Who are these biscuits for?

Shoppers filling a Christmas biscuit tin

If everyone sharing the biscuits can eat wheat and milk, a standard custard cream is an option. Tesco, Sainsbury’s and McVitie’s list vegetarian custard creams that contain both ingredients.

Hosts catering for gluten- or milk-free guests

Look for the specific free-from claim your guest needs. Tesco and Sainsbury’s each list a separate custard-cream product labelled gluten-free and milk-free; both are also labelled vegan. Check the exact pack before serving.

Shoppers choosing something for a tea tray

M&S lists Extra Cream custard creams with a 33% vanilla-flavour filling, as well as a chocolate-coated version. These are choices to consider when you want more than a plain custard cream, provided their allergens suit the guests.

What should you check before choosing?

Start with the requirements of everyone who will share the biscuits, then choose a pack size and biscuit style for the occasion.

Priority What to check Your needs
Dietary suitability Read the exact pack’s ingredients, allergen statement and any gluten-free or milk-free claim. Tesco’s standard biscuits may contain sesame; Sainsbury’s standard biscuits carry a barley-allergy manufacturing caution. I need every guest to have a biscuit they can eat, including anyone who needs a separately labelled free-from option.
Pack size Compare the stated weights: the standard Tesco pack is 400g and Sainsbury’s is 200g, while their free-from packs are 125g each. For a shared tin, I may need a larger pack; for one guest with a dietary restriction, I may need a separate pack instead.
Biscuit style Decide between a standard sandwich biscuit, extra filling or a chocolate coating. Ocado lists a 33% vanilla-flavour filling for M&S Extra Cream; its chocolate-coated M&S product lists milk, soya, wheat and gluten. I want to know whether a familiar plain biscuit or a different tea-tray option fits the people I’m serving.
Keeping the pack Check the pack’s storage instructions and how you will close it between servings. If the biscuits will be served over several gatherings, I want to store the opened pack as directed.

Buying mistakes to avoid

  • Assuming all custard creams are free-from

    The standard Tesco, Sainsbury’s and McVitie’s products listed in the research contain wheat and milk, so they are not substitutes for biscuits labelled for a guest’s gluten- or milk-free requirement.

    Choose a separately labelled product for that guest and read its allergen statement on the pack you will serve.

  • Treating different pack weights as equal

    A 125g free-from pack contains less biscuit by weight than the 200g and 400g standard packs described here. One pack of each will not provide the same quantity for sharing.

    Compare the weights and consider how many people will eat each type before deciding how many packs to buy.

  • Assuming a coated biscuit has the same ingredients as a plain one

    The M&S chocolate-coated custard cream lists soya as well as milk, wheat and gluten. Its coating changes what needs checking when biscuits are being served to guests.

    Read the declaration for the particular variant, even if you have bought plain custard creams before.

  • Choosing for an allergy from the product name alone

    A name such as “custard creams” does not identify every allergen or manufacturing caution. GOV.UK guidance says regulated allergens present in prepacked food must be clearly identified in its ingredients list.

    Use the ingredients and allergen declaration on the pack being served, including any relevant precautionary wording.

Brand options to compare

These product lines illustrate different custard-cream choices; check the individual pack rather than applying one variant’s claims to a whole brand.

Tesco

Tesco lists a 400g standard custard-cream pack and a separate 125g Free From pack.

  • The standard biscuits are labelled suitable for vegetarians; the Free From biscuits are labelled gluten-free, milk-free and vegan.
  • The standard biscuits contain wheat and milk and may contain sesame. The Free From claims belong to the separate 125g product.

Sainsbury’s

Sainsbury’s lists standard 200g custard creams and a separate 125g Free From version.

  • The Free From version is labelled gluten-free, milk-free, vegan and suitable for coeliacs.
  • The standard biscuits contain wheat and milk. Sainsbury’s also says they are unsuitable for customers with a barley allergy because of manufacturing methods.

McVitie’s

McVitie’s Tasties Custard Creams are vanilla-flavour cream sandwich biscuits.

  • The product is labelled suitable for vegetarians and states that it has no hydrogenated vegetable oil or artificial colours or flavours.
  • It contains wheat and milk and may contain sesame; it is not a free-from alternative.

M&S

M&S has Extra Cream and chocolate-coated custard-cream variants for shoppers considering something other than a plain biscuit.

  • Ocado’s listing describes a 33% vanilla-flavour filling and real custard powder in M&S Extra Cream.
  • Ocado’s chocolate-coated product lists milk, soya, wheat and gluten. Check the ingredients of whichever variant you choose.

A Joybuy custard-cream option

This option is for adding a separate gluten-free custard cream to a Christmas biscuit selection. Check its pack for any other dietary requirement a guest has.

Schar Gluten Free Custard Creams 125g pack

Schar Gluten Free Custard Creams 125g

A 125g gluten-free custard-cream option for a separate biscuit selection. Check the pack’s full ingredients and allergen statement if a guest has other dietary requirements.

View on Joybuy

Questions about custard creams

Can I serve standard custard creams to someone avoiding gluten or milk?

Do not assume so: the standard Tesco and Sainsbury’s custard creams described here contain wheat and milk ingredients. Choose a biscuit explicitly labelled for the guest’s requirement and check the exact pack before serving.

Where should I check for allergens on a prepacked biscuit?

Read the ingredients and allergen information on the pack you will serve. GOV.UK guidance says that, when a prepacked food contains any of the 14 regulated allergens, they must be clearly identified within the ingredients list.

Does a vegan label cover every allergy?

No. Check for the specific allergen or free-from claim the guest needs, along with the full pack declaration. Tesco’s Free From custard creams, for example, are labelled gluten-free and milk-free as well as vegan; those claims should not be assumed for every vegan biscuit.

How should I plan for biscuits served across several Christmas gatherings?

Choose pack quantities for the people who can eat each type, particularly if a free-from pack is being kept separate. Follow the storage instructions on each pack and close opened packs between servings.