Choose custard creams explicitly labelled gluten-free rather than assuming an ordinary pack will suit guests avoiding gluten. The Tesco, Sainsbury’s and ASDA Free From products described here are also labelled milk-free and suitable for vegans; Schär offers a portion-packed option. Check the current pack’s dietary claims, ingredients and allergen information before serving.
Choose a pack explicitly labelled gluten-free, then read its current ingredients and allergen information before putting it on the table. Coeliac UK advises checking food labels when choosing for a gluten-free diet.
If you want one biscuit option for guests avoiding gluten or milk and for vegan guests, Tesco Free From, Sainsbury’s Free From and ASDA Free From each list those claims for their specified 125g custard creams. Check the exact pack you buy.
Schär’s 125g custard creams are listed by ASDA Groceries as five portion packs containing two biscuits each. That format may suit a table where you would rather set out separate packs than open a shared packet.
Start with the dietary claim your guests need, then check whether the pack format and quantity work for the way you plan to serve tea.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free claim | Look for an explicit gluten-free label on the exact pack. Read its current ingredients and allergen information; do not use a familiar custard-cream name as a substitute for the label. | I’m serving someone who needs a gluten-free biscuit, so I want to check the pack before it goes on the table. |
| Other dietary claims | Check milk-free and vegan claims separately where they matter. Tesco Free From, Sainsbury’s Free From and ASDA Free From list all three claims for their specified 125g custard creams. | One biscuit that meets several guests’ stated requirements would make serving simpler, provided its current label covers each requirement. |
| Serving format | Check the pack weight, number of biscuits and whether they come in separate portions. ASDA Groceries lists the Schär 125g product as five packs of two biscuits. | I’d prefer separate packs for the tea table, or I need to work out how many biscuits to put out for guests. |
| Nutrition information | Read the figures per biscuit or per serving on the pack, rather than treating gluten-free as a nutrition claim. The ASDA Free From listing gives 1.8g saturates and 3.5g sugars per biscuit. | If nutrition information matters for this event, I want to compare the stated serving figures alongside dietary suitability. |
ASDA Groceries lists wheat in its ordinary Custard Creams and says they may contain rye, barley and oats. That product cannot stand in for a biscuit labelled gluten-free.
Choose an explicitly labelled gluten-free product and check the physical pack before serving.
These are separate product claims. Gluten-free status also tells you nothing by itself about the sugars or saturated fat shown on a nutrition panel.
Check each dietary claim your guests need on the exact pack, and read its per-biscuit or per-serving nutrition figures if relevant.
A 125g pack does not tell you whether the biscuits are loose or divided into portions. ASDA Groceries describes Schär’s 125g custard creams as five packs of two biscuits.
Check the number of biscuits and portion format against your serving plan before choosing a pack.
ASDA Groceries lists Schär Gluten-Free Custard Creams in a 125g pack divided into five portions.
Tesco Groceries describes its 125g Free From Custard Creams as rice-flour biscuits with a vanilla-flavoured filling.
Sainsbury’s lists 125g Free From Custard Creams made with rice flour and maize flour.
ASDA Groceries lists its 125g Free From Custard Creams as gluten-free and milk-free.
This Joybuy option is a gluten-free custard cream for hosts considering separate portions at afternoon tea.
No image available
For a tea table where separate servings are useful, ASDA Groceries describes the Schär 125g pack as five portions of two biscuits each. Confirm the portion format and current dietary and allergen information on the pack you order.
The Food Standards Agency states that food labelled gluten-free must contain no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten as sold to the final consumer. Check the current ingredients and allergen information for the exact biscuits you plan to serve.
They are not a gluten-free substitute: ASDA Groceries declares wheat in its ordinary Custard Creams and says they may contain rye, barley and oats. If you also serve them, keep their packs, plates and utensils separate from the gluten-free biscuits.
Tesco Free From, Sainsbury’s Free From and ASDA Free From each list those claims alongside gluten-free status for their specified 125g custard creams. Check the current pack for the exact product before serving.
Check the rules for that event before choosing the biscuits. Department for Education guidance addresses food and drink provided in state-funded schools in England; it does not establish a blanket rule for every afternoon tea. The school should check the applicable standards and its current policy for the event.