Choose classic custard creams for a cream-filled biscuit table, or plain Digestives if guests would prefer a wheatmeal biscuit; neither is automatically suitable for someone avoiding gluten or milk. Add a separately labelled option that matches any declared dietary requirements, and check each pack before serving. Chocolate-coated and extra-cream versions offer a different style, but their allergen information and nutrition figures need checking separately.
A classic biscuit and a Digestive give guests two distinct styles. If anyone has a declared food allergy or intolerance, plan a separately identified biscuit that meets their requirements rather than relying on the standard selection.
Look for the specific gluten-free or milk-free statement the guest needs on the current pack. Tesco lists its Free From Custard Creams as both gluten free and milk free; a similar-looking biscuit does not necessarily carry the same statements.
Plain Digestives, cream-filled custard creams and chocolate-coated biscuits offer different choices. Compare nutrition figures on the same basis—such as per 100g—and check the allergens for each exact product.
Decide which biscuit styles to serve, then check dietary requirements, pack quantities and the labels on the products you choose.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Allergens | Read each pack’s ingredients and allergen statements. Check whether a free-from label names the specific allergen a guest must avoid, and keep that biscuit separate when serving. | Someone needs a gluten-free or milk-free biscuit, so I want an option labelled for that requirement and packaging guests can refer to. |
| Biscuit style | Choose between a cream-filled custard cream, a plain wheatmeal Digestive and a coated version. Do not treat a Digestive as a free-from substitute: Tesco’s listing for McVitie's Original Digestives identifies gluten and says the biscuits may contain milk. | I would like a plain biscuit alongside the custard creams, or a chocolate-coated choice for guests who prefer one. |
| Nutrition labels | Compare sugars and saturates using the same label basis. Marks & Spencer lists 40.2g sugars and 13.5g saturates per 100g for its Extra Cream Custard Creams, and 43.2g sugars and 15.3g saturates per 100g for its milk-chocolate-coated version. | If I am choosing between richer-looking biscuits, I want to compare the exact packs rather than assume their figures are alike. |
| Quantity and storage | Check net weight, any stated biscuit count and current availability before planning quantities. Follow the chosen pack’s storage instructions after opening. | I need enough biscuits for the guest list without depending on one particular multi-pack being available. |
Tesco’s standard custard creams contain wheat and milk and may contain sesame, while its separately listed Free From Custard Creams are labelled gluten free and milk free.
Ask about requirements before shopping, check the exact pack and keep a suitable labelled option separate, with its packaging available at the table.
Tesco’s 750g custard-cream multi-pack was listed as out of stock when checked, so it is a poor basis for a fixed shopping plan.
Check availability when ordering and work out how many packs of an available size you need.
The Food (Promotion and Placement) (England) Regulations 2021 address qualifying retail promotion and placement; they do not, by themselves, determine what a host may serve at a private birthday party. A biscuit’s HFSS classification cannot be established from its name alone.
If a school is providing food for an event in England, check its policy and the applicable school-food requirements separately.
Tesco lists both standard custard creams and a distinct Free From version, giving hosts two differently labelled routes.
Its 300g custard creams are a named-brand option for a vanilla-flavour cream sandwich biscuit.
The Extra Cream and milk-chocolate-coated custard creams are options when the biscuit table calls for a filled or coated style.
Original Digestives offer a wheatmeal biscuit instead of a cream-filled custard cream.
These options include plain and chocolate-coated Digestives, plus a gluten-free custard cream. Check the individual pack against guests’ requirements; the gluten-free description alone does not establish that a biscuit is milk free.
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A plain Digestive option for guests who would rather have a biscuit without cream or chocolate coating. Check the pack for wheat and possible milk content before serving it to anyone with a relevant restriction.
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A chocolate-coated Digestive for a biscuit table that includes a coated option. Check its own ingredients for wheat, milk and soya, and use its label—not figures for plain Digestives—when comparing nutrition.
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A milk-chocolate Digestive rather than a custard cream. Check the pack’s wheat, milk and soya information before serving, particularly if other biscuits on the table have different labels.
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A 125g gluten-free custard-cream option for a guest who needs that specific label. If the requirement is also to avoid milk, check this product’s current packaging separately; gluten free does not mean milk free.
Do not use Tesco’s standard custard creams for either requirement: their listing identifies wheat and milk, and says they may contain sesame. Choose a separately labelled product that matches the guest’s requirements, and check its current packaging before serving.
Serve them separately when they are intended for someone avoiding an allergen. Keep the original packaging available so guests can identify the product and check its label, and avoid mixing the biscuits or serving utensils.
They offer a different biscuit style, not an allergen-free replacement. Tesco’s listing for McVitie's Original Digestives identifies gluten and possible milk content, so check the exact pack against guests’ requirements.
The Food (Promotion and Placement) (England) Regulations 2021 concern qualifying retail promotion and placement, not a general ban on a host serving biscuits at a private party. A particular product’s HFSS classification needs assessment rather than an assumption based on its name. If a school is providing food for an event in England, check its policy and the applicable school-food requirements separately.
For Tesco’s standard custard creams, the stated instruction is to keep them in a cool, dry place and use an airtight container once opened. Follow the instructions on the particular pack you serve.