Who is choosing?

Fairtrade-first shoppers

You want the claim to apply to the custard cream you order, not merely to other products from the same retailer or brand. Check which ingredients the wording covers before accepting a substitute.

Shoppers comparing standard packs

You want a familiar custard cream in your grocery delivery. Pack size, ingredients and the live stock indication help you decide which listing can meet that need.

Shoppers avoiding gluten or milk

You need the exact product’s dietary and allergen information to take priority over its similarity to a standard custard cream. Sainsbury’s describes its Free From Custard Creams as milk and gluten free; check the current listing and delivered pack.

What should you check?

Start with any requirement the biscuit must meet, then compare pack details and availability among the options that remain.

Priority What to check Your needs
Fairtrade status Check the exact listing and delivered pack for a FAIRTRADE Mark or wording naming the Fairtrade-certified ingredient. Fairtrade International explains that multi-ingredient foods can use different Fairtrade sourcing approaches. I only want to order custard creams if I can tell which Fairtrade claim applies to this product. A palm-oil or general sustainability statement is not a substitute.
Ingredients and allergens Read the current ingredient list, allergen declaration and any may-contain warning. Standard custard-cream listings from Tesco and Asda identify wheat and milk; Asda also lists possible sesame contact. If I need to avoid particular ingredients, the exact pack matters more than whether the biscuit looks like a standard custard cream. I’ll recheck the label when the order arrives.
Pack and delivery Confirm the pack weight, live stock indication and any proposed substitution before checkout. A replacement needs its own Fairtrade and allergen checks. I want a pack size that suits my order, and I don’t want an automatic substitute to change a requirement I chose the original biscuit for.

What can go wrong?

  • Assuming a retailer’s Fairtrade range covers every biscuit

    A retailer can sell Fairtrade products without making a Fairtrade claim for a particular custard cream. Fairtrade International also distinguishes between sourcing approaches for multi-ingredient foods.

    Check the claim on the exact product listing and delivered pack, including any wording that identifies a particular Fairtrade ingredient.

  • Reading a palm-oil claim as Fairtrade certification

    Sainsbury’s and Crawford’s make palm-oil sourcing statements for their custard creams. Those statements do not establish Fairtrade sourcing for the biscuit or another ingredient.

    Consider palm-oil information separately, and make a Fairtrade decision from the product’s own Fairtrade wording.

  • Choosing a pack without checking its size or stock

    Custard-cream listings include different pack weights, and an unavailable product cannot be added to the intended delivery.

    Check the weight and live stock indication before checkout, especially if changing to another pack would affect your order.

  • Accepting a substitute without checking its label

    A replacement biscuit need not have the same ingredients, allergen warnings or Fairtrade status as the one you selected.

    If those details are essential, decline an unsuitable substitute or check its own listing and delivered pack before using it.

Brand and product-line references

Tesco

Tesco lists a 400g own-label standard custard cream suitable for vegetarians.

  • Its listing identifies wheat and milk ingredients.
  • Do not infer Fairtrade status from the biscuit category; check the exact pack for an explicit claim.

Asda

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

  • The listing identifies wheat and milk and gives may-contain information for rye, barley, oats and sesame.
  • Its standard custard-cream listing does not make an explicit Fairtrade claim.

Sainsbury’s

Sainsbury’s lists a standard custard cream and a separate 125g Free From version described as milk and gluten free.

  • The standard product’s listing states that its palm oil is certified sustainable and segregated.
  • That palm-oil statement does not establish Fairtrade status for the standard biscuit; check the Free From pack’s current dietary information separately.

Crawford’s

A 300g Crawford’s standard custard cream is listed through Tesco Groceries.

  • The listing says its palm ingredients come from RSPO segregated sources.
  • RSPO sourcing does not establish Fairtrade certification for this custard cream.

McVitie’s

McVitie’s makes a Tasties Custard Creams product and describes British wheat sourcing for biscuits made in its UK bakeries.

  • The Joybuy product information for McVitie’s Tasties identifies wheat and milk ingredients.
  • The brand’s wheat-sourcing statement does not establish Fairtrade certification for its custard creams.

M&S

M&S lists Extra Cream Custard Creams as a distinct product from standard own-label packs.

  • Its ingredient information identifies wheat, milk and soya lecithin.
  • Check this product’s own packaging for any Fairtrade claim rather than assuming one from its name or ingredients.

Custard creams on Joybuy

This Joybuy option is a gluten- and lactose-free custard cream. If Fairtrade certification is essential, check for an explicit claim on the exact listing and delivered pack before choosing it.

Schar Gluten Free Custard Creams 125g pack

Schar Gluten Free Custard Creams 125g

This 125g custard-cream pack is formulated to be gluten free and lactose free. Lactose free does not mean milk free, so check the ingredient and allergen information if you need to avoid milk.

View on Joybuy

Common questions

Does sustainable palm oil mean a custard cream is Fairtrade?

No. A palm-oil sourcing statement concerns that ingredient, not Fairtrade status for the biscuit. Fairtrade International explains that multi-ingredient foods can use different Fairtrade sourcing approaches, so check the exact product for a FAIRTRADE Mark or wording that identifies the Fairtrade ingredient.

Can I use an online ingredient list to check allergens?

Use it to screen a product before ordering, then check the delivered pack before eating because ingredients and allergen information can change. The standard Tesco and Asda custard-cream listings identify wheat and milk; Asda also gives a may-contain warning for sesame.

What if the custard creams I chose are out of stock?

Check any proposed replacement as a separate product before accepting it. Its allergen declaration, pack size and Fairtrade wording may differ from those of your original choice.

Are there milk- and gluten-free custard creams?

Sainsbury’s describes its 125g Free From Custard Creams as milk and gluten free; check the current listing and delivered pack. A gluten- and lactose-free label on a different product does not, by itself, mean that product is milk free or Fairtrade certified.