Hosts serving a classic biscuit
A bourbon cream gives guests a chocolate biscuit with a cream filling. For a sharing table, check the biscuit count as well as the pack weight.
Who is choosing?
Guests looking for declared dark chocolate
If ‘dark’ means a stated cocoa-solids figure, check the chocolate specification rather than the biscuit’s colour. M&S states a minimum of 49% cocoa solids for its dark chocolate ginger biscuits, which are not bourbons.
Hosts checking dietary and allergen details
Check each guest’s requirements against the current pack. Waitrose labels its Essential Bourbon Creams suitable for vegans, but also lists wheat and a possible presence of sesame.
What should you check?
Decide whether the biscuit must be a bourbon, then compare the cocoa description, serving quantity and label details that matter for your table.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Dark chocolate | Look for a stated cocoa-solids percentage in the chocolate component. Cocoa powder in a bourbon ingredient list does not establish that percentage. | If I want a stated dark-chocolate specification, I can consider a non-bourbon biscuit. M&S declares at least 49% cocoa solids for the dark chocolate in its ginger biscuits. |
| Sharing quantity | Compare the stated biscuit count with pack weight, and check stock before relying on a particular pack. | For a larger table, I can plan around Waitrose Essential’s approximately 30 biscuits per 400g pack, allowing for the other food being served. |
| Biscuit format | Check whether the product is a bourbon cream, a coated bourbon or another type of biscuit. M&S describes its Extra Cream Bourbon Creams as having more chocolate cream; its coated bourbon uses milk chocolate. | I may prefer a familiar cream-filled bourbon, or want more filling or a chocolate coating. A coated bourbon is not necessarily a dark-chocolate choice. |
| Guest suitability | Read the current ingredient and ‘may contain’ statements for each pack. Check dietary labels separately from allergen information. | Before I put biscuits on a shared plate, I need to check them against my guests’ requirements; a vegan label alone does not settle an allergy question. |
What can be easy to overlook?
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Assuming a dark biscuit has a high cocoa-solids content
The reviewed bourbon listings name fat-reduced cocoa powder without stating a cocoa-solids percentage. Colour alone cannot answer a request for a stated dark-chocolate specification.
Check the chocolate description for a cocoa-solids figure. If it matters to your guests, do not treat an unquantified bourbon as a declared high-cocoa option.
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Treating a vegan label as an allergen check
Waitrose Essential Bourbon Creams are labelled suitable for vegans, yet the listing identifies wheat and says they may contain sesame. Other biscuit recipes have different ingredients and warnings.
Ask guests about allergies, check the physical packs before serving and keep the packaging available at the table.
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Planning portions around a pack without checking stock
Tesco Groceries marked its 592g Bourbon Creams pack out of stock when the listing was checked. A listed pack size does not guarantee that you can obtain it for the party.
Check availability before settling the biscuit count, and identify another suitable pack if you need to make a substitution.
Relevant brand references
Waitrose Essential
Its Bourbon Creams offer a conventional sharing option: Waitrose lists a 400g pack containing approximately 30 biscuits.
- Labelled suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
- Contains wheat and may contain sesame; the listing does not state a cocoa-solids percentage.
M&S
Its Extra Cream Bourbon Creams and dark chocolate ginger biscuits offer different routes: the ginger biscuit is not a bourbon.
- M&S describes the bourbon as having more chocolate cream and states a minimum of 49% cocoa solids for the dark chocolate in its ginger biscuit.
- The bourbon listing does not state a cocoa-solids percentage. M&S says its dark chocolate ginger biscuit is unsuitable for people with a nut or peanut allergy.
Tesco
Tesco lists its Bourbon Creams in a 592g pack for shoppers comparing sharing quantities.
- The listing identifies a larger-format pack.
- It names fat-reduced cocoa powder without stating a cocoa-solids percentage, and was marked out of stock when checked.
Joybuy product options
These options include dark chocolate digestives and a chocolate cream cracker sandwich. The cracker sandwich is similar in format to a bourbon cream, but none of these products should be mistaken for a traditional bourbon biscuit.
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McVitie's Digestives Dark Chocolate Twin Pack, 2 x 266g
Consider this twin pack if you want dark chocolate digestives alongside the afternoon tea biscuits rather than bourbons. It contains 2 x 266g packs; check the current packaging if a particular cocoa-solids figure or allergen detail matters.
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Rebisco Choco Cream Filled Cracker Sandwich, 10 x 32g
Choose this for a chocolate cream-filled cracker sandwich, not for a traditional bourbon or a declared dark-chocolate specification. The pack contains 10 individually wrapped 32g portions; check the packaging for ingredients and allergens before serving.
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McVitie's Digestives Dark Chocolate 400g
This 400g pack is another dark chocolate digestive option for the tea table, rather than a bourbon cream. If you need a particular cocoa-solids percentage, check the pack; also read its current allergen information before serving.
Questions about serving
How can I tell whether a bourbon has a stated dark-chocolate specification?
Look for a cocoa-solids percentage for the chocolate, rather than judging by colour. The reviewed bourbon listings name fat-reduced cocoa powder without stating that percentage. M&S states at least 49% cocoa solids for the dark chocolate in its ginger biscuits, but those biscuits are not bourbons.
How many bourbon biscuits should I plan for afternoon tea?
Start with a stated biscuit count and adjust it for your guest count and the other food on the table. Waitrose lists approximately 30 Essential Bourbon Creams in its 400g pack; pack weight alone does not give you a biscuit count for another product.
Are bourbon biscuits suitable for vegan guests or guests with allergies?
Suitability depends on the individual product and the guest’s requirements. Waitrose labels its Essential Bourbon Creams suitable for vegans and vegetarians, but identifies wheat and a possible presence of sesame. Check each current pack’s ingredients and allergen statements before serving.