Hosts choosing between two biscuit styles
If the plate needs one main biscuit, decide whether guests would prefer a vanilla-filled custard cream or an unfilled digestive. Tesco’s listings provide examples of each style in a 400 g pack.
Who is choosing?
Hosts catering for dietary requirements
Vegan labelling, allergen information and gluten-free labelling answer different questions. Check the particular pack against each guest’s requirements rather than relying on the biscuit’s name.
Hosts buying biscuits to share
Compare the amount in each pack with the quantity you plan to serve, particularly if switching from an everyday pack to a smaller speciality pack. Confirm that your chosen pack can be supplied before the party.
What should you check?
Start with the biscuit style, then check dietary suitability, the amount you need and how you will store opened packs.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Biscuit style | Tesco and Asda describe their custard creams as biscuits with vanilla-flavour filling; Tesco’s plain digestives are unfilled. M&S describes its Extra Cream Custard Creams as having additional vanilla filling. | I’d choose a filled biscuit if that is what I want on the party plate. If I’d rather serve an unfilled biscuit, I’d look at plain digestives; a chocolate-coated digestive is another distinct option. |
| Dietary suitability | Read the ingredients and precautionary allergen statements on the exact pack. Tesco’s plain digestives are labelled suitable for vegans but contain wheat and carry a may-contain warning for peanuts and nuts. For gluten avoidance, check a specifically labelled gluten-free product. | For a guest with a stated dietary requirement, I need to check the pack they will actually be served. A vegan label does not answer an allergy question. |
| Quantity | Compare pack weights on the same basis: the Tesco custard creams and plain digestives listed are each 400 g, while M&S Extra Cream Custard Creams are 165 g. Check current availability before planning around a particular pack. | How much will I put out for guests? A smaller pack might suit the amount I need, but I wouldn’t assume it replaces a 400 g pack one-for-one. |
| Storage | Follow the chosen pack’s instructions. Tesco’s custard creams and the listed Asda custard creams say to use an airtight container once opened; Tesco also specifies a cool, dry place for its custard creams. | If I open biscuits before guests arrive, I want to keep them as the pack directs until serving. |
Common buying mistakes
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Treating a vegan label as an allergy guarantee
Tesco’s vegan-labelled plain digestives still contain wheat and carry a may-contain warning for peanuts and nuts. Vegan suitability does not establish allergen suitability.
Check the ingredients and precautionary statements on the physical pack against the guest’s stated requirements.
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Treating different pack weights as interchangeable
A 165 g M&S Extra Cream pack contains a different amount from a 400 g Tesco custard cream pack, regardless of which style guests prefer.
Work out the quantity you intend to serve and compare pack weights before choosing how many packs to buy.
Using 165 g packs in place of a planned 400 g pack may mean buying additional packs to reach your intended quantity.
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Planning around an old seasonal range or an unavailable listing
Pladis’s festive assortment announcement described a 2025 range, while the checked retailer listings for Crawford’s and Sainsbury’s custard creams showed those products as unavailable at the time. Neither establishes what can be ordered for this party.
Confirm the exact pack’s current availability and delivery timing before relying on it for a dated event.
Brand and product-line references
These examples describe particular listed biscuits, not every product made or sold under each name.
Tesco
Tesco lists both custard creams and plain digestives in 400 g packs.
- The listed plain digestives are labelled suitable for vegans.
- The listed custard creams contain milk; the digestive’s vegan label does not remove the need to check its wheat ingredient and peanut-and-nut warning.
Asda
Asda lists ordinary 400 g custard creams and, separately, Schär gluten-free custard creams in a different pack format.
- The separate gluten-free listing gives hosts a specifically labelled alternative to assess.
- Asda’s ordinary custard creams list wheat and milk; the two listings should not be treated as the same recipe.
M&S
M&S describes its 165 g Extra Cream Custard Creams as having additional vanilla filling.
- The filling description identifies a specific variation for guests who want that style.
- The 165 g pack needs a quantity check before it is used in place of a larger pack.
Crawford’s
A Tesco listing describes Crawford’s vanilla-flavour custard creams in a 300 g pack, with a typical count of 26 biscuits.
- The stated pack weight and typical biscuit count can help with serving plans.
- The Tesco listing was out of stock when checked; confirm current availability before planning around it.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s has a listing for its own-label custard creams in a 200 g pack.
- The stated pack weight provides a basis for comparing the amount with other listed packs.
- The listing showed the product as unavailable when checked; confirm its current status if considering it.
McVitie’s
McVitie’s appears in the digestive options here, including plain and chocolate-coated packs.
- The listed packs let hosts distinguish an unfilled original digestive from chocolate-coated versions.
- Ingredients and pack formats differ between those versions; check the specific product rather than relying on the brand name.
Joybuy biscuit options
These options include plain and chocolate-coated digestives, plus a specifically labelled gluten-free custard cream. Chocolate-coated digestives are not the same choice as the plain digestives discussed above; compare each pack with the biscuit style and dietary requirements you have in mind.
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McVitie’s Digestives Dark Chocolate Twin Pack, 2 x 266g
Consider this if you want a chocolate-coated digestive rather than an unfilled plain biscuit. The twin pack contains two 266 g packs; check its ingredients and allergen statements before serving guests with dietary requirements.
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McVitie’s Digestives Milk Chocolate 400g
This 400 g pack is a milk-chocolate digestive option for a biscuit plate, rather than a plain digestive or a custard cream. Check the pack’s ingredients and allergen statements for guests with dietary requirements.
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Gullon Zero Sugar Free Original Digestives 400g
This 400 g original-style digestive is an unfilled option. Its product information warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect; check the pack information and allergen statements before serving.
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Schar Gluten Free Custard Creams 125g
For a guest who needs to avoid gluten, this is a specifically labelled gluten-free custard cream rather than an ordinary custard cream. The pack is 125 g; check how much you need and read its physical label for any other dietary requirements.
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McVitie’s Digestives The Original, 2 x 315g
Choose this twin pack if you want an unfilled digestive rather than a chocolate-coated biscuit or vanilla-filled custard cream. It contains two 315 g packs; check the ingredients and allergen statements for the guests you are serving.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use an online ingredient list for a guest with an allergy?
Check the physical pack you receive, including its ingredients and precautionary allergen statements, before serving it. A label such as ‘suitable for vegans’ addresses a different requirement and does not establish allergy suitability.
How do I compare a smaller custard cream pack with a larger one?
Compare pack weights with the quantity you plan to serve. For example, M&S lists its Extra Cream Custard Creams at 165 g and Tesco lists its custard creams at 400 g, so the packs are not one-for-one substitutes by weight.
What if the biscuits I planned to buy are unavailable?
Check current availability and delivery timing before depending on a particular pack for New Year’s Eve. The checked Tesco listing for Crawford’s custard creams and the Sainsbury’s listing for its own-label custard creams showed unavailable products at the time; those listings do not predict later stock.
Does a biscuit become unsafe the day after its best-before date?
A best-before date concerns quality rather than the use-by safety deadline, according to the Food Standards Agency. When buying ahead, check the particular pack’s date, condition and storage instructions.
Do school-food rules prohibit custard creams at a private party?
No. The Department for Education’s school-food guidance concerns food provided in covered state-funded schools in England, not biscuits served at an ordinary private New Year’s Eve party. It also does not determine the HFSS classification of a particular biscuit pack.