Classic biscuit snackers
If you want a vanilla-filled sandwich biscuit, compare the pack size and check the ingredients of the version you choose.
Who is choosing?
Chocolate-and-biscuit snackers
If you want both chocolate and a custard cream, look for a coated biscuit rather than relying on the category name alone.
Snack buyers with dietary requirements
Check the exact pack’s ingredients and precautionary allergen statement. Classic and coated custard creams need not have the same ingredients.
What should you compare?
Start with the kind of snack you want, then compare the particular pack on a consistent nutrition basis and check its ingredients.
Classic custard creams
Choose when: You want a vanilla-filled sandwich biscuit without a chocolate coating.
Bear in mind: Pack size and ingredient statements vary, so check the biscuit you intend to buy.
Chocolate-coated custard creams
Choose when: You want a custard-cream biscuit with chocolate; M&S lists a 191g milk-chocolate-coated version.
Bear in mind: A coated biscuit is a different variant from M&S’s uncoated 165g Extra Cream biscuit.
Boxed chocolates
Choose when: Chocolate and gift-box presentation matter more than having a biscuit.
Bear in mind: Check the packaging: neither a biscuit packet nor a chocolate cornet is necessarily a gift box.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Type of treat | Read the description for a vanilla-filled biscuit, a chocolate coating or chocolates. Check the packaging separately if presentation matters. | I want a biscuit, chocolate with a biscuit, or chocolates presented for a gift—not just a similarly named treat. |
| Portion and nutrition | Check the stated serving size and use the same basis when comparing labels. Tesco lists 59 kcal for one biscuit in its 400g custard-creams pack. | For a late-night snack, I want to know what the label says for the amount I plan to eat. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the exact variant’s ingredients and precautionary statements. ASDA identifies wheat and milk in its classic custard creams and warns of possible rye, barley, oats and sesame. | If an ingredient matters to me, the name “custard cream” is not enough to establish whether a pack suits my requirements. |
| Pack and storage | Compare pack sizes with the amount you expect to use. Follow the opened-pack instructions; Tesco and ASDA direct shoppers to an airtight container in a cool, dry place. | I may eat only some biscuits tonight and want to store the rest as the pack directs. |
What is easy to overlook?
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Assuming a biscuit packet is a chocolate gift box
A classic custard cream is a sandwich biscuit; even a chocolate-coated version does not establish gift-box presentation.
Decide whether you need biscuit texture, a chocolate coating or gift packaging, then inspect the product and its pack.
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Applying an old taste-test result to another variant
Good Housekeeping’s September 2020 UK test named M&S Custard Creams. M&S’s separately named Extra Cream and chocolate-coated listings do not establish that they are the tested product.
Use the historical result only for the product tested at that time, not as a score for a differently named pack.
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Expecting every custard cream to have the same allergen statement
Ingredient and precautionary information differs across the Tesco, ASDA and M&S coated listings.
Read the label on the received pack, particularly when buying for someone with an allergy.
Relevant brand references
These examples show differences between named product lines; a brand name alone does not identify the ingredients or packaging of a particular pack.
Tesco
Tesco lists a 400g classic custard cream with vanilla-flavour filling.
- Its listing gives nutrition information for one biscuit.
- The listed biscuit has wheat and milk ingredients and a sesame precaution; check the pack label.
ASDA
ASDA lists a 400g classic custard cream.
- Its listing includes per-biscuit nutrition information.
- The listing identifies wheat and milk, with additional precautionary allergen information; check the received pack.
M&S
M&S lists a 165g uncoated Extra Cream biscuit and a separate 191g milk-chocolate-coated custard cream.
- The two descriptions distinguish an uncoated biscuit from a chocolate-coated one.
- Neither description alone establishes gift-box packaging; check the exact variant and label.
Crawford's
Tesco lists a 300g Crawford's classic custard cream with vanilla-flavour filling.
- The listing identifies the biscuit type and pack size.
- Check the particular listing and pack details before choosing it.
McVitie's
A Joybuy listing identifies a 300g McVitie's Tasties custard-cream biscuit.
- That listing identifies milk and wheat allergens.
- Its listed precautionary information includes sesame; check the exact pack.
Joybuy product options
These options include a gluten-free custard cream, two Lindt chocolate cornets and a soy milk wafer. The wafer is neither a custard cream nor a box of chocolates; check each product’s packaging if gift presentation matters.
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Schar Gluten Free Custard Creams 125g
A custard-cream option for someone looking for a gluten-free biscuit. The pack is 125g; check its full ingredient and allergen information against your requirements.
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Lindt Lindor Assorted Cornet 200g
An assorted chocolate option rather than a custard-cream biscuit. This is a 200g cornet; check its contents, allergens and packaging if choosing it for someone else.
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Lindt Lindor Cornet Strawberries & Cream 200g
A strawberries-and-cream chocolate option, not a custard-cream biscuit. The cornet is 200g; check the ingredients and packaging if flavour or presentation is decisive.
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BOURBON Soy Milk Wafers 112.8g/pack
A wafer option if you want a different kind of biscuit snack. The pack is 112.8g; it is not a custard cream or a box of chocolates, so check the description before choosing it as a substitute.
Common questions
Do packaged custard creams need preparation?
The Tesco and ASDA packaged biscuits are ready to eat. Follow the storage instructions on your pack after opening; both listings direct shoppers to use an airtight container.
Does “custard cream” mean a biscuit contains no milk?
No. The Tesco and ASDA classic custard-creams listings identify milk ingredients. Check the exact pack’s ingredients and precautionary allergen statement before eating.
Do England’s school-food standards ban a private midnight snack?
No. England’s school-food standards apply to a school-food setting, not a private midnight snack. The Department for Education’s published standards distinguish biscuits permitted at lunchtime from confectionery and chocolate-coated products; do not apply those rules as a blanket restriction on every custard cream or across every UK nation.
Are the proposed September 2027 changes to England’s school-food standards already in force?
No. Department for Education guidance updated on 14 September 2026 describes those changes as subject to Parliamentary approval, so they should not be treated as the rules in force in October 2026.