Lunchbox portion planners
Separate packets can save you portioning biscuits for each lunchbox. Check how many packets you will use: Hill Biscuits lists a custard-cream-only case containing 48 three-biscuit packets.
Who is each format for?
Household afternoon snackers
Choose a mixed pack if your household wants its other biscuit varieties too. If everyone wants custard creams, an ordinary packet leaves you to divide the servings yourself.
Buyers checking allergens
Read the current label of the exact packet. The cited Asda custard creams contain wheat and milk, and a mixed selection needs a separate check for each variety.
What matters when choosing?
Start with the number of custard-cream servings you will use, then check how the biscuits are packed and what each recipient can eat.
| Priority | What to check | My needs |
|---|---|---|
| Usable portions | Count custard-cream packets, not just total packets. Hill Biscuits lists 48 three-biscuit packets in its single-variety case, but only 20 custard-cream packets among 100 packets in its mixed selection. | I want separate snacks without buying a case largely made up of flavours we will not eat. |
| Snack nutrition | Check the serving you will actually pack. Tesco lists 59 kcal and 3.4 g sugars per biscuit for its 400 g custard creams; those figures describe that product, not every brand. | For a child’s lunchbox, I want to consider how often biscuits feature. NHS Healthier Families suggests fruit or fruit bread as alternatives to biscuits. |
| Ingredients | Read the current ingredients and precautionary allergen statement on the exact product. Asda lists wheat and milk in its custard creams and possible rye, barley, oats and sesame; check every variety in a mixed case separately. | If someone needs to avoid an ingredient, I need to assess the biscuits they will actually eat, not rely on the name of the selection case. |
| Quantity and storage | Compare case size with the number of snack occasions. For an ordinary opened packet, follow its storage directions; Tesco specifies an airtight container after opening. | Will we use 48 separate packets, or would a packet I portion myself be more practical to keep and store? |
Pack-format mistakes to avoid
-
Counting every packet in a selection case as custard creams
Hill Biscuits lists 20 custard-cream packets in its 100-packet mixed selection. Its 48-packet custard-cream-only case is a different product.
Count the packets of the flavour you want before deciding whether the full case suits your household.
A mixed case may leave you with varieties you did not intend to buy.
-
Assuming a large ordinary packet contains sealed servings
A 400 g packet of custard creams is not the same format as separately wrapped portions.
If sealed individual packets matter, check that the pack explicitly provides them; otherwise, plan to portion the biscuits yourself.
Self-portioning takes time, and an opened packet may need an airtight container.
-
Letting lunchbox packaging decide the snack
Separate packets make packing convenient, but packaging does not establish how often biscuits should feature in a child’s lunchbox. NHS Healthier Families suggests fruit or fruit bread as alternatives.
Consider the snack itself as well as the pack format. For school, distinguish a lunch packed at home from food provided by the school.
Brand and product-line references
Hill Biscuits
Its listed foodservice formats include custard-cream-only portions and a mixed biscuit selection.
- The manufacturer specifies 48 packets of three biscuits in its custard-cream-only case.
- Its 100-packet mixed selection contains 20 custard-cream packets; both cases require planning for a catering-scale quantity.
M&S
Its 530 g triple pack combines custard creams, malted milk biscuits and bourbon creams.
- The named varieties make it possible to judge whether the household will use all three.
- The listing does not establish separately wrapped servings, and only one variety is custard creams.
Tesco
Its 400 g single-flavour packet is an option for portioning custard creams yourself.
- The listing gives per-biscuit nutrition and after-opening storage directions.
- It is not presented as a pack of separately sealed portions.
Asda
Its 400 g single-flavour packet offers another self-portioning format.
- Asda lists approximately 34 biscuit servings and identifies ingredients and precautionary allergens.
- It is not presented as individually portioned; check the current packet information before serving.
Crawford's
Tesco lists a 300 g Crawford's custard creams packet for comparison with larger ordinary packets.
- The listing states approximately 26 biscuits per pack.
- The cited listing marked it out of stock; check current availability before relying on this option.
Sainsbury's
Its listed 200 g custard creams packet illustrates a smaller self-portioning format.
- The listing states approximately 16 servings and gives after-opening storage directions.
- The cited listing marked the packet out of stock; check current availability.
Custard creams on Joybuy
This ordinary packet is a self-portioning option for afternoon snacks, rather than a multipack of separate servings.
No image available
Schar Gluten Free Custard Creams 125g
This 125g custard creams packet is an option if you plan to divide afternoon snacks yourself. It is a single packet, not a multipack of individually wrapped servings. Check its current ingredients and allergen statement for the intended recipient.
Frequently asked questions
Does a triple pack contain three packs of custard creams?
Not necessarily. M&S lists custard creams, malted milk biscuits and bourbon creams in its 530 g triple pack, so check the named varieties rather than assuming every section contains custard creams.
How should I store an opened packet?
Follow the directions on the packet you buy. Tesco specifies a cool, dry place and an airtight container after opening for its 400 g custard creams; an ordinary packet also needs portioning if you want separate snacks.
What should I check when buying for someone with a food allergy?
Check the current label of the exact product and each variety in a mixed pack. Asda lists wheat and milk in its custard creams, with precautionary statements for other ingredients; another packet may have a different statement.
Do England’s school-food standards cover a lunch packed at home?
The Department for Education describes those requirements as applying to food and drink provided in state-funded schools in England, rather than establishing a rule for every parent-packed lunch. Check the school’s packed-lunch policy separately; NHS Healthier Families suggests fruit or fruit bread as alternatives to biscuits.