Dark-chocolate seekers
If dark chocolate is the deciding feature, check the chocolate description on the exact biscuit. M&S describes its coated custard creams as milk chocolate and its separate digestives as dark chocolate.
Who is this choice for?
Custard-cream snackers
If you want a cream-filled sandwich biscuit, compare the packet size and whether individually packed portions would suit your journey.
Travellers avoiding gluten
Schär’s examined custard creams are labelled gluten-free and come in five two-biscuit packs. Check the current pack label against your own ingredient requirements.
What should you check?
Decide whether custard filling or dark chocolate is essential before comparing pack formats and ingredients for the journey.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Biscuit and chocolate | Check whether the biscuit has a custard filling and whether any coating is labelled milk or dark chocolate. If cocoa solids matter, look for a figure for the chocolate itself: the 32% chocolate stated for M&S Dark Chocolate Digestives is the proportion of the biscuit made up of chocolate, not a cocoa-solids figure. | I want the custard-cream format, dark chocolate, or both; I need the exact product description to establish which features I am getting. |
| Pack format | Compare the stated pack sizes: the examined M&S coated custard creams are 64 g, McVitie’s Tasties custard creams are 300 g, and Schär’s 125 g pack contains five packs of two biscuits. | For my journey, I may prefer one smaller packet or portions I can open separately. |
| Ingredients | Read the current ingredient and allergen label on the exact pack. A gluten-free label addresses gluten, but other ingredient requirements still need checking. | Ingredients or allergens affect what I can choose, so the label on the packet matters more than an older online description. |
| Airport screening | Allow for a possible manual check of food in hand luggage. GOV.UK lists jam and syrup as liquid or semi-liquid foods, so check the rules at each relevant airport if carrying an accompaniment. | I want a snack I can pack with the screening arrangements for my particular journey in mind. |
Mistakes to avoid
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Assuming a chocolate-coated custard cream uses dark chocolate
M&S describes its examined coated custard creams as using milk chocolate. Its stated minimum cocoa-solids figure applies to that milk chocolate; it does not change the coating’s description to dark chocolate.
Read the coating description and the current ingredients on the exact pack.
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Confusing chocolate content with cocoa solids
The 32% chocolate stated for M&S Dark Chocolate Digestives describes how much of the biscuit is chocolate, not the cocoa-solids percentage of that chocolate. A digestive also lacks the custard-cream format.
If you have a particular cocoa-solids level in mind, check for that measurement on the exact product.
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Relying on a product listing for airport-shop stock
An online product description does not establish what will be stocked at your departure airport. The examined Joybuy listing for McVitie’s Tasties Custard Creams also describes that item as no longer available.
Check the relevant shop or order details for your journey rather than treating a catalogue entry as a stock confirmation.
Relevant biscuit brands
McVitie’s
McVitie’s Tasties is an example of a classic cream-filled custard cream in a 300 g packet.
- The biscuit format and pack weight are stated in the B&M product description.
- That description does not establish a dark-chocolate variety; the examined Joybuy listing describes the item as no longer available.
M&S
The examined range includes milk-chocolate-coated custard creams and, separately, dark-chocolate digestives.
- The two descriptions let you distinguish a custard filling from an explicitly dark-chocolate coating.
- Neither described product combines dark chocolate with a custard-cream filling.
Schär
Schär’s examined gluten-free custard creams are sold in a 125 g pack containing five two-biscuit packs.
- The labelled biscuit type, gluten-free designation and portion format offer specific features to check against your needs.
- The examined product is not described as dark chocolate; check the current label for other ingredient requirements.
Crawford’s
Crawford’s describes its bourbon creams as dark, chocolate-flavoured sandwich biscuits.
- That description helps distinguish a cocoa-flavoured sandwich biscuit from a classic custard cream.
- Dark colour and chocolate flavour do not establish a dark-chocolate coating or a cocoa-solids percentage.
Custard creams on Joybuy
This option is a portion-packed, gluten-free custard cream for travellers who prioritise the sandwich-biscuit format. It is not a dark-chocolate option.
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Schär Gluten Free Custard Creams 125 g
The five individually packed portions may suit a journey where you want to open two biscuits at a time. This is a labelled gluten-free custard cream, not a dark-chocolate biscuit; check the current pack for ingredients relevant to you.
Questions about travelling with biscuits
Can I take packaged biscuits through security at a UK airport?
Packaged food may need an additional manual check. GOV.UK advises that food in hand luggage can obstruct X-ray images; check the arrangements at your departure and transfer airports for your journey.
Are jam and syrup treated the same way as dry biscuits?
No. GOV.UK classifies jam and syrup as liquid or semi-liquid foods for UK airport-security purposes. Check the applicable liquid-container rules at each airport before packing an accompaniment.