Traditional Bourbon fans comparing sugars
If the familiar chocolate Bourbon cream matters most, compare the total-sugars figures on standard packs. A lower figure within this group does not make a biscuit a reduced-sugar product.
Who is this choice for?
The decision turns on whether the recipient wants a traditional Bourbon cream, a biscuit with an explicit sugar claim, or a pack suitable for everyone sharing the tea.
Gift buyers looking for an explicit sugar claim
If the gift needs wording such as “no added sugar” on the product itself, consider another biscuit format and check the claim against the exact pack’s nutrition panel.
Hosts checking diets and allergens
For a shared Mother’s Day tea, check the pack’s ingredients and allergen declarations as well as any vegan or vegetarian statement. Vegan suitability does not settle allergy questions.
What should you check?
Decide first whether the Bourbon format or an explicit sugar claim is essential, then compare labels on the same basis and check the pack before serving.
Keep the traditional Bourbon
Choose this when: The recipient particularly wants a chocolate Bourbon cream and you are comparing standard products by their listed sugars.
Trade-off: A lower figure in this group is not an explicit reduced-sugar claim.
Choose another biscuit format
Choose this when: A stated sugar claim matters more than serving a Bourbon cream.
Trade-off: A differently flavoured or shaped biscuit may not suit someone expecting a traditional Bourbon.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Comparable sugars figures | Compare total sugars per 100g across packs, then check sugars per biscuit for the serving. Tesco Groceries lists 25.2g per 100g and 3.5g per biscuit for Tesco Bourbon Creams; ASDA Groceries lists 27g and 3.8g for ASDA Bourbon Biscuits. | I want to compare biscuits on the same basis before deciding what to put out with tea. In a Food Standards Agency and Ipsos Northern Ireland survey of 611 people conducted in September–November 2024, 49% said they actively used traffic-light labelling when shopping for food; that measures label use, not preference for Bourbon biscuits. |
| Sugar-claim wording | Check whether the exact pack makes a sugar claim; do not infer one from a lower total-sugars figure than another biscuit. Read the nutrition panel alongside the wording. The NHS distinguishes the total sugars shown on labels from free sugars. | If the gift needs an explicit sugar claim, I would check the alternative biscuit’s own pack rather than describe an ordinary Bourbon as reduced sugar. |
| Allergens and diet | Read the exact pack’s ingredients, contains and may-contain statements, and vegan or vegetarian wording. Tesco Groceries, ASDA Groceries and Waitrose & Partners list their referenced Bourbons as suitable for vegans, but each lists wheat. | For a shared tea, I need to know whether the biscuits suit the people being served, not just whether the pack says vegan. |
Common buying mistakes
-
Calling the lowest-sugars Bourbon “reduced sugar”
The five listed standard Bourbons range from 25.2g to 36.7g total sugars per 100g, according to their Tesco Groceries, ASDA Groceries, Waitrose & Partners and Ocado listings. A comparison between them does not establish a reduced-sugar claim for any one pack.
Describe Tesco Bourbon Creams as having the lowest listed total sugars in this five-product comparison, and check the exact pack if a sugar claim is essential.
-
Comparing only the per-biscuit number
Per-biscuit figures describe a serving, while per-100g figures provide a common basis for comparing differently sized biscuits.
Start with total sugars per 100g, then use the per-biscuit value to understand the serving you intend to offer.
-
Taking vegan wording as an allergen guarantee
Tesco, Asda and Waitrose list the referenced Bourbons as suitable for vegans, but their product information also lists wheat and may-contain allergens.
Check the physical pack immediately before serving, particularly when a guest has an allergy.
-
Choosing extra cream for a sugar-reduction goal
Ocado’s listing describes M&S Extra Cream Bourbon Creams as having an extra-thick filling and gives 36.7g sugars per 100g, the highest figure among the five products compared here.
If reducing the listed sugars within standard Bourbons is the priority, compare the per-100g panels rather than choosing by the amount of filling.
Brand and product-line references
These figures refer to the named Bourbon products, not every biscuit made by each brand. Check the current pack when buying for a Mother’s Day tea.
Tesco
Tesco Bourbon Creams are a standard own-label Bourbon for comparing listed sugars within the five-product group.
- Tesco Groceries lists 25.2g total sugars per 100g and 3.5g per biscuit, the lowest figures on those measures in this comparison.
- The listing says suitable for vegans, lists wheat and says it may contain sesame. It does not present the product as reduced sugar.
Asda
ASDA Bourbon Biscuits offer the traditional format with a listed vegan-suitability statement.
- ASDA Groceries lists 27g total sugars per 100g and 3.8g per biscuit.
- The product contains wheat and may contain milk, rye, oats, barley and sesame. Its listing does not make an explicit reduced-sugar claim.
Waitrose Essential
Essential Bourbon Creams are a Waitrose own-label option listed as suitable for vegans.
- Waitrose & Partners lists 27.8g total sugars per 100g and 3.9g per biscuit.
- The listing identifies wheat and a may-contain sesame statement; it does not present the biscuit as reduced sugar.
McVitie’s
McVitie’s Tasties Bourbon Creams provide a branded traditional Bourbon option.
- ASDA Groceries lists 30.3g total sugars per 100g and 4.2g per 14g biscuit.
- The listing says suitable for vegetarians, lists wheat and says the product may contain sesame and milk.
M&S
M&S Extra Cream Bourbon Creams have an extra-thick chocolate-flavoured filling, as described in Ocado’s listing.
- The product offers a different filling proportion for someone choosing by biscuit style rather than a sugar claim.
- Ocado lists 36.7g total sugars per 100g and identifies milk, soya and wheat in the product.
Biscuit alternatives on Joybuy
These are alternatives to a traditional Bourbon cream for a Mother’s Day tea: two sandwich-style biscuits and one ginger oat biscuit. Check each exact pack’s sugar wording, nutrition panel and allergens before serving.
No image available
Gullon Zero No Added Sugar Cookies and Cream 210g
A cookies-and-cream biscuit to consider when the recipient does not need the traditional Bourbon format. Check the physical pack for wheat and soya, its may-contain milk and mustard statement, and the warning that excessive consumption of its maltitol-sweetened biscuits may have a laxative effect.
No image available
Oreo Zero Sugar Sandwich Cookies 97g
A chocolate sandwich cookie rather than a Bourbon cream. Check the sugar wording and nutrition panel on the exact pack, along with its wheat and soya allergens; the product information also notes that excessive consumption of maltitol may have a laxative effect.
No image available
Gullon Zero Dark Chocolate Ginger Oaties 285g
A ginger oat biscuit with dark chocolate, not a Bourbon-style cream sandwich. Check the exact pack for oats, wheat, milk and soya, its may-contain nuts statement, and the warning that excessive consumption of its maltitol-sweetened biscuits may have a laxative effect.
Questions about sugar and Bourbon biscuits
Does the lowest-sugars Bourbon in this comparison count as reduced sugar?
Not on the basis of this comparison. Tesco Groceries lists 25.2g total sugars per 100g for Tesco Bourbon Creams, lower than the other four named standard Bourbons, but that relative figure is not a reduced-sugar claim on the product. Check the exact pack if the claim matters for the gift.
How should I compare sugars in Bourbon biscuits?
Compare total sugars per 100g first, then look at the per-biscuit figure for the amount you intend to serve. The NHS describes more than 22.5g total sugars per 100g as high on food labels; each of the five standard Bourbons compared here exceeds that figure.
Are vegan Bourbon biscuits suitable for guests with allergies?
Vegan wording is not an allergen guarantee. Tesco, Asda and Waitrose list the referenced Bourbons as suitable for vegans, but all three list wheat and have may-contain statements. Check the physical pack being served for each guest’s relevant allergens.
Is the total-sugars figure the same as free sugars?
No. The NHS explains that the total-sugars line includes sugars from all sources, while free sugars include sugars added to food and drinks and those in honey, syrups, juices, smoothies and purées. Use total sugars to compare like-for-like nutrition panels without treating that figure as a separate free-sugars measurement.