Cream-tea hosts
If you are putting biscuits alongside tea, choose a pack size that fits the gathering and check the label for guests’ allergens. Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda list ordinary custard creams in different pack sizes.
Who is each choice for?
Cream-tea gift buyers
If you are bringing a separate present, decide whether the recipient would expect assorted chocolates. A chocolate-coated custard cream is still a biscuit, whereas a chocolate selection contains an assortment.
Hosts accommodating dietary requirements
Check the particular pack rather than judging it by the word “cream” or by its format. Standard and Free From custard creams have different ingredient statements, and a chocolate assortment needs its own allergen check.
What should you check before buying?
Start with what the purchase is meant to do—supply biscuits or provide a gift—then check quantity and the exact product label.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Serving or gifting | Distinguish ordinary vanilla-filled custard creams, chocolate-coated custard creams and an assortment of chocolates. A coated biscuit is not a box of assorted chocolates. | I’m putting biscuits beside the tea, bringing a separate chocolate gift, or choosing a coated biscuit because both flavours appeal. |
| Quantity | Compare the net weight of the format you want: Sainsbury’s lists ordinary custard creams at 200 g, while Tesco and Asda list 400 g packs. Tesco’s distinct Free From pack is 125 g; the M&S chocolate selection is 300 g. | How many people will share the biscuits? If I’m buying a gift instead, I’ll judge the quantity as chocolates rather than treat its weight as an equivalent biscuit pack. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current label for the exact variant. The cited standard custard creams list wheat and milk ingredients; Tesco describes its separate 125 g Free From version as gluten-free and milk-free. The M&S Milk, Dark and White Selection says it is unsuitable for people with nut or peanut allergies and for coeliacs. | A guest or gift recipient has particular dietary requirements, so I need to check the product they will actually eat—not assume that a vanilla filling is milk-free or that every assortment is suitable. |
| Storage before serving | Check the date and storage directions on the pack. Tesco and Sainsbury’s advise keeping their standard custard creams in an airtight container after opening. | I’m shopping ahead or opening biscuits before guests arrive, and want to follow the directions for the pack I bought. |
Common shopping mistakes
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Taking a chocolate-coated biscuit as a chocolate assortment
M&S describes its coated custard cream as a vanilla-filled biscuit covered in milk chocolate; its Milk, Dark and White Selection is a separate assortment.
Decide whether you need biscuits for the table, an assorted-chocolate gift, or both before choosing a format.
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Assuming the filling tells you whether a biscuit contains milk
The cited standard custard creams list milk-derived ingredients, while Tesco’s specifically labelled Free From custard creams have different stated attributes.
Check the current ingredients and allergen information for the exact pack against the guest’s requirements.
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Relying on an online listing instead of the pack and checkout
Ingredient information can change, and a product page does not establish whether an item can be bought for your particular shop.
Check the pack’s current label and the retailer’s store or checkout information before relying on a particular product.
Relevant brand references
These examples help distinguish the formats and labels; a brand name alone does not establish the ingredients of every product it sells.
Tesco
Tesco lists a standard 400 g custard cream and a separate 125 g Free From version.
- Tesco describes the Free From biscuits as gluten-free and milk-free.
- The standard biscuits list wheat and milk-derived whey; check the label of the specific variant.
M&S
M&S lists an extra-cream custard cream, a 191 g chocolate-coated biscuit and a separate 300 g chocolate selection.
- The coated biscuit and the assorted chocolates serve different cream-tea shopping purposes.
- The Milk, Dark and White Selection carries specific unsuitability statements for coeliacs and people with nut or peanut allergies.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s lists a 200 g pack of standard custard creams for a biscuit spread.
- Its product information includes ingredients and storage directions.
- It lists cow’s-milk whey and says the biscuits are unsuitable for customers with a barley allergy because of manufacturing methods.
Asda
Asda lists a 400 g pack of standard custard creams.
- The listing distinguishes ingredients from its separate may-contain warning.
- It lists wheat and milk, and says the biscuits may also contain sesame, rye, barley and oats.
Crawford’s
Tesco lists Crawford’s Custard Creams as a 300 g vanilla-filled biscuit pack.
- The listing identifies the pack size and biscuit format.
- Its ingredients include wheat and milk-derived whey; check current product and shopping information before choosing it.
McVitie’s
McVitie’s Tasties Custard Creams are identified as a 300 g biscuit pack on a Joybuy product page.
- The product description identifies milk and wheat as allergens.
- It also gives a may-contain sesame warning; check the current pack before serving.
Joybuy options for biscuits and gifts
These options cover a gluten-free custard cream for serving with tea and several chocolate formats to consider as separate gifts. Check the particular pack and recipient’s requirements before choosing.
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Schar Gluten Free Custard Creams 125g
A custard cream option for serving biscuits with tea when a gluten-free product is needed. The pack is 125 g; check its current ingredients and allergen label against each guest’s requirements.
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Tony’s Chocolonely Tiny Tony’s Mix Gift Chocolate Box 180g
A chocolate gift box rather than biscuits for the tea table. The stated pack size is 180 g; check the current assortment and allergen label for the recipient.
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Lindt Lindor Assorted Cornet 200g
An assorted chocolate cornet to consider when bringing chocolates separately from the cream-tea biscuits. The pack is 200 g; check its current contents and allergen label for the recipient.
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Nestle Black Magic Dark Chocolate Box 348g
A dark chocolate box to consider if the gift recipient wants chocolates rather than custard creams. The stated pack size is 348 g; check the current contents and allergen label before gifting.
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Thorntons Classic Chocolate Box 449g
A chocolate box for a separate gift rather than a packet of biscuits to serve with tea. The stated pack size is 449 g; check the current contents and allergen label for the recipient.
Questions about serving and labels
Do custard creams contain milk?
The cited standard Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda custard creams list milk-derived ingredients, so the word “cream” is not a reliable way to judge a different pack. Tesco separately describes its 125 g Free From version as milk-free; check the current label of the biscuits you intend to serve.
Do biscuits or boxed chocolates need preparing for a cream tea?
The cited custard creams and chocolate selection are packaged products to set out for serving. Follow the storage directions on each pack, particularly if you open the biscuits before guests arrive.
How should I keep an opened packet of custard creams?
Tesco and Sainsbury’s advise putting their standard custard creams in an airtight container after opening and storing them in a cool, dry place. Follow the directions on the particular pack you buy.
What label details matter when buying for someone with allergies?
Check the ingredients, highlighted allergens and any suitability or may-contain statements on the exact pack against the person’s requirements. UK government food-labelling guidance identifies ingredients including allergens, the food name, net quantity and a best-before or use-by date among the information to look for on pre-packed food; a label does not make every variant of a brand interchangeable.