Tea-break biscuit buyers
If you have a particular elevenses biscuit in mind, start by deciding whether you want a custard-style filling or a non-filled Digestive.
Who is this choice for?
Label-comparing shoppers
If you are weighing up regular and extra-cream custard creams, compare the exact products’ nutrition information on the same per-100g basis.
Households checking dietary suitability
If allergens or other dietary requirements affect your choice, check the current pack’s ingredients, allergen information and suitability statements before eating.
What should you check?
Settle on the biscuit format you want, then compare the labels of the particular packs you are considering.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Biscuit format | Check whether the pack contains cream-filled sandwich biscuits or Digestives. Tesco groups cream and sandwich biscuits separately from Rich Tea, oat and Digestive biscuits. | For elevenses, would I rather have a custard-style filling or a non-filled biscuit? |
| Nutrition comparison | Compare sugars and saturates per 100g on the exact packs, using the same basis for each. Check per-biscuit figures separately if portion size matters. | I want to compare a regular custard cream with an extra-cream recipe without assuming their labels are alike. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current ingredients, highlighted allergens and any precautionary statements. Check suitability wording on the particular product, not the biscuit category. | Wheat, milk, soya or another ingredient may affect which pack I can choose. |
| Elevenses portion | Check how the pack defines a serving and whether it gives nutrition per biscuit. Sainsbury’s lists 59 kcal, 3.3g sugars and 1.2g saturates per biscuit for its cited Custard Creams 200g. | Per-biscuit figures would help me compare the amount I plan to have at elevenses. |
Common buying mistakes
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Reading “Digestive” as a health claim
The biscuit name does not establish a digestive effect or tell you how its nutrition compares with a custard cream.
Choose the biscuit style you want, then use the exact packs’ nutrition and ingredients panels for any label comparison.
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Assuming extra cream means the same nutrition
M&S describes its Extra Cream Custard Creams as having more vanilla cream. That description cannot stand in for a comparison with a regular custard cream’s nutrition label.
Compare both packs’ sugars and saturates per 100g, then check their serving information.
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Using an older allergen listing
A product page may not reflect the pack you have in hand, which matters when an ingredient or precautionary statement affects your choice.
For an allergy, intolerance or coeliac requirement, read the current pack before eating.
Relevant brand references
McVitie’s
McVitie’s has Original Digestives and a separate Tasties Custard Creams product. Compare the particular varieties rather than treating the brand name as a nutrition guide.
- Offers examples of both biscuit formats in this elevenses choice.
- Check the exact variety and pack when comparing ingredients or nutrition.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s Custard Creams 200g is a regular custard-cream example with per-biscuit figures on its product page.
- Sainsbury’s lists 59 kcal, 3.3g sugars and 1.2g saturates per biscuit and states that this product is suitable for vegetarians.
- Use those figures and the suitability statement for this product, not for all custard creams; check the current pack.
M&S
M&S describes its Extra Cream Custard Creams as containing more vanilla cream and real custard powder.
- The named product gives shoppers an extra-cream variation to consider.
- Its recipe description does not establish how its nutrition compares; use the exact pack labels.
Tesco
Tesco’s biscuit browse categories distinguish cream and sandwich biscuits from its Rich Tea, oat and Digestive biscuit grouping.
- The separate categories can help shoppers locate the biscuit format they want.
- A browse category is not a substitute for checking a product’s ingredients and nutrition.
Joybuy biscuit options
These options include plain and chocolate-coated Digestives alongside a gluten-free custard cream. Compare each variant’s current label against the biscuit format and dietary requirements that matter to you.
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McVitie’s Digestives the Original 2x315g
A plain Digestive option if you prefer the non-filled biscuit format for elevenses. Check the pack’s current nutrition and allergen information before comparing it with a custard cream.
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McVitie’s Digestives Milk Chocolate 400g
A milk-chocolate Digestive variation rather than a cream-filled biscuit. Compare its own label with the plain Digestive or custard cream you are considering; do not assume their nutrition is the same.
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Schar Gluten Free Custard Creams 125g
A custard-cream format labelled gluten free. If you need to avoid gluten or another ingredient, check the current pack’s full ingredients and allergen statements before eating.
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Schar Gluten Free Digestive Biscuits 150g
A gluten-free-labelled Digestive option if you want that biscuit style. Read the current pack for its complete ingredients, allergen information and nutrition.
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McVitie’s Digestives Dark Chocolate Twin Pack 2 x 266g
A dark-chocolate Digestive variation for shoppers who want a coated biscuit rather than a custard-cream filling. Use the pack label to compare its nutrition and allergens with other variants.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Digestive biscuit a custard cream?
No. Tesco groups Digestives separately from cream and sandwich biscuits. A custard cream has a cream-filled sandwich format; choose according to which style you want at elevenses.
Does “Digestive” mean the biscuit has a digestive benefit?
No such benefit follows from the name. Treat Digestive as a biscuit style, and read the exact pack if you want to compare ingredients, fibre, sugars or saturates.
Can I assume regular and extra-cream custard creams have the same nutrition?
No. They are different product recipes: M&S describes extra vanilla cream in its Extra Cream Custard Creams. Compare the products’ current labels per 100g, then check any per-biscuit figures relevant to your portion.
Can I choose a custard cream by its name if I need to avoid an allergen?
No. Read the current pack’s ingredients, highlighted allergens and any precautionary statement before eating. A biscuit name or an older online listing cannot establish that a particular pack meets your requirements.
Are all custard creams vegetarian?
Do not assume so from the biscuit type. Sainsbury’s states that its cited Custard Creams 200g product is suitable for vegetarians; check the statement on the exact pack you intend to buy.