Hotel buyers comparing sugar labels
If guests expect a custard cream with tea, compare sugars on the same serving basis before choosing a conventional biscuit. A no-added-sugar cocoa sandwich changes the flavour as well as the label claim.
Who is choosing?
Hotels catering for gluten- or milk-free guests
Asda Free From Custard Creams are labelled gluten-free, milk-free and suitable for vegans, according to Asda Groceries. That dietary distinction does not make them a reduced-sugar choice.
Guests checking carbohydrate information
A no-added-sugar label is not a carbohydrate-free claim. Diabetes UK notes that polyols, including the type of sweetener used in the Gullón alternative, contain carbohydrate and calories; guests can consult the full ingredient and nutrition label.
What should you check?
Decide whether the room-tea biscuit needs to retain the custard-cream flavour, meet a defined dietary requirement or carry a no-added-sugar claim; then compare the relevant labels on a consistent basis.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars | Sainsbury’s lists 3.3g sugars per biscuit, Tesco 3.4g and Asda Free From 3.5g; each label marks sugars as high. Compare biscuits using the same serving basis, and check the current pack before making a sugar claim. | I want to compare conventional custard creams without mistaking a small per-biscuit difference for a reduced-sugar product. |
| Flavour and format | Check whether the biscuit is a vanilla custard cream or a cocoa cream sandwich. Gullón describes Zero Cookies and Cream as a cocoa-based, no-added-sugar alternative containing maltitol. | Guests expect a familiar custard cream with tea; would a cocoa biscuit be an acceptable substitution? |
| Dietary labels | Asda labels its Free From Custard Creams gluten-free, milk-free and suitable for vegans. Check the current ingredients and allergen statement for each product rather than extending those claims to other biscuits. | I need a biscuit for a specified dietary requirement, which is a separate decision from reducing sugar. |
| Room service | Check the pack’s storage instructions and keep ingredient information identifiable when biscuits are served. Tesco specifies cool, dry storage and an airtight container after opening. | If biscuits are taken out of their packs for room-tea service, I still want guests to be able to identify what they have been given. |
Buying pitfalls
-
Reading “free from” as “reduced sugar”
Asda Free From Custard Creams meet the stated gluten-free and milk-free requirements, but Asda lists 3.5g sugars per biscuit and marks sugars as high.
Choose the dietary requirement first, then assess sugars separately on the current pack.
-
Turning a small label difference into a product claim
Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Asda list 3.3g, 3.4g and 3.5g sugars per biscuit respectively. That comparison does not establish that any of the three is a reduced-sugar product.
State the per-biscuit figures if they matter to the choice, rather than describing the biscuits as reduced sugar.
-
Assuming no added sugar means no carbohydrate
Gullón Zero Cookies and Cream uses maltitol. Diabetes UK explains that polyols contain carbohydrate and calories, so the no-added-sugar wording does not answer every guest’s nutrition question.
Make the full ingredient and nutrition information available without presenting the biscuit as suitable for everyone with a particular dietary or medical need.
-
Removing biscuits from identifiable packs
Conventional custard creams in this comparison contain wheat and milk. Gullón’s alternative contains wheat and soya and may contain milk and mustard, according to its product information.
Keep the original pack or its current ingredient and allergen information identifiable if biscuits are served outside the packaging.
Relevant brand references
Sainsbury’s
A conventional custard cream in a 200g pack.
- Sainsbury’s lists 3.3g sugars per biscuit, the lowest per-biscuit figure among the three custard-cream-style products compared here.
- The label marks sugars as high; the ingredients include wheat and milk.
Tesco
A vanilla-filled conventional custard cream in a 400g pack.
- Tesco lists 3.4g sugars per biscuit, allowing a like-for-like serving comparison with the other labelled examples.
- It contains wheat and milk. Tesco advises cool, dry storage and an airtight container after opening.
Asda Free From
A 125g custard-cream-style pack labelled for gluten-free, milk-free and vegan diets.
- Asda Groceries identifies these dietary attributes for this product.
- Its label gives 3.5g sugars per biscuit and marks sugars as high.
M&S
Extra Cream Custard Creams are a custard-cream option with vanilla filling and custard powder.
- Marks & Spencer describes the filling and ingredients for shoppers seeking this particular format.
- Marks & Spencer lists 40.2g sugars per 100g; the product contains wheat, milk and soya. Check the current pack label.
Gullón Zero
A no-added-sugar cocoa cream-sandwich alternative, rather than an exact custard cream.
- Gullón identifies maltitol as a sweetener in its Cookies and Cream biscuit and filling.
- The cocoa flavour changes the tea-biscuit choice. Its ingredient information lists wheat and soya and a possible presence of milk and mustard.
Joybuy product options
These options include cocoa cream sandwiches with sugar-related name or label claims and a gluten-free custard cream. They serve different room-tea requirements, so check each product’s current pack rather than treating them as interchangeable.
Image unavailable
Oreo Zero Sugar Sandwich Cookies 97g
Consider this sandwich-cookie option when a custard-cream flavour is not essential. The pack is 97g; check its current nutrition and ingredient label against the requirements for room-tea service.
Image unavailable
Gullón Zero No Added Sugar Cookies and Cream 210g
A cocoa cream sandwich for a no-added-sugar brief, not a vanilla custard cream. The Joybuy listing gives 2.4g sugars per 100g; Gullón lists maltitol as a sweetener. Check the current pack for wheat, soya and possible milk and mustard.
Image unavailable
Schar Gluten Free Custard Creams 125g
A custard cream to consider when gluten-free labelling is the deciding requirement. The pack is 125g; check its current sugar and allergen information separately before offering it for another dietary need.
Questions about the choice
Are the compared custard creams reduced sugar?
Do not describe the Sainsbury’s, Tesco or Asda Free From examples as reduced-sugar products on the basis of this comparison. Their respective labels list 3.3g, 3.4g and 3.5g sugars per biscuit and mark sugars as high; check the current pack for any product claim.
Is a no-added-sugar cream sandwich still a custard cream?
Gullón Zero Cookies and Cream is a cocoa biscuit with a maltitol-sweetened filling, not an exact vanilla custard cream. Choose it only if that change in flavour and ingredients works for the room-tea offering.
Does no added sugar mean carbohydrate-free?
No. Gullón’s alternative contains maltitol, and Diabetes UK explains that polyols contain carbohydrate and calories. The no-added-sugar wording cannot replace a check of the full nutrition and ingredient information.
Which compared custard cream is labelled gluten-free and milk-free?
Asda Groceries labels Asda Free From Custard Creams gluten-free, milk-free and suitable for vegans. Tesco and Sainsbury’s conventional examples contain wheat and milk; check the current pack for the particular guest’s requirements.
What matters when serving biscuits outside their packs?
Keep each biscuit identifiable alongside its current ingredient and allergen information. For opened conventional packs, follow the product’s storage instructions: Tesco specifies a cool, dry place and an airtight container after opening.