen information before serving; an ordinary bourbon is an option only when that requirement does not apply.
If a guest needs to avoid gluten, the relevant distinction is between a biscuit explicitly labelled gluten free and an ordinary bourbon cream that may contain wheat. Check the pack you will serve, rather than relying on its appearance.
A cocoa sandwich biscuit may suit the occasion, but its style does not establish its gluten-free status. Tesco lists Free From Bourbon Creams separately from its standard, wheat-containing Bourbon Creams.
When ordinary and gluten-free biscuits share an afternoon-tea table, keep their packs identifiable. A vegan label or a familiar-looking bourbon biscuit should not be mistaken for a gluten-free claim.
Start with the dietary requirement, then decide whether the biscuit also needs to resemble a bourbon cream or whether another gluten-free biscuit will do.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free identification | Look for a current gluten-free claim on the exact pack. Read its ingredients and allergen information before serving. Where present, Coeliac UK’s Crossed Grain Trademark indicates additional certification checks. | I’m serving someone who needs to avoid gluten, so a biscuit’s name or appearance is not enough to make the choice. |
| Standard recipes | Check for wheat and other cereals containing gluten in the ingredient and allergen information. Tesco Groceries lists wheat flour and wheat starch in its standard Bourbon Creams; Marks & Spencer lists wheat flour in its chocolate-coated bourbon product. | If I’m buying ordinary bourbons for other guests too, I need to distinguish those packs from the gluten-free biscuits. |
| Biscuit style | For a bourbon-style option, check that the gluten-free product is a cocoa sandwich biscuit. If another style will do, check the gluten-free claim on that individual packet instead. | I’d like a bourbon-style biscuit with tea, but I can serve a different gluten-free biscuit if the sandwich style is not essential. |
| Other dietary labels | Match each claim to the guest’s requirement. Tesco’s standard Bourbon Creams are marked suitable for vegans yet list wheat flour and wheat starch. | A vegan or milk-free claim would not answer my question about gluten. |
Tesco Groceries lists wheat flour and wheat starch in its standard Bourbon Creams, while its Free From Bourbon Creams are separately labelled gluten free. The standard pack is not an interchangeable choice for a gluten-free guest.
Select a pack explicitly labelled gluten free, then read that pack’s ingredients and allergen information before serving.
Tesco’s standard Bourbon Creams are suitable for vegans but contain wheat flour and wheat starch. The two labels address different requirements.
Check specifically for a gluten-free claim when gluten avoidance matters, regardless of any other dietary wording.
Pack size cannot make a wheat-containing bourbon suitable for someone who needs to avoid gluten.
Check gluten-free suitability first; compare pack sizes only between biscuits that meet the guest’s requirement.
These examples distinguish labelled bourbon-style biscuits from other gluten-free tea biscuits; a retailer’s wider free-from range does not change the ingredients of its standard bourbons.
Tesco Groceries lists Free From Bourbon Creams as a 150g gluten-free cocoa sandwich biscuit, separate from its standard Bourbon Creams.
UK reseller London Food Hall describes Sainsbury's Free From Bourbon Creams as gluten-free bourbon-style chocolate sandwich biscuits in a 150g pack.
Waitrose & Partners lists gluten-free biscuits including its Choc Chunk Cookies and Schär Digestives as alternatives when a bourbon-style biscuit is not required.
Marks & Spencer lists Made Without gluten-free biscuits, including gingerbread, as another biscuit route for afternoon tea.
These are gluten-free biscuit options for afternoon tea when a bourbon-style cocoa sandwich biscuit is not essential. Each is a different biscuit style, not a gluten-free bourbon cream; check the current pack for your guest’s requirements.
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A gluten-free oat biscuit alternative for the tea table, rather than a bourbon-style sandwich biscuit. The pack is 160g; check its current allergen information if oats, milk or nuts are also a concern.
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A gluten-free digestive for afternoon tea, not a cocoa sandwich biscuit. The pack is 150g; check its current allergen information if lupin is a concern.
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A gluten-free Hobnobs option if an oat biscuit will do instead of a bourbon-style sandwich biscuit. The pack is 150g; check its current allergen information if nuts, milk, egg or soya are also relevant.
Do not assume they are. Tesco Groceries lists wheat flour and wheat starch in its standard Bourbon Creams, and Marks & Spencer lists wheat flour in its chocolate-coated bourbon product. If gluten avoidance is required, choose a biscuit with a current gluten-free claim.
Use the listing to identify a possible biscuit, then read the physical pack before serving. Ingredients and allergen information can change, so the label on the product you have is the practical check.
A vegan claim does not establish that a biscuit is gluten free. Tesco’s standard Bourbon Creams are marked suitable for vegans but list wheat flour and wheat starch, so check for a gluten-free claim separately.
Where it appears, Coeliac UK’s Crossed Grain Trademark identifies a product covered by its certification checks. Coeliac UK says these include checks of gluten-analysis certificates and independent audits; still read the current pack for the particular biscuit you are serving.