Hosts planning a small Mother’s Day tea table
If biscuits will sit alongside cake or fruit, consider whether one 400g pack will cover the gathering before choosing a larger format. A twin pack gives you the option of keeping one pack unopened.
Who is each format for?
Hosts serving guests with dietary requirements
Check the label on the biscuits you will serve. The plain and chocolate examples differ in their ingredients and allergen statements; a vegan label does not mean a biscuit is gluten-free.
Buyers wanting more biscuits or separate portions
A twin pack suits a larger table or an unopened reserve. If individually wrapped servings matter more, Crawford’s assorted mini packs offer that format, although the case contains other biscuit varieties as well as digestives.
What should you check?
Decide how the biscuits will be served, then compare pack formats and the labels of the exact varieties you are considering.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Pack format | Compare a single 400g pack with 2 x 315g or 2 x 400g twin packs. Check whether separate unopened packs would be useful after the gathering. | For a small tea table, one open pack may be enough. With more guests, I might prefer the extra quantity and unopened reserve of a twin pack. |
| Individual portions | Check whether the biscuits are all digestives or part of an assortment. UK Catering Supplies lists Crawford’s assorted case as 100 individual packs containing three biscuits each. | Separate servings would help at a large gathering, but I would choose another format if I wanted only digestives for a home tea table. |
| Allergens and dietary labels | Read the physical pack for ingredients and allergen warnings on the exact variety. ASDA lists wheat and a may-contain-milk warning for its vegan-labelled plain digestives; its McVitie’s milk-chocolate listing declares milk, wheat and soya. | If guests have allergies or dietary requirements, I need to check each pack rather than assume that plain, vegan-labelled and chocolate digestives have the same ingredients. |
| Flavour and serving information | Choose between plain and chocolate-coated biscuits by preference, then compare the serving information on the packs. ASDA lists 24 biscuits and 83 kcal per biscuit for McVitie’s Milk Chocolate Digestives 400g. | I may want a plain biscuit with tea, a chocolate option, or both. The stated serving information helps me compare the exact packs I plan to put out. |
Mistakes to avoid
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Assuming “sharing” means one particular pack size
A 400g single pack, a twin pack and a catering case provide different amounts and ways of serving biscuits. The largest format can leave more biscuits than a small gathering calls for.
Start with the expected guest count and the other food on the table. Choose a twin pack if extra quantity or an unopened reserve would be useful; reserve individual mini packs for occasions that call for separate portions.
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Giving every digestive the same dietary label
The retailer examples differ. ASDA’s vegan-labelled plain digestives contain wheat and may contain milk, while its McVitie’s milk-chocolate digestives declare milk, wheat and soya.
Read the actual packaging before serving and keep it available for guests to check. Do not treat vegan suitability as a gluten-free or milk-free claim.
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Choosing chocolate without checking the variant
Chocolate digestives offer a different flavour, but their ingredients and dietary labels can differ from those of plain biscuits. ASDA labels its McVitie’s milk-chocolate 400g pack suitable for vegetarians and lists milk, wheat and soya.
If you offer both flavours, check and retain the packaging for each one rather than relying on the plain pack’s label for the chocolate biscuits.
Brand and retailer-label options
These references show how pack formats and ingredients vary; check the particular product you intend to serve.
McVitie’s
Plain digestive twin packs are listed in 2 x 315g and 2 x 400g formats; ASDA also lists a 400g milk-chocolate variety.
- The separate packs provide an unopened portion for later.
- The ASDA plain twin-pack listing declares wheat and says it may contain milk. Its milk-chocolate listing declares milk, wheat and soya.
Sainsbury’s
Its own-label plain digestives come in a 400g pack, listed at approximately 27 servings.
- The own-label pack is labelled suitable for vegans.
- It contains wheat, so the vegan label does not make it suitable for a guest avoiding gluten.
ASDA
ASDA lists a 400g own-label plain digestive pack alongside McVitie’s plain twin and milk-chocolate formats.
- Its own-label 400g pack is labelled vegan and suggests 25 servings.
- That pack contains wheat and may contain milk; check its current packaging before serving.
M&S
Its 400g plain digestives are described by M&S as having a crisper, crunchier texture from demerara sugar.
- A single-pack option for a table where plain biscuits and the described texture appeal.
- The listed ingredients include wheat and barley malt extract.
Tesco
Tesco’s own-label plain digestives are listed in a 400g pack.
- A single-pack format to consider when planning straightforward sharing.
- The listed ingredients include wheat and dried skimmed milk, with a may-contain warning for peanuts and nuts. Check current availability before relying on this pack for the gathering.
Crawford’s
Its assorted catering case contains 100 individually wrapped three-biscuit packs, including digestives among other varieties.
- Individual packs allow separate portions at a large gathering.
- This is not a digestives-only format; the listed digestive mini-pack ingredients include wheat and dried whey (milk).
Digestive biscuits on Joybuy
These Joybuy options include plain twin-pack digestives, chocolate varieties and a single-pack alternative for a Mother’s Day tea table. Compare the stated pack format and the exact product label before choosing.
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McVitie’s The Original Digestives 2 x 315g
The plain twin-pack format gives you more biscuits for sharing while allowing one pack to stay unopened. The product information lists wheat; check the pack’s full allergen statement before serving.
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McVitie’s Dark Chocolate Digestives 2 x 266g
This dark-chocolate twin pack offers a chocolate option in two pack sections. Its product information lists wheat, milk and soya; check the physical pack before offering it to guests with dietary requirements.
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McVitie’s Milk Chocolate Digestives 400g
A single 400g chocolate-digestive pack for a table where guests want a choice beyond plain biscuits. The product information lists wheat, milk and soya; check the physical pack before serving.
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Gullon Zero Sugar Free Original Digestives 400g
This single 400g pack offers a plain digestive labelled sugar-free. The product information lists wheat and may-contain warnings for milk and soya; its packaging also warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
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McVitie’s Milk Chocolate Digestives — Case SKU, 400g stated
This milk-chocolate listing needs a quantity check before you plan servings: its title says “Case SKU”, while its description states 400g. The product information lists wheat, milk and soya; check the actual pack before serving.
Questions about sharing digestives
Is one 400g pack enough for a Mother’s Day get-together?
It may be enough for a small tea table, depending on the number of guests and what else you serve. If you want more biscuits or an unopened reserve, compare a twin pack such as McVitie’s 2 x 315g or 2 x 400g rather than assuming one pack will cover the gathering.
Are vegan-labelled digestives gluten-free or milk-free?
A vegan label does not establish either of those claims. Sainsbury’s and ASDA list wheat in their vegan-labelled plain digestives, and ASDA’s listing also says its product may contain milk. Check the exact physical pack if a guest has an allergy or intolerance.
Do milk-chocolate digestives have different allergens from plain ones?
They can. ASDA’s listing for McVitie’s Milk Chocolate Digestives 400g declares milk, wheat and soya. Check that variety’s own packaging rather than using the allergen statement from a plain pack.
Should packaged biscuits carry allergen information in the UK?
Yes. Food Standards Agency guidance published on GOV.UK on 17 July 2026 says UK food businesses must provide allergen information for prepacked and non-prepacked food and drink; the 14 allergens required to be declared include cereals containing gluten and milk when present as ingredients. Read the information on the particular pack before serving it.