Afternoon snack shoppers comparing sugar
If a stated sugar-reduction claim matters more to you than the bourbon format, compare the claim's reference product as well as the sugars figure on the pack.
Who is this choice for?
Shoppers who want a bourbon cream
If you want the chocolate sandwich-biscuit format, compare named products on a per-100g basis. A relatively lower figure among standard bourbons does not make one a reduced-sugar product.
School-food buyers in England
A household snack choice is different from deciding what a school may provide. The Department for Education's school-food guidance applies to England; check the applicable school-food standard and the exact product before making a catering decision.
What should you check before choosing?
Decide whether you want to keep the bourbon format or prioritise an explicit sugar-reduction claim, then compare the relevant pack information.
Keep the bourbon format
Choose this when: The chocolate sandwich biscuit matters more than buying a product with a reduced-sugar claim.
Trade-off: Tesco and Sainsbury's list lower sugars per 100g than the Waitrose and M&S products compared here, but their cited product information does not claim reduced sugar.
Change biscuit style
Choose this when: An explicit sugar-reduction claim matters more than having a bourbon cream.
Trade-off: McVitie's The Light One is a digestive; its manufacturer's 30% less sugar claim compares it with the average digestive biscuit, not a bourbon.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars per 100g | Compare the same nutrition measure on each pack. Tesco lists 25.2g, Sainsbury's 25.8g, Waitrose 27.8g and M&S Extra Cream 36.7g sugars per 100g for the named products. | I want to keep buying bourbons, so I need a like-for-like comparison of the exact varieties I'm considering. |
| Claim wording | Check what a sugar claim actually compares. McVitie's says The Light One Digestives have 30% less sugar than the average digestive biscuit; it lists 8.9g sugars per 100g. | If an explicit sugar-reduction claim is important to me, I'm willing to consider a biscuit that is not a bourbon. |
| Serving size | After comparing per 100g, check sugars per biscuit. Tesco lists 3.5g, Sainsbury's 3.4g and Waitrose 3.9g per biscuit for the named bourbons. | I'd like to know what my planned serving contributes, without mistaking a smaller biscuit for a different recipe. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current pack for the exact variety. Sainsbury's warns that its Bourbon is not suitable for customers allergic to milk or barley because of manufacturing methods. | Dietary suitability matters to me, so I need to check the product rather than assume all bourbon creams are alike. |
Common buying mistakes
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Calling a relatively lower-sugar bourbon “reduced sugar”
Tesco Bourbon Creams list 25.2g sugars per 100g and Sainsbury's Bourbon lists 25.8g, below the other named bourbons compared here. Their cited product information does not make a reduced-sugar claim.
Use “lower within this comparison” for that distinction. If a reduced-sugar claim is essential, check the claim and what product it uses as its comparator.
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Comparing only the per-biscuit number
A per-biscuit figure helps with serving decisions, but it is not a common measure when biscuits differ in size.
Compare sugars per 100g between products first, then check the per-biscuit value for the serving you intend to have.
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Assuming every bourbon has the same dietary suitability
Product-specific information differs. Tesco and Waitrose describe their named bourbons as suitable for vegans, while Sainsbury's gives a milk and barley allergy warning for its Bourbon.
Check the ingredients, allergen statement and suitability wording on the exact current pack.
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Treating a retail HFSS rule as a school-food rule
UK Government materials describe England's HFSS promotion-and-placement restrictions for medium and large food retailers. The Department for Education's school-food guidance is a separate England-specific framework.
For a school purchase, check the applicable nation, current school-food standard and exact product rather than drawing a conclusion from a retail rule or the biscuit's name.
Brand and retailer references
These figures and descriptions concern the named products, not every biscuit sold by each brand or retailer.
Tesco
Tesco Bourbon Creams are a standard bourbon option for comparing nutrition labels.
- Tesco Groceries lists 25.2g sugars per 100g and 3.5g per biscuit, and describes this product as suitable for vegans.
- A lower figure than the other named bourbons here is not a reduced-sugar claim.
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's Bourbon is another standard bourbon cream in the label comparison.
- Sainsbury's Groceries lists 25.8g sugars per 100g and 3.4g per biscuit.
- The retailer says this product is not suitable for customers allergic to milk or barley because of manufacturing methods.
Waitrose
Essential Bourbon Creams provide a further standard-bourbon label to compare.
- Waitrose & Partners lists 27.8g sugars per 100g and 3.9g per biscuit, and describes this product as suitable for vegans.
- Its listed sugars per 100g exceed those of the named Tesco and Sainsbury's products; that comparison does not establish a reduced-sugar option.
M&S
M&S describes its Extra Cream Bourbon Creams in terms of their additional chocolate cream.
- The Extra Cream variant is clearly distinguished from a standard bourbon cream by its product name and description.
- Marks & Spencer lists 36.7g sugars per 100g for this variant; its cited product information makes no reduced-sugar claim.
McVitie's
The Light One Digestives are an alternative biscuit style, not a bourbon cream.
- McVitie's lists 8.9g sugars per 100g and claims 30% less sugar than the average digestive biscuit.
- That manufacturer comparison is against digestives; it is not a reduced-sugar bourbon claim.
Joybuy biscuit options
These Joybuy options are biscuit styles other than bourbon creams for shoppers willing to change format; check each product's current nutrition and ingredients information before choosing.
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Oreo Zero Sugar Sandwich Cookies 97g
This sandwich-cookie format is an alternative if you do not need a bourbon cream. “Zero Sugar” appears in the product name; check the current nutrition panel and ingredients for the information you need.
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Gullon Zero No Added Sugar Cookies and Cream 210g
The cookies-and-cream variety offers another sandwich-biscuit format rather than a traditional bourbon. “No Added Sugar” is part of its product name; check total sugars per 100g on the current nutrition panel, as this wording does not mean zero sugars.
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Gullon Zero Dark Chocolate Ginger Oaties 285g
This ginger oat biscuit is a different flavour and format from a bourbon cream. Compare its current sugars-per-100g figure and ingredients with the other biscuits you are considering.
Questions about bourbon biscuits and sugar
Are the named supermarket bourbons reduced-sugar biscuits?
Their cited product information makes no reduced-sugar claim. Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose and M&S list 25.2g, 25.8g, 27.8g and 36.7g sugars per 100g respectively for the named products. Being lower than another bourbon in this group is a relative comparison, not a reduced-sugar claim.
Should I compare sugar per biscuit or per 100g?
Use sugars per 100g to compare different bourbon products on the same basis, then check sugars per biscuit for your planned serving. Tesco lists 3.5g per biscuit, Sainsbury's 3.4g and Waitrose 3.9g for their named products.
When does changing from a bourbon to a digestive make sense?
Consider the change if an explicit sugar-reduction claim matters more to you than the bourbon format. McVitie's says The Light One Digestives have 30% less sugar than the average digestive biscuit and lists 8.9g sugars per 100g; its claim does not compare the product with bourbons.
Does a retail HFSS rule decide whether schools can serve bourbon biscuits?
No: the UK Government's materials describe HFSS promotion-and-placement rules for medium and large food retailers in England, while the Department for Education's school-food guidance is a separate England-specific framework. For a school purchase, check the current standard for the applicable nation and the exact product rather than assuming its name determines the outcome.
What should I check on the pack before serving a biscuit?
Check the current sugars figures, ingredients and allergen statement for the exact product. Dietary information differs even among the named bourbons: Tesco and Waitrose describe theirs as suitable for vegans, while Sainsbury's warns that its Bourbon is not suitable for customers allergic to milk or barley because of manufacturing methods.