Halloween hosts comparing sugar figures
If you are putting out biscuits alongside other party food, compare total sugars per 100g across bourbon biscuit packs. Use the per-biscuit figure separately when deciding how many to serve.
Who needs to check what?
Hosts catering for ingredient exclusions
Ask guests about gluten, milk and other relevant allergens before choosing a shared pack. A free-from declaration addresses specified ingredients; it does not, by itself, describe the biscuit’s sugar content.
School-event organisers in England
If the event is connected with a state-funded school in England, ask the school or catering lead which food rules and arrangements apply to the event. Retail food-promotion rules are a separate matter.
What matters when choosing?
Start with the guest list, then compare nutrition figures on the same basis. A biscuit with fewer sugars per piece is not necessarily the one with fewer sugars per 100g.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Listed sugars | Compare total sugars per 100g across packs. Check sugars per biscuit separately when planning portions. | I want to compare similar biscuits without mistaking a smaller biscuit for a lower-sugar recipe. ASDA Groceries lists 18g sugars per 100g for ASDA Free From, against 27g for its standard Bourbon Biscuits. |
| Guest requirements | Read the current ingredient and allergen declarations. Check each free-from or vegan statement for the particular product, and keep a suitable pack separately labelled when serving. | Some guests need to avoid gluten or milk. ASDA Groceries labels its Free From Bourbon Biscuits as free from milk and cereals containing gluten; that does not make other bourbon biscuits suitable for the same guests. |
| Nutrition labels | Look at the nutrition panel as well as any traffic-light label; the latter is not a substitute for checking the product’s per-100g values. | I use the label rather than the pack’s appearance to compare biscuits. In a 2024 Food Standards Agency and Ipsos Northern Ireland survey, approximately 49% of 611 respondents interviewed in Northern Ireland between 16 September and 23 November said they actively used traffic-light labelling when shopping for food. This measured general food-shopping behaviour, not bourbon-biscuit preferences. |
| Event setting | For a school-connected event, confirm the nation, school setting and food-service arrangements with the organiser. | If I am serving biscuits at a state-funded school in England, I need the school’s guidance for that event rather than assuming retail promotion rules determine what can be served. |
Common buying mistakes
-
Reading “free from” as “reduced sugar”
ASDA Groceries lists 18g sugars per 100g for ASDA Free From Bourbon Biscuits, while Tesco Groceries lists 21.9g for Tesco Free From Bourbon Creams. Those figures describe total sugars; the products’ free-from descriptions concern excluded ingredients.
Check sugars per 100g and allergen declarations separately. Do not rely on a free-from label as a reduced-sugar claim.
-
Comparing only the sugar in one biscuit
Retailer panels list different per-biscuit figures: 3.4g sugars for Sainsbury’s Bourbon, 3.5g for Tesco Bourbon Creams and 3.8g for ASDA Bourbon Biscuits. Biscuit size affects what a per-piece figure tells you.
Use sugars per 100g to compare packs, then consult the per-biscuit figure when planning how many to put out.
-
Putting one standard pack out for every guest
ASDA Groceries says its standard Bourbon Biscuits contain wheat and may contain milk and other listed allergens. Sainsbury’s says its Bourbon is not suitable for customers with milk or barley allergy because of manufacturing methods.
Ask about allergies before shopping. Keep any biscuit chosen for an ingredient exclusion in its clearly labelled packaging and check that pack before serving.
-
Using retail rules to decide a school menu
In England, the Food (Promotion and Placement) Regulations 2021 address specified retail promotions and placement. School-food requirements for state-funded schools are dealt with separately under the Requirements for School Food Regulations 2014 and Department for Education guidance.
For a school-connected Halloween event, check the applicable arrangements with the school or catering lead before choosing food.
Brand and product-line references
These retailer and brand examples refer to named products, not to every biscuit made by each brand. Check the current pack when buying for guests.
ASDA
ASDA Groceries lists both standard Bourbon Biscuits and a separately labelled Free From version.
- Free From Bourbon Biscuits list 18g sugars per 100g and are labelled free from milk and cereals containing gluten.
- Standard Bourbon Biscuits list 27g sugars per 100g, contain wheat and may contain other stated allergens.
Tesco
Tesco Groceries lists standard Bourbon Creams and a separate Free From Bourbon Creams product.
- Free From Bourbon Creams list 21.9g sugars per 100g, compared with 25.2g for the standard product.
- The standard Bourbon Creams contain wheat. Check the Free From pack for the specific exclusions your guests require.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s Bourbon is a standard biscuit to compare using its nutrition and allergen panel.
- Sainsbury’s lists 25.8g sugars per 100g and 3.4g per biscuit.
- It contains wheat and is not suitable for customers with milk or barley allergy because of manufacturing methods.
Waitrose
Waitrose & Partners lists Essential Bourbon Creams Biscuits as suitable for vegans.
- The listed sugar figures are 27.8g per 100g and 3.9g per biscuit.
- The product may contain sesame; vegan suitability does not answer an allergen question.
McVitie’s
The ASDA Groceries listing for McVitie’s Tasties Bourbon Cream Biscuits gives figures for a named branded pack.
- It lists 30.3g sugars per 100g and 4.2g per 14g biscuit.
- It contains wheat and may contain sesame and milk, so check guest requirements before serving it.
M&S
M&S Extra Cream Bourbon Creams are a distinct cream-filled variant, rather than a product identified by a reduced-sugar claim.
- M&S lists 36.7g sugars per 100g for this product.
- Its ingredients include wheat, milk and soya.
A related Joybuy biscuit option
This cookies-and-cream biscuit is an alternative style to consider for the party, not a bourbon-labelled entry in the retailer comparison above.
No image available
Gullon Zero No Added Sugar Cookies and Cream 210g
This 210g cookies-and-cream biscuit pack is a different style from a bourbon biscuit. If comparing it for a Halloween party, check its current sugars-per-100g figure, allergen declaration and any sweetener information on the pack before serving.
Questions about serving bourbon biscuits
Does “free from” mean a bourbon biscuit is reduced sugar?
No. “Free from” identifies excluded ingredients, not a sugar-reduction claim. ASDA Groceries and Tesco Groceries list lower total sugars per 100g for their named Free From bourbon products than for their respective standard versions, but compare current nutrition panels rather than treating the free-from wording as proof of a reduced-sugar claim.
Which of the compared bourbon biscuits lists the least sugar?
Among five products compared on their retailer panels, ASDA Free From Bourbon Biscuits list the lowest total sugars at 18g per 100g, according to ASDA Groceries. Check that the pack’s milk-free and gluten-free declarations suit your guests, and confirm the current nutrition panel before buying.
Should I compare sugar per biscuit or per 100g?
Use total sugars per 100g to compare bourbon biscuit products on the same basis. Use the per-biscuit figure when deciding how many biscuits to serve; it can change with biscuit size. Total sugars on a nutrition label should not be read as a measurement of free sugars.
Do retail HFSS rules prohibit bourbon biscuits at every school Halloween event?
Retail HFSS promotion rules do not, on their own, settle what can be served at a school event. In England, the Food (Promotion and Placement) Regulations 2021 concern specified retail promotions and placement, while school-food requirements for state-funded schools are addressed separately in the Requirements for School Food Regulations 2014 and Department for Education guidance. The Department’s guidance dated 14 September 2026 says proposed changes for September 2027 are subject to Parliamentary approval. Ask the school which rules and arrangements apply to the particular event.