Do not choose a conventional or Free From custard cream for a strict sugar-free elevenses on the strength of its name: the Tesco, ASDA, Sainsbury’s and Schär examples listed by those retailers contain 23–29 g sugars per 100 g. Check the current pack for a sugar-free claim and compare its sugars per 100 g with the 0.5 g criterion published by legislation.gov.uk. If a custard cream does not meet your requirement, a different biscuit type may be an option, but check its own label too.
Check the claim and the sugars per 100 g on the exact pack, rather than relying on a small serving size or a Free From label. The sugar-free criterion published by legislation.gov.uk is no more than 0.5 g sugars per 100 g of food.
Check which exclusions the particular pack states, such as gluten, milk or wheat. These declarations answer a different question from whether the biscuit is sugar-free, so read its sugars figure separately.
If sugar-free is not a requirement, compare sugars per biscuit when deciding how many to have at elevenses. Use sugars per 100 g to compare different products on the same basis.
Start with the sugar requirement; then check any dietary exclusions and the portion information that matters to your biscuit break.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar-free claim | Look for a sugar-free claim on the current pack. Compare sugars per 100 g with the no-more-than-0.5 g criterion for food published by legislation.gov.uk. | I need a biscuit that meets a strict sugar-free requirement, not just one sold in a smaller pack. |
| Dietary exclusions | Read the exact pack’s gluten, milk, wheat or vegan declarations as relevant, then check its sugars line separately. ASDA Groceries lists 25 g sugars per 100 g for ASDA Free From custard creams; Tesco Groceries lists 25.2 g for its Free From version. | If I’m choosing Free From for a particular exclusion, I also want to know whether it meets any separate sugar requirement. |
| Portion comparison | Compare sugars per biscuit for an intended portion and sugars per 100 g across products. Sainsbury’s lists 3.3 g sugars per biscuit for its custard creams, while ASDA Groceries lists 3.4 g for its conventional version. | For an occasional biscuit at elevenses, I want to know what my chosen portion contains without mistaking a small biscuit for a sugar-free one. |
Free From declarations can concern ingredients such as gluten or milk. ASDA Groceries, Tesco Groceries and ASDA’s Schär listing report 23–25.2 g sugars per 100 g across the cited Free From or gluten-free custard creams.
Check the stated exclusion and the sugars per 100 g independently before choosing a pack.
A custard cream may meet a stated gluten-free, milk-free or vegan preference while failing a strict sugar-free requirement.
Decide which claims you need, then compare only products whose current packs address those requirements.
Portion size changes the amount eaten, not the product’s sugars per 100 g. Tesco Groceries lists 3.5 g sugars per Tesco Free From biscuit, and Sainsbury’s lists 3.3 g per own-label custard cream.
If you are choosing an occasional custard cream rather than a sugar-free biscuit, use the per-biscuit figure to decide on your portion.
These product-line examples show why the type of custard cream and its sugars figure matter; they are separate from the Joybuy biscuit options below.
Tesco lists both conventional and Free From custard creams in its grocery range.
ASDA Groceries lists conventional custard creams and a separate Free From product.
Sainsbury’s lists an own-label conventional custard cream.
ASDA Groceries lists Schär gluten-free custard creams in five 25 g portion packs.
McVitie’s owner pladis describes custard creams as one of the biscuit varieties in its Family Circle assortment.
These options are a sandwich cookie and a digestive for shoppers considering a different biscuit type at elevenses; neither is a custard cream. For a strict sugar-free requirement, check the current pack’s claim and sugars per 100 g before buying.
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This sandwich cookie offers a different biscuit type for elevenses, not a custard cream. Check the current pack’s sugars per 100 g and sweetener information against your requirements.
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This 400 g pack contains digestives rather than sandwich-style custard creams. If sugar-free is essential, check the current pack’s claim, sugars per 100 g and sweetener information.
The sugar-free criterion published by legislation.gov.uk is no more than 0.5 g sugars per 100 g of food. Check both the claim and the sugars-per-100 g line on the exact pack; “Free From” on its own does not answer the sugar question.
The cited retailer listings report 23–29 g sugars per 100 g for these products, rather than a figure within the 0.5 g-per-100 g sugar-free criterion published by legislation.gov.uk. That range includes the listed Free From and gluten-free versions; check current packaging when shopping.
No sugar comparison follows from “Free From” alone: the cited Tesco, ASDA and Schär listings use dietary-exclusion descriptions while still reporting sugars in their nutrition information. Check the relevant exclusion and compare sugars per 100 g separately.
Use the pack’s sugars-per-biscuit figure to consider your intended portion, and use sugars per 100 g to compare products. NHS guidance advises keeping the frequency and amount of sugary foods and drinks as low as possible; a smaller portion does not change whether a product is sugar-free.