Hosts serving several guests
Compare the quantity you intend to offer with the pack weight and any stated count. A suggested serving count is not necessarily a count of individual biscuits or guests.
Who is buying for afternoon tea?
Hosts accommodating food restrictions
Check the individual pack against each guest’s requirements. Conventional custard creams in the Tesco and Asda listings contain wheat and milk, while Sainsbury’s has a separate product labelled gluten free and milk free.
Hosts choosing a particular filling
An extra-cream version offers a different filling style, but the listed M&S pack is 165g rather than the 300g or 400g formats available among the classic products discussed here.
What should you check before choosing?
Start with the number of biscuits you intend to serve, then check dietary requirements and filling preference before settling on a pack.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Quantity | Tesco and Asda list 400g classic packs; Crawford’s and McVitie’s list 300g packs. Asda suggests 34 servings, whereas the two 300g listings state a typical 26 biscuits. Servings and biscuits are different measures. | I’m putting biscuits out for several people and want to plan the portions, rather than rely on the word “sharing”. |
| Ingredients | Check the current ingredients and allergen information. The conventional Tesco and Asda products list wheat and milk; Sainsbury’s separate 125g Free From product is labelled gluten free and milk free. | If a guest must avoid particular ingredients, I need a pack that meets their requirements, not just a larger pack for the table. |
| Filling style | Compare the product descriptions: Tesco describes a vanilla-flavour filling, while M&S describes extra vanilla cream in its 165g Extra Cream pack. These descriptions are not a taste comparison. | For this tea, the style of filling might matter more to my guests than having a larger classic pack. |
| After opening | Check the pack’s storage instructions. Tesco and Asda advise keeping opened biscuits in an airtight container. | I may serve only some of the biscuits at tea, so I want to know how the remainder should be stored. |
What can make the choice harder?
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Treating pack weight as a guest count
The listings use different measures: net weight, suggested servings and typical biscuit counts. A serving does not necessarily mean one biscuit or one guest.
Decide how many biscuits you intend to offer, then use each product’s own count wording when planning the packs you need.
A pack may leave biscuits after tea, or you may need another pack if your planned portions exceed its stated count.
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Assuming vegetarian means milk free
A biscuit described as suitable for vegetarians can still contain milk. The conventional Tesco and Asda custard creams list milk ingredients.
Check the current pack’s ingredients and allergen information against the guest’s specific requirements; do not rely on a vegetarian description for a milk-free choice.
Which brands and ranges are relevant?
Tesco
Tesco lists its conventional Custard Cream Biscuits in a 400g pack.
- Tesco describes a vanilla-flavour filling.
- The listed ingredients include wheat and milk.
Asda
Asda lists a 400g conventional pack and suggests it provides 34 servings.
- The suggested serving count gives hosts a figure to consider when planning portions.
- A serving is not a guaranteed guest portion; the listed ingredients include wheat and milk.
Crawford’s
Tesco lists Crawford’s Custard Creams in a 300g pack with a typical count of 26 biscuits.
- The typical biscuit count helps with portion planning.
- The count is typical rather than guaranteed, and the listed ingredients include milk.
McVitie’s
Bestway Wholesale lists McVitie’s Custard Creams in a 300g pack with a typical count of 26 biscuits.
- The listed weight and typical count offer two ways to plan the quantity.
- The trade listing identifies milk and wheat and notes that the product may contain sesame.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s lists a conventional 200g custard-cream pack and a distinct 125g Free From product.
- Sainsbury’s labels the Free From product gluten free, milk free and suitable for coeliacs.
- The conventional product lists wheat and milk; the 125g Free From pack needs its own quantity plan.
M&S
M&S lists Extra Cream Custard Creams in a 165g pack.
- M&S describes this version as having extra vanilla cream.
- Its listed ingredients include wheat, milk and soya lecithin; its pack is smaller than the 300g and 400g classic packs discussed here.
Custard creams on Joybuy
This 125g specialist custard-cream pack is an option to consider when a guest needs gluten-free biscuits; check the label for any other dietary requirement.
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Schar Gluten Free Custard Creams 125g
For a guest seeking gluten-free custard creams, this 125g pack is a smaller option than the conventional 300g and 400g packs discussed above. The Joybuy listing also describes it as lactose-free; that does not establish that it is milk free, so check the current ingredients and allergen information for any milk restriction.
Questions about serving and labels
How many custard creams should I allow per guest?
Decide how many biscuits you want to offer each person, then compare the total with a pack’s stated count if it has one. Asda suggests 34 servings for its 400g pack; the Crawford’s and McVitie’s 300g listings each state a typical 26 biscuits. Do not treat “serving” and “biscuit” as interchangeable.
How should I store custard creams after opening?
Follow the instructions on the pack you buy. Tesco and Asda advise keeping their opened custard creams in an airtight container, and Tesco also specifies a cool, dry place.
Does vegetarian labelling mean custard creams are milk free?
No. The conventional Tesco and Asda products list milk ingredients, so vegetarian wording is not a substitute for checking the ingredients and allergen information when a guest needs to avoid milk.
What should I check for a guest with coeliac disease?
Look for a product whose current labelling meets that guest’s requirements. The conventional Tesco and Asda recipes list wheat, while Sainsbury’s labels its separate Free From Custard Creams gluten free and suitable for coeliacs; check the individual pack before serving.
Which details on a biscuit pack help me choose?
Check its net weight, ingredients including allergens, and date marking, as well as any stated biscuit or serving count. UK guidance from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and the Food Standards Agency identifies ingredients including allergens, net quantity and a best-before or use-by date among the information required on prepacked food labels.