Hosts looking for a chocolate-coated biscuit
A coated custard cream can bring chocolate to a sharing table, but the Tesco, Asda and M&S versions described here use milk chocolate. Check the exact pack if dark chocolate is part of the menu.
Who is choosing?
Hosts planning a sharing table
If a conventional custard cream will do, compare pack quantities with the number of guests and the other food you plan to serve.
Hosts serving guests with food allergies
Keep the current pack available so guests can check its ingredients and allergen statements. Wheat, milk and soya are particularly relevant checks across the plain and coated products discussed here.
What should you check?
Decide whether dark chocolate or the custard-cream format matters more, then check the exact product you intend to put on the table.
Milk-chocolate-coated custard creams
Choose when: You want a chocolate-coated custard cream and milk chocolate suits the menu.
Bear in mind: The Tesco, Asda and M&S products described here are not dark-chocolate custard creams.
Plain custard creams
Choose when: A familiar sandwich biscuit matters more than chocolate coating.
Bear in mind: Plain custard creams do not satisfy a dark-chocolate requirement.
Dark-chocolate biscuit alternatives
Choose when: Dark chocolate matters more than serving a custard cream.
Bear in mind: A digestive or Hobnob is a different biscuit; check its own ingredients and cocoa description.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate type | Read the exact product description for “dark” or “milk” chocolate. Compare cocoa-solids declarations only for the products to which they apply: Tesco states 27% minimum and M&S 28% minimum for the milk chocolate in their cited custard creams. | If I want a dark-chocolate flavour, a chocolate-coated custard cream labelled “milk chocolate” will not meet that requirement. |
| Allergens | Check the current pack’s ingredients, highlighted allergens and any “may contain” statement. Keep the packaging available beside shared food. | Guests need to be able to check whether a particular biscuit suits their allergies before taking one. |
| Serving size | Compare nutrition figures on the same stated basis, such as per biscuit or per 100 g. Check biscuit weight before comparing per-biscuit figures from different products. | I want to know what one serving represents when setting out biscuits alongside other festival food. |
| Pack quantity | Check net weight and, where stated, biscuit count. Match the amount you buy to guest numbers and the rest of the table. | A pack should fit the gathering; its weight alone does not tell me how many biscuits each guest could have. |
Common buying mistakes
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Assuming every chocolate coating is dark
Tesco, Asda and M&S describe the coated custard creams discussed here as milk-chocolate products. They would change a menu intended to feature dark-chocolate custard creams.
Look for an explicit dark-chocolate description on the exact pack, and check its cocoa declaration if one is given.
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Judging a sharing pack by its appearance
Pack weights vary: the cited Tesco coated custard creams are 162 g, while the cited Asda plain pack is 400 g. Neither figure alone establishes a biscuit count.
Check net weight and any stated count against your guest numbers before choosing a pack format.
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Using an older online allergen listing
Ingredients and allergen statements can change, and precautionary wording can matter to an affected guest.
Inspect the physical pack bought for the event and keep it available for guests. Do not describe biscuits as allergen-free without support from that pack.
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Leaving biscuits in warm, sunny serving conditions
The product storage directions described for these biscuits call for cool, dry conditions; M&S and Asda also specify avoiding sunlight for the cited products.
Follow the pack directions, keep reserve biscuits appropriately stored and put out smaller batches when conditions make storage difficult.
Relevant brand references
These examples distinguish the biscuit formats discussed here; a brand name alone does not establish that a particular product contains dark chocolate.
M&S
Its cited coated custard cream is a chocolate-led format, but the coating is milk chocolate.
- Marks & Spencer lists 52% milk chocolate for this product, with cocoa solids of 28% minimum in that chocolate.
- Those figures do not make it a dark-chocolate custard cream; check the current pack for allergen suitability.
Tesco
The cited range includes a milk-chocolate-coated custard cream and a plain custard-cream option.
- Tesco describes its 162 g coated product as milk chocolate with cocoa solids of 27% minimum in the chocolate.
- The coated product is not a dark-chocolate option. Check the exact product’s serving and allergen information.
Asda
Its cited products offer a 400 g plain custard-cream pack and a separate 162 g milk-chocolate-coated format.
- The two formats let hosts choose between plain biscuits and a milk-chocolate coating.
- Neither cited product is identified as dark chocolate. Asda lists wheat and milk for its plain custard creams, alongside precautionary allergen wording.
Sainsbury’s
The cited 200 g product is a plain custard cream rather than a chocolate-coated biscuit.
- Its plain format suits a table where chocolate coating is optional.
- Sainsbury’s states that this product is unsuitable for customers allergic to barley because of manufacturing methods.
McVitie’s
Tesco lists McVitie’s dark-chocolate digestives and dark-chocolate Hobnobs as different biscuit types.
- They provide a route to consider when dark chocolate matters more than the custard-cream format.
- Neither a digestive nor a Hobnob should be presented to guests as a custard cream.
Joybuy alternatives to custard creams
These options include dark-chocolate digestives and a KitKat product labelled Cacao 72%. They are alternatives for a festival table only when serving a custard cream is optional.
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McVitie’s Dark Chocolate Digestives Twin Pack, 2 × 266 g
Consider this twin pack when dark-chocolate biscuits can take the place of custard creams on the table. They are digestives, not custard creams; check the current pack’s ingredients and allergens before serving.
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Nestle KitKat Cacao 72% Cookies
The product name states Cacao 72% and identifies cookies rather than custard creams. Check the exact pack to see what the percentage describes, how much it contains and whether its ingredients suit your guests.
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McVitie’s Dark Chocolate Digestives 400 g
This 400 g pack offers dark-chocolate digestives for a sharing table where the custard-cream format is optional. Check the current pack’s biscuit count, ingredients and allergens for your event.
Questions about serving custard creams
Are the coated custard creams discussed here dark chocolate?
No. Tesco, Asda and M&S describe the cited coated products as milk-chocolate custard creams. Tesco gives a cocoa-solids minimum of 27% for its milk chocolate and M&S gives 28% for its milk chocolate; neither declaration changes the stated chocolate type. Check the exact pack if dark chocolate is essential.
Should I put out coated or plain custard creams?
Choose a coated version if you want a chocolate-coated custard cream and milk chocolate suits your guests. Choose plain if the familiar custard-cream format matters more than a coating. For a group, check the pack quantity and allergens of the specific product before serving.
Should guests be able to see the allergen information?
Yes. Check the physical pack and keep it available for guests to inspect, particularly when biscuits are placed on a shared table. The Food Standards Agency explains that food businesses must provide allergen information; the pack you serve is the relevant place to check that product’s ingredients and precautionary statements.
How should I store biscuits for a festival table?
Follow the exact pack’s storage directions and keep reserve biscuits in the stated cool, dry conditions. Avoid sunlight where the pack instructs you to, and check its directions for storing biscuits after opening.
Can dark-chocolate digestives stand in for dark custard creams?
Yes, if the custard-cream format is optional. Tesco lists McVitie’s dark-chocolate digestives as a distinct biscuit type, not a custard cream. Check the particular pack’s chocolate description, ingredients and allergens before making the substitution.