Households sharing biscuits
If several people will eat from one purchase, consider how many packets you want open at once. Tesco lists its 750g custard creams as five 150g packets, a format that allows the remaining packets to stay unopened.
Who is this choice for?
The useful distinction is how the biscuits will be shared and how you will use the label, not whether a pack is described as a family size.
Shoppers comparing portions and labels
Use the per-biscuit energy figure to work out the amount you plan to eat, then compare sugars and saturated fat per 100g across products. Sainsbury’s lists 59 kcal per biscuit for its 200g pack; Asda also lists 59 kcal per biscuit for its 400g pack.
People checking for wheat or milk
Read the ingredients and allergen statement on the pack you receive. For example, Iceland’s listing for Crawford’s 300g custard creams identifies wheat and milk; another product’s ingredients must be checked separately.
What should you check before buying?
Decide how much the household will use, then compare nutrition on the same per-100g basis and check the information for the exact pack.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Portion size | Find the energy value per biscuit and decide how many biscuits you plan to have. Sainsbury’s lists 59 kcal per biscuit for its 200g custard creams, and Asda lists 59 kcal for its 400g product. | I want to count the biscuits I eat, rather than treat the whole packet as one serving. |
| Pack format | Check the total weight and whether the biscuits are divided into inner packets. Tesco Groceries lists its 750g custard creams as five 150g packets; a smaller pack holds less in total. | Will several of us share this purchase, or am I mainly buying biscuits for one person? Separate packets matter to me only if we plan when to open them. |
| Sugars and saturates | Compare both figures per 100g on the exact products. The NHS defines more than 22.5g sugars or 5g saturated fat per 100g as high; Sainsbury’s lists 26.5g sugars and 10g saturates, while Asda lists 29g and 13g respectively. | I want to compare products on the same basis, as well as check the amount in the biscuits I expect to eat. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current pack’s ingredients, highlighted allergens and any precautionary statement. Iceland’s Crawford’s listing identifies wheat and milk, but that does not establish the ingredients of another custard cream. | If wheat or milk matters in my household, I need to check the particular pack before serving it. |
Common buying mistakes
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Assuming a family pack is a nutritional advantage
Dividing biscuits into packets changes how they can be stored and shared, not the nutrition of an individual biscuit. Tesco’s 750g format contains five 150g packets, but pack format alone cannot establish a nutrient advantage.
Choose that format if the household will use the separate packets. Otherwise, consider whether a smaller total pack better fits the occasion.
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Looking only at calories per biscuit
Per-biscuit energy helps with portion planning, while per-100g figures allow a like-for-like product comparison. The checked Sainsbury’s and Asda custard creams both exceed the NHS thresholds for high sugars and saturated fat per 100g.
Read both parts of the label, then use the per-biscuit figures for the number you intend to eat.
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Treating extra cream as a lighter option
Marks & Spencer lists 502 kcal, 40.2g sugars and 13.5g saturates per 100g for its Extra Cream Custard Creams. The checked Sainsbury’s standard custard creams list 474 kcal, 26.5g sugars and 10g saturates per 100g; these are figures for those particular products.
If you prefer an extra-cream recipe, compare its current label with the exact standard product you would otherwise buy.
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Using an old product listing for allergen decisions
An online description identifies the product shown there, but the pack you receive is the one you will serve. Iceland’s Crawford’s listing identifies wheat and milk; other products need their own ingredient check.
Read the ingredients and allergen statement on the current pack before eating or serving the biscuits to someone with an allergy or intolerance.
Brands and pack formats to compare
These examples show different pack sizes and recipes; compare the exact product label rather than assuming a brand has one nutrition profile.
Tesco
Tesco Groceries lists a 750g custard cream pack made up of five 150g packets.
- The inner packets offer a way to keep some biscuits unopened while a household shares the purchase.
- Check the pack’s nutrition label before comparing its calories, sugars or saturated fat with another product.
Asda
Asda Groceries lists custard creams in a 400g pack.
- Its listing gives 59 kcal per biscuit and, per 100g, 29g sugars and 13g saturates.
- Both per-100g figures exceed the NHS thresholds for high sugars and saturated fat.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s lists a 200g custard cream pack, a smaller total quantity than the checked Asda and Tesco formats.
- The listing gives 59 kcal, 3.3g sugars and 1.2g saturates per biscuit.
- Its 26.5g sugars and 10g saturates per 100g exceed the NHS high thresholds.
M&S
M&S offers Extra Cream Custard Creams and lists a separate 530g triple pack containing custard creams, malted-milk biscuits and bourbon creams.
- The triple pack is a mixed-biscuit format for households that want those varieties.
- The separate Extra Cream Custard Creams listing gives 40.2g sugars and 13.5g saturates per 100g; do not apply those figures to every biscuit in the triple pack.
McVitie’s
Morrisons lists McVitie’s Tasties Custard Creams as a 300g pack with a custard-flavoured filling.
- A 300g pack offers another total quantity to consider alongside the checked 200g and 400g formats.
- Joybuy’s listing for the corresponding 300g product says it is no longer available; check a retailer’s current listing before planning a purchase.
Crawford’s
Iceland describes Crawford’s Custard Creams Sandwich Biscuits in a 300g pack.
- The listing identifies a vanilla-cream sandwich biscuit and names wheat and milk ingredients.
- Iceland’s checked listing marks that product unavailable, so confirm current availability before choosing it.
A smaller-pack option on Joybuy
This 125g custard cream pack is an option for buying a smaller quantity, rather than a family pack for household sharing. Its gluten-free description is a product distinction, not a reason to assume different calorie or sugar values.
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Schar Gluten Free Custard Creams 125g
If you would rather keep a smaller quantity at home than buy a family pack, this is a 125g option. The product name identifies it as gluten free; check the current pack for nutrition, ingredients and other allergen information before deciding how many biscuits to have.
Questions about custard cream packs
Are the checked custard creams low in sugar?
No. The NHS classifies foods with more than 22.5g sugars per 100g as high in sugars. Sainsbury’s lists 26.5g per 100g for its checked standard custard creams, Asda lists 29g, and M&S lists 40.2g for its separate Extra Cream product. Check the exact pack when comparing alternatives.
How should I compare two packs with different biscuit sizes?
Compare energy, sugars and saturated fat per 100g for a like-for-like label comparison, then look at each product’s per-biscuit figures for the number you plan to eat. GOV.UK also identifies traffic-light labels as a way to compare information where they are provided.
Does Tesco’s 750g pack automatically make portions easier to manage?
No. Tesco Groceries lists five 150g packets within the 750g pack, so a household can decide when to open each one. That only helps with a plan to use them separately; the packaging itself says nothing about how many biscuits someone will eat or how its nutrition compares with another product.
Should I check wheat and milk on the pack?
Yes, if those ingredients matter to you or someone you are serving. Iceland’s Crawford’s custard cream listing identifies wheat and milk, but ingredients differ between products. Read the ingredient and allergen statement on the particular pack you receive.
Is a product listing enough to plan servings?
A listing can help you compare a stated pack size and nutrition figures, but use the label on the pack you buy for your final check. Confirm the serving or per-biscuit information and the total pack format before deciding how much your household will open.