Families sharing a pack
Work out roughly how many biscuits the group plans to eat before choosing between a smaller pack and the 300 g or 400 g options. The pack still has to fit in someone’s bag after it has been opened.
Who is choosing for the hike?
Small-group day hikers
A 165 g or 200 g pack may better match a short stop with just a few people. Keep the selected pack’s storage instructions in mind if biscuits will be saved for later.
Hikers checking allergens
Check the exact pack before sharing. Wheat and milk are listed in the retailer-described conventional recipes, while additional allergy warnings vary; do not assume that a gluten-free product answers every person’s dietary requirements.
What matters when choosing a pack?
Start with the portions you plan to share, then check the selected pack’s label and how you will carry it.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Amount to share | Compare net weight with planned portions. Tesco Groceries and ASDA Groceries list 400 g packs; Morrisons lists McVitie’s at 300 g, Sainsbury’s lists 200 g and Marks & Spencer lists 165 g. Use a stated biscuit or serving count only for that particular product. | Will our group eat enough to justify carrying a larger pack, or would fewer biscuits cover the planned stops? |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the purchased pack’s ingredient list and precautionary allergy advice. Check each recipe separately, including a gluten-free variant, against the needs of everyone sharing it. | Someone in our group needs ingredient information before accepting a biscuit; a familiar-looking pack is not enough to make that decision. |
| Nutrition and portions | Compare nutrition per 100 g when looking across different recipes, then check the stated portion or per-biscuit figures on the pack you choose. Plan other food for the outing rather than treating biscuits as the entire food plan. | I want to know what a portion of this particular biscuit contains and how it fits alongside the other food we are taking. |
| Carrying an opened pack | Check the selected pack’s storage directions. Tesco, ASDA and Sainsbury’s advise cool, dry storage and an airtight container after opening; consider how that container will fit in the hiking bag. | We may eat some biscuits at one stop and keep the rest for later, so the opened pack needs somewhere suitable to go. |
Pack choices to check twice
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Choosing the heaviest pack just because it says “family”
A pack that exceeds the group’s planned portions adds biscuits to carry throughout the hike.
Decide how much the group expects to eat, then compare the net weights of the packs under consideration.
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Assuming custard creams share the same allergy warnings
The listed conventional recipes contain wheat and milk, but their additional precautionary statements differ. Sainsbury’s also identifies a barley-allergy limitation for its listed product.
Read the ingredients and allergy advice on the exact pack before offering it to someone with an allergy.
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Counting a mixed pack as custard creams alone
Marks & Spencer’s 530 g triple pack contains custard creams, malted milk biscuits and bourbon creams; its full weight is not the weight of the custard creams.
Check which varieties are included before comparing an assortment with a single-flavour pack.
Brand and pack references
These are references to particular retailer-listed packs, not conclusions about every biscuit made by each brand.
Tesco
Tesco Groceries lists a 400 g single-flavour custard-cream pack for a larger shared quantity.
- The listing gives nutrition per biscuit and advises using an airtight container after opening.
- This recipe lists wheat and milk; check the pack for its full allergy advice.
ASDA
ASDA Groceries lists a 400 g single-flavour custard-cream pack.
- ASDA suggests 34 servings for this particular pack, which can help when planning how to share it.
- Its listed recipe contains wheat and milk; check the pack’s additional allergy warnings.
McVitie’s
Morrisons lists McVitie’s Tasties Custard Creams in a 300 g pack.
- The Morrisons listing states 26 servings for this pack.
- Its listed recipe contains wheat and milk and has a precautionary sesame warning.
Crawford’s
Tesco Groceries lists a 300 g Crawford’s custard-cream pack.
- The listing gives a typical count of about 26 biscuits, useful when dividing a pack among hikers.
- Its listed recipe contains wheat and milk and may contain sesame; check the purchased pack.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s lists a 200 g own-label pack when the group wants a smaller quantity.
- The listing provides nutrition both per biscuit and per 100 g.
- Sainsbury’s says this product is unsuitable for customers with a barley allergy because of manufacturing methods.
M&S
Marks & Spencer lists Extra Cream Custard Creams in a 165 g pack with an extra-cream filling.
- The listing gives nutrition per 100 g for comparing this recipe with another pack’s label.
- Its separate 530 g triple pack includes other biscuit varieties, so the full pack weight is not custard creams alone.
Joybuy product options
This 125 g gluten-free custard-cream pack is an option when you want a smaller quantity to carry, rather than a 300 g or 400 g pack to share.
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Schar Gluten Free Custard Creams 125g
The 125 g pack offers a smaller quantity for a short stop or a small group; plan portions before relying on it for a larger family. Its name identifies it as gluten free, but check the pack’s full ingredients and allergy advice for each person who may eat it.
Questions about taking custard creams hiking
How should I carry custard creams after opening the packet?
Follow the storage directions on the pack you take. Tesco, ASDA and Sainsbury’s advise keeping their listed biscuits cool and dry and using an airtight container after opening; make room for that container in your bag.
Is an online ingredient list enough for someone with an allergy?
Check the label on the purchased pack before sharing the biscuits. The retailer-listed conventional recipes contain wheat and milk, but additional warnings differ, so do not apply one product’s allergy advice to another.
Can custard creams be the only food for a long hike?
Plan other food and drink for the people and the outing rather than relying on biscuits alone. If comparing packaged snacks, use the nutrition information on the particular packs you are considering.
Do England’s school-food rules decide what a family takes on a private hike?
No. Department for Education guidance on school food in England addresses food and drink provided in state-funded schools, not snacks a family takes on a private hike. Check individual ingredients and allergy advice when deciding what to share.