For coeliac shopping, choose custard creams explicitly labelled gluten free rather than relying on the familiar biscuit name: the McVitie's Tasties product listed by Pioneer Foodservice contains wheat and declares gluten. Schär's 125 g custard creams come in five 25 g portion packs for carrying separately, but they are a multipack, not a single bar sold on its own. If milk-free or vegan suitability matters as well, Tesco Free From and Asda Free From list those attributes; check the pack itself for current ingredients and portion format.
The label and the packaging format answer different questions: whether a biscuit meets a dietary requirement, and whether it can be carried as a separate portion.
Look for an explicit gluten-free claim on the product you buy. A conventional custard cream is not automatically suitable: Pioneer Foodservice's McVitie's Tasties declaration lists wheat flour and wheat starch and identifies gluten as an allergen.
Schär describes its 125 g custard creams as five 25 g portion packs. That format lets you take one pack rather than carry an opened outer packet, though it is not a single bar sold individually.
Check milk-free labelling separately from gluten-free labelling. Tesco Groceries and Asda Groceries list their respective Free From custard creams as gluten free, milk free and suitable for vegans.
Start with dietary suitability, then check whether the inner packaging fits the way you plan to carry or serve the biscuits.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free suitability | Look for an explicit gluten-free label and read the current ingredients and allergen declaration. The Food Standards Agency describes gluten-free food as containing no more than 20 mg/kg gluten as sold to the final consumer. | I need a custard cream labelled gluten free, not just a biscuit that looks like the standard version. |
| Other dietary requirements | Check milk-free and vegan statements separately. Tesco Groceries and Asda Groceries list both attributes for their 125 g Free From custard creams; a gluten-free claim alone does not establish either one. | If I also avoid milk or choose vegan biscuits, I want those requirements stated on the product I take home. |
| Portable portions | Check the number and size of inner packs rather than the outer pack weight alone. Schär describes five 25 g portions in its 125 g custard-cream multipack. | For a lunch box or work bag, I would rather take a separate portion than an opened shared packet. A multipack is acceptable if I do not need one bar sold individually. |
Biscuits with the same familiar name can have different ingredients. Pioneer Foodservice's McVitie's Tasties declaration lists wheat flour and wheat starch and states that the product contains gluten.
Choose a product explicitly labelled gluten free, then check the current pack before eating it.
A 125 g pack does not, by itself, tell you how the biscuits are wrapped inside. Schär states that its custard creams have five 25 g portion packs; the Tesco and Asda listings cited here establish their pack weights, not their inner wrapping.
If separate snacks matter, confirm the inner pack count and size on the product packaging.
A gluten-free claim addresses gluten, not every other ingredient. Tesco Groceries and Asda Groceries separately list milk-free and vegan suitability for their Free From custard creams.
When avoiding milk, check the milk-free statement and current allergen information as well as the gluten-free label.
Ingredients and allergen information can change. Coeliac UK directs shoppers to regularly updated food information for checking products.
Read the physical pack's ingredients and allergen declaration each time you buy, particularly if the packaging or recipe has changed.
These references describe particular custard-cream products, not every biscuit made by each brand or what is available from a particular shop.
Schär describes its 125 g Gluten Free Custard Creams as gluten and wheat free and portion packed.
Tesco Groceries lists its 125 g custard creams as gluten free, milk free and suitable for vegans.
Asda Groceries lists its 125 g Free From custard creams as gluten free, milk free and vegan.
This conventional custard cream is a contrast to the gluten-free products above, not a coeliac-shopping option.
These options include portion-packed custard creams and a gluten-free vanilla wafer alternative. The wafer is a different biscuit style, so check which kind of snack you want before choosing between them.
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For a portable custard-cream portion, Schär describes this 125 g multipack as five separate 25 g packs. It is not a single bar sold individually. Check the current pack for ingredients and allergens before eating.
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These gluten-free vanilla wafers are an alternative biscuit style, not custard creams. If you need separate portions or must avoid milk or soya, check the current pack's format, ingredients and allergen information before choosing them.
Do not assume an ordinary custard cream is suitable; check the exact product label. Pioneer Foodservice's McVitie's Tasties declaration, for example, lists wheat flour and wheat starch and identifies gluten as an allergen. Look for a product explicitly labelled gluten free instead.
The Food Standards Agency describes gluten-free food as containing no more than 20 mg/kg gluten in the food as sold to the final consumer. Read the current pack separately for other allergens and dietary requirements.
Schär describes its 125 g Gluten Free Custard Creams as five 25 g portion packs, so you can take one inner pack. This is a multipack rather than one individually sold bar. If you are considering another product, check its inner packaging rather than relying on the outer pack weight.
Use a listing to narrow down options, then read the physical pack before eating. Product ingredients and allergen information can change; Coeliac UK also provides regularly updated food information for checking suitability.