Picnic hosts buying custard creams
If you want vanilla-filled biscuits to share, compare pack sizes and follow the storage directions when packing and serving them outdoors.
Who is choosing?
Dark-chocolate seekers
Decide whether you need the custard-cream sandwich format. M&S describes its examined coated custard cream as milk chocolate; McVitie’s describes its Dark Chocolate Digestives as a different type of biscuit.
Hosts checking guests’ allergens
Check the physical pack against each guest’s requirements. The examined Asda custard creams list wheat and milk, and the ingredient list may differ on a coated biscuit.
What should you check?
Start with the choice between custard-cream format and dark chocolate. Then compare the exact pack’s storage, ingredients and serving information.
Classic custard creams
Choose when: You want an uncoated, vanilla-filled sandwich biscuit.
Trade-off: This route does not provide a dark-chocolate coating.
Chocolate-coated custard creams
Choose when: Keeping the custard-cream sandwich matters more than choosing dark chocolate.
Trade-off: The examined M&S version uses milk chocolate and its pack calls for storage away from sunlight.
Dark-chocolate digestives
Choose when: Dark chocolate matters more than the custard-cream format.
Trade-off: McVitie’s Dark Chocolate Digestives are topped biscuits, not vanilla-cream sandwiches.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate type | Read the exact coating description. M&S specifies milk chocolate on its coated custard cream; McVitie’s identifies dark chocolate on its Digestives. | I want dark chocolate, but can give up the custard-cream filling if that is what the choice requires. |
| Picnic storage | Follow the pack’s cool, dry storage directions. Tesco and Asda advise an airtight container after opening; M&S also says to keep its coated biscuit away from sunlight. | My biscuits need to stay dry during the journey and while the pack is open outdoors. |
| Ingredients | Read the physical pack’s ingredient and allergen list for the exact product. Asda lists wheat and milk in its custard creams; do not assume a coated biscuit has the same ingredients. | Before serving guests, I need to check the biscuit against the ingredients they must avoid. |
| Pack and portions | Compare pack weight with the amount you intend to serve. Tesco and Asda list 400 g packs; M&S lists its coated custard cream at 191 g. Compare nutrition on the same per-100 g or per-serving basis. | For a group picnic, I want enough biscuits without treating differently sized packs or servings as equivalent. |
Mistakes to avoid
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Assuming a chocolate-coated custard cream is dark
M&S describes its examined chocolate-coated custard cream as milk chocolate, so its coating does not meet a dark-chocolate preference.
Read the coating description. If dark chocolate takes priority, consider a clearly labelled dark-chocolate biscuit and check whether its different format suits you.
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Confusing chocolate content with cocoa solids
McVitie’s lists dark chocolate as 30% of its Dark Chocolate Digestive. That is the chocolate component’s share of the biscuit, not the cocoa-solids percentage of the chocolate.
Check which part of the product a percentage describes before using it to compare chocolate.
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Using an online ingredient list for an allergy decision
Ingredients can differ between uncoated and coated biscuits, and online product information can change.
Read the physical label on the exact pack before serving it to someone who needs to avoid an ingredient.
Brand and product references
These examples clarify the biscuit formats and pack details; they do not indicate which products are available from Joybuy.
M&S
Its examined range includes an extra-cream custard cream and a chocolate-coated custard cream.
- M&S describes Extra Cream Custard Creams as containing custard powder.
- Its examined coated custard cream uses milk chocolate, not dark chocolate.
Tesco
Tesco lists a 400 g pack of vanilla-filled custard cream biscuits.
- The listing directs cool, dry storage and an airtight container after opening.
Asda
Asda lists a 400 g pack of custard creams with a vanilla-flavour filling.
- Its listing gives cool, dry storage directions and identifies wheat and milk allergens.
- Check the physical label before serving, as Asda warns that online product information can change.
McVitie’s
Its Dark Chocolate Digestives provide a dark-chocolate option in a different biscuit format.
- McVitie’s describes the Digestives as wheat biscuits topped with dark chocolate.
- They are not vanilla-filled custard-cream sandwiches.
Sainsbury’s
Its examined custard cream listing is for a 200 g pack.
- The listing provides per-biscuit nutrition information for portion comparisons.
- Check current availability before relying on this particular pack for a picnic.
Joybuy product options
These options cover two ways to make the picnic choice: a classic custard cream, or dark-chocolate digestives if you are willing to change biscuit type.
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Schar Gluten Free Custard Creams 125g
A custard-cream option if the sandwich-biscuit format matters more than dark chocolate. The pack is 125g; check its physical ingredient and allergen label against guests’ requirements.
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McVitie’s Digestives Dark Chocolate Twin Pack, 2 x 266g
A dark-chocolate choice for a picnic where the custard-cream filling is not essential. This is a twin pack of digestives, not a vanilla-filled sandwich biscuit; follow the pack’s storage directions.
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McVitie’s Digestives Dark Chocolate 400g
A 400g dark-chocolate digestive option if chocolate type takes priority over the custard-cream format. It does not have a vanilla-cream sandwich filling; a stated share of dark chocolate in a biscuit should not be read as its cocoa-solids percentage.
Common questions
Is a chocolate-coated custard cream necessarily dark chocolate?
No. M&S specifies milk chocolate on its examined coated custard cream. Check the exact pack’s coating description rather than judging by appearance or the word “chocolatey”.
Do custard creams need refrigerating at a picnic?
The examined Tesco, Asda and M&S custard cream packs direct cool, dry storage rather than refrigeration; M&S also says to keep its coated biscuit away from sunlight. Follow the chosen pack’s instructions, and keep other picnic foods chilled where their own instructions require it.
How should I store an opened pack?
Tesco and Asda advise putting their custard creams in an airtight container after opening. Keep the biscuits dry and follow the storage and best-before information on the pack you buy.
How do I check custard creams for guests with allergies?
Read the ingredient and allergen information on the physical pack for the exact product, against the ingredients each guest must avoid. UK government food-labelling guidance requires ingredients, including allergens, to be listed on prepacked food; do not assume plain and coated biscuits have identical recipes.
Does “30% dark chocolate” mean 30% cocoa solids?
No. McVitie’s lists dark chocolate as 30% of its Dark Chocolate Digestive, meaning that proportion of the whole biscuit is dark chocolate. It does not state the cocoa-solids percentage of the chocolate.