Who is choosing?

The useful pack format depends on whether the biscuits are for the table, for later, or for guests with particular ingredient requirements.

Coffee-morning hosts

If the biscuits will be served from a plate, a sharing packet lets you plan around the packet’s stated weight or biscuit count.

Hosts planning lunchbox leftovers

Individual packets let you put sealed servings aside before opening biscuits for the gathering.

Hosts accommodating dietary needs

Check the label of the specific biscuit against each guest’s requirements, and keep a suitable alternative identifiable when serving.

What matters when choosing?

Start with the number of custard-cream servings you need, then decide whether any must remain in their own packets. Pack size alone cannot tell you either.

Priority What to check Your needs
Biscuits for the table Check the biscuit count where stated, as well as pack weight. For a mixed case, count custard-cream packets separately from the other varieties. I want enough custard creams to put out for the gathering, rather than counting every biscuit in a mixed assortment as the same variety.
Sealed portions Look for an explicit individual-pack count and biscuits per pack. Asda lists five 25 g packs, with two biscuits in each, for its Schär custard creams; Hill Biscuits lists a custard-cream-only case of 48 three-biscuit packets. Some servings need to stay sealed for lunchboxes, so the number of separate packets matters more to me than the overall pack weight.
Dietary suitability Read the current ingredients and allergen information for the exact product. Check serving arrangements as well as the label when offering a separate gluten-free option. If a guest needs a particular alternative, I need to identify their biscuit without assuming that the other custard creams on the table have the same ingredients.
After opening Follow the packet’s storage instructions and check its date label. Plan which biscuits to open now and which individual packets to leave sealed. I may want biscuits for another day, so I would rather put aside the intended portions before opening a sharing packet.

Common buying mistakes

  • Counting a mixed case as entirely custard creams

    Hill Biscuits describes its 100-packet Mini Pack Selection as containing five biscuit varieties. The case total is therefore not a custard-cream packet count.

    Check the quantity of the variety you intend to serve before using the case total to plan portions.

  • Confusing a sharing packet with a portion multipack

    A packet’s weight or suggested number of biscuits does not tell you how many sealed servings you can put aside.

    For lunchbox leftovers, choose a listing that states the number and size of its individual packs.

  • Assuming pack format establishes dietary suitability

    Individual wrapping does not make a biscuit suitable for every guest, and a gluten-free label on one product does not apply to other biscuits served alongside it.

    Check the current product label against the guest’s requirements and keep their chosen biscuits distinguishable when serving.

Brand and product-line references

These examples show different packet formats; a brand name alone does not establish the portion count or ingredients of another product in its range.

McVitie’s

The McVitie’s Tasties custard creams listing describes a 300 g packet.

  • A named custard-cream packet to compare with other sharing formats.
  • Check the current listing and label before relying on it for an order or a guest’s dietary needs.

Crawford’s

Tesco Groceries lists a 300 g Crawford’s custard-cream packet.

  • The listing states a typical count of 26 biscuits, useful when planning a plate.
  • A biscuit count is not a count of individually sealed portions.

Tesco

Tesco Groceries lists a 400 g own-label custard-cream packet.

  • Its stated weight can help identify the packet when comparing sharing options.
  • Check the product label and pack format if individual portions or particular ingredients matter.

Sainsbury’s

The Sainsbury’s custard-cream listing is for a 200 g packet.

  • A smaller stated packet weight to consider for biscuits served from a plate.
  • Check the current listing before planning around this particular packet.

Asda

Asda lists a 400 g own-label custard-cream packet.

  • The stated weight identifies a sharing-packet option for the gathering.
  • If sealed leftovers are important, check for a stated individual-pack count rather than relying on the weight.

M&S

Marks & Spencer lists Extra Cream Custard Creams in a 165 g packet.

  • A specifically named product for hosts considering that style of custard cream.
  • The product name does not establish a taste comparison or the number of sealed portions.

Hill Biscuits

Hill Biscuits describes both a custard-cream-only catering case and a mixed mini-pack selection.

  • The custard-cream case contains 48 packets of three biscuits, according to Hill Biscuits.
  • Its mixed 100-packet selection spans five varieties; check the custard-cream count separately.

Schär

Schär identifies a 125 g gluten-free custard-cream product; Asda lists it as five individual 25 g packs.

  • Asda states that each individual pack contains two biscuits.
  • Five packs may not cover a larger gathering; check the current label against each guest’s requirements.

Joybuy custard cream options

This individually portioned custard-cream option is relevant when you want to reserve sealed servings for later or need to check a gluten-free product for a guest. Plan separately for any larger plate of biscuits.

Schar Gluten Free Custard Creams 125g packet

Schar Gluten Free Custard Creams 125g

This portion-pack format lets you set sealed biscuits aside before serving the coffee morning. Asda describes the matching 125 g Schär product as five individual 25 g packs, each containing two biscuits. Check the current ingredients and allergen label against the intended guest’s requirements; five packs may not cover a larger group.

View on Joybuy

Questions about serving and storing

How should I keep biscuits from an opened sharing packet?

Follow the storage instructions on that packet, including any direction to use an airtight container after opening. Check the date label too: GOV.UK distinguishes a best-before date, which concerns quality, from a use-by date, which concerns safety.

Is an individually wrapped biscuit suitable for every guest?

No. Check the specific product’s current ingredients and allergen information against the guest’s requirements; wrapping only tells you how it is portioned. GOV.UK says that specified allergens present as ingredients in prepacked food must be clearly labelled.

What if an online order arrives faulty or not as described?

GOV.UK says a seller must offer a full refund for an item that is faulty or not as described. That is a different issue from deciding whether to return biscuits because you have changed your mind.