Hosts handing out individual treats
Choose a separate portion for each visitor. With an assorted case, count the custard-cream packs rather than assuming every pack contains the same biscuit.
Who are the refreshments for?
Hosts running a shared refreshment table
A standard packet can be served from a managed table. Plan how to protect opened biscuits and keep the packet’s ingredient information accessible.
Hosts catering for a stated dietary need
Identify the exact biscuit being offered and check its current label against the visitor’s requirements. Do not assume that an ordinary custard cream or every Free From product will suit them.
What should you check before buying?
Start with how the biscuits will be served, then check the quantity, label and storage instructions for that format.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Portion format | Check whether each serving is manufacturer-wrapped or taken from a sharing packet. If you need a literal bar, confirm that the product is a bar rather than a biscuit or twin pack. | I want to give each visitor a separate treat without opening a shared packet, or I need a clearly identified place to serve loose biscuits. |
| Ingredients | Read the purchased pack’s full label. Tesco and standard Asda custard creams list wheat and milk ingredients; Asda describes its separate 125 g Free From product as gluten- and milk-free. | If someone has a stated dietary requirement, I need to check that specific product against all of their requirements before offering it. |
| Quantity | Count the flavour you intend to serve: Hotel Complimentary Products lists 20 custard-cream packs in its 100-pack Hill Biscuits assortment. Compare sharing packets by their stated weight and plan how they will be portioned. | I need enough custard-cream servings, not just a case with a large total pack count or a packet whose weight is hard to translate into portions. |
| Storage | Follow the packet’s storage directions at the outdoor stall. Tesco specifies a cool, dry place; Asda advises an airtight container once its standard packet is opened. | For an outdoor table, I need a way to protect unopened stock and biscuits between servings. |
Common buying mistakes
-
Counting an assortment as all custard creams
Hotel Complimentary Products lists 20 custard-cream packs among 100 packs in its Hill Biscuits assortment. Counting all 100 as custard creams would leave fewer of that flavour than planned.
Work out the number of custard-cream packs needed and decide whether the other four varieties are useful at your stall.
-
Treating a biscuit portion as a single bar
A wrapped biscuit portion, a twin pack and a sharing packet answer different serving needs; none should be labelled a literal bar.
Decide whether “single” means one biscuit, one wrapped serving or a bar-shaped product before choosing.
-
Assuming standard custard creams suit every visitor
The Tesco, standard Asda and McVitie’s product listings identify wheat and milk ingredients. A different product needs its own label check.
Keep the purchased packaging available and check any dietary-specific biscuit against the visitor’s stated requirements.
-
Applying an old test result to a different packet
Good Housekeeping’s 2020 taste test identified a 200 g M&S product, while the M&S Extra Cream packet described here is 165 g. The historic result does not establish how that 165 g product compares.
Use the current product’s label and format when planning refreshments.
Brands and biscuit formats
Hill Biscuits
An assorted mini-pack format to consider when separate wrapped portions matter.
- Hotel Complimentary Products lists 20 custard-cream packs in a 100-pack, five-variety selection.
- The other 80 packs contain different biscuits; plan custard-cream quantities accordingly.
Tesco
A 400 g custard-cream packet for serving from a shared table.
- Tesco lists the packet weight, ingredients and cool, dry storage instructions.
- A sharing packet is not a separately wrapped serving for each visitor.
Asda
Lists a standard 400 g packet and a distinct 125 g Free From product.
- Asda describes the Free From product as gluten- and milk-free.
- The standard packet lists wheat and milk; check the label of the exact product being served. Neither packet establishes a separately wrapped single bar.
McVitie's
A branded 300 g custard-cream sharing-packet format.
- Iceland Foods identifies the Tasties product as a custard-cream sandwich biscuit.
- Its listing identifies wheat and milk; the packet is not an individually wrapped portion.
M&S
A 165 g Extra Cream packet for those looking for that particular formulation.
- M&S describes its product as containing vanilla cream and real custard powder.
- This 165 g packet is not the 200 g M&S product identified in Good Housekeeping’s 2020 taste test.
Crawford's
A branded 300 g custard-cream sharing-packet format.
- Iceland Foods lists ingredients for the Crawford's sandwich biscuits.
- The listed product contains wheat and milk and does not meet a separately wrapped portion requirement.
Sainsbury's
An own-label 200 g packet for a shared serving point.
- Sainsbury's provides per-biscuit nutrition information on its product page.
- Its storage advice calls for an airtight container after opening, so plan how biscuits will be covered between servings.
Joybuy custard cream option
This gluten-free custard cream packet is an option to check for a shared refreshment table with a stated dietary need, rather than a confirmed manufacturer-wrapped hand-out portion.
No image available
Schar Gluten Free Custard Creams 125g
For a shared table where gluten-free biscuits are needed, this 125g packet is an option to check against the visitor’s full dietary requirements. Check the packaging before buying if you need each serving to be manufacturer-wrapped separately.
Questions about serving custard creams
Is an assorted mini-pack case entirely custard creams?
No. Hotel Complimentary Products lists five varieties in its 100-pack Hill Biscuits selection, with 20 packs of each flavour. Count on 20 custard-cream packs from that case when planning portions.
How should I serve biscuits from a sharing packet?
Follow the purchased packet’s storage instructions and protect biscuits after opening. Tesco specifies cool, dry storage for its packet, while Asda advises keeping its opened standard packet in an airtight container; retain the packaging so ingredient information remains available.
Must a car boot sale refreshment stall register as a food business?
The answer depends on the stall’s activity and location. GOV.UK guidance on community and charity events says a local authority may decide registration is unnecessary for very limited, infrequent food activity. Food Standards Scotland says food businesses in Scotland must register with their local authority at least 28 days before opening. Ask the relevant local authority how your arrangements are classified rather than assuming an exemption.
Can I use the large packet’s label if I repackage biscuits to sell?
Do not assume the large packet’s label is enough. Food Standards Scotland explains that UK food-business rules for qualifying food prepacked for direct sale require the food name and a full ingredients list, with allergens emphasised, on the packaging. Check whether the rules apply to how and where your portions are packed and sold; stall-repacked portions are different from manufacturer-wrapped packs.
Do I need a street-trading licence to sell refreshments?
GOV.UK says a street-trading licence may be needed in England and Wales. Check the rules for the intended location with the local council, as well as the car boot sale venue’s requirements, before trading.