Hosts planning the biscuit plate
Decide whether to put out digestives with tea, crackers with savoury toppings, or both on separate plates.
Who is this choice for?
The first decision is whether the tea table needs a sweet biscuit, a base for savoury toppings or an option for a guest with a dietary restriction.
Hosts serving a gluten-free guest
Check the exact biscuit against the guest’s requirements and keep its serving utensils and spreads clear of crumbs from wheat biscuits.
Guests comparing nutrition labels
Use the pack’s sugar, salt and fibre figures to compare products on the same basis, then consider the portion served.
What should you check?
Choose the serving role first. Then compare the exact packs and account for any topping or separate dietary requirement.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sweet or savoury | Choose a plain digestive for the sweet plate or a cracker for cheese and savoury toppings. Check what else will be served with it. | I want a biscuit alongside tea, or a separate cracker plate for guests adding toppings. |
| Sugar, salt and portions | Compare sugars or salt per 100g on the packs, then check the biscuit weight or stated portion. Tesco lists 14.6g sugars per 100g for its 400g digestives; Asda lists 16g per 100g for its 400g digestives. Tesco lists 1.5g salt per 100g for Carr’s Table Water Crackers. | I want to understand the portion I am putting out, including any topping, rather than compare figures for differently sized biscuits. |
| Fibre | Read the declared fibre per 100g. Tesco lists 3.7g per 100g for its digestives and Asda lists 3.0g per 100g for its digestives; the name ‘digestive’ does not establish an effect on symptoms. | If fibre matters to me, I want the figure for the particular pack, not an assumption based on its name. |
| Allergens and serving | Check the exact pack’s ingredients and allergen statements against the guest’s requirements. For a gluten-free option, use clean utensils and separate spreads so wheat-biscuit crumbs do not reach it. | A guest needs an option they can identify and eat without it coming into contact with the ordinary biscuits. |
What is easy to overlook?
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Reading ‘digestive’ as a promise of relief
The name does not establish an effect on digestive symptoms, and the fibre figure differs between products.
Choose a biscuit for its place on the tea table and compare the nutrition stated on the particular pack.
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Assuming gluten-free covers every restriction
Sainsbury’s cited oat-based Free From digestives carry cautions about oat sensitivity and nut allergy. Coeliac UK also notes that shared spreads and utensils can introduce gluten crumbs.
Ask what the guest needs to avoid, read the physical pack and set out clean utensils and separate spreads.
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Comparing one biscuit with another by serving figures alone
The cited digestives and crackers give figures for different biscuit weights or portions. A savoury topping contributes ingredients of its own.
Start with like-for-like per-100g figures, then consider how many biscuits and which toppings you will serve.
Relevant brand references
These examples show the types of packs to compare; the ingredient and allergen details apply to the cited products, not every product from each brand.
Tesco
Its 400g plain digestives are a sweet-biscuit reference for the tea plate.
- The pack gives nutrition per biscuit and per 100g and is labelled suitable for vegans.
- It contains wheat and may contain peanuts and nuts. Tesco advises checking the pack because product information can change.
Asda
Its 400g plain digestives offer another sweet-biscuit pack to compare.
- The pack lists per-biscuit nutrition and vegan suitability.
- It contains wheat and may contain milk. Asda advises reading the physical label.
Sainsbury's
Its cited 188g Free From digestives are a separately labelled option to check for a gluten-free guest.
- Sainsbury’s describes this oat-based product as gluten- and milk-free.
- Its listing cautions about oat sensitivity and says the product is unsuitable for customers with a nut allergy because of manufacturing methods.
Jacob's
Its cited 300g Cream Crackers pack is a wheat-based option for savoury toppings.
- The pack states nutrition for an 8g cracker as well as per 100g.
- Its per-cracker figures are not directly comparable with figures for a larger digestive biscuit.
Carr's
Its cited 125g Table Water Crackers pack is another reference for a savoury plate.
- The pack provides nutrition per biscuit and per 100g.
- It lists wheat and a possible sesame warning; Tesco lists 1.5g salt per 100g for this pack.
Ritz
Its cited 150g Original crackers are presented as an option for toppings or dips.
- The pack gives nutrition for a 30g portion.
- It lists wheat and barley and warns that it may contain milk; it is not a gluten-free substitute.
Joybuy options for the tea table
These options include digestives for the sweet plate, a labelled gluten-free digestive and crackers for savoury toppings. Check the delivered pack before serving anyone with a dietary restriction.
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Schar Gluten Free Digestive Biscuits 150g
A digestive option to check when a guest needs gluten-free biscuits. Confirm the exact pack meets their other requirements, and serve it away from crumbs and shared spreads.
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McVitie's Digestives the Original 2x315g
A plain digestive for the sweet biscuit plate. Joybuy’s listing describes a 2 x 315g pack containing approximately 42 biscuits and lists wholemeal wheat flour among its ingredients; it is not an option for a guest avoiding gluten.
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Gullon Zero Sugar Free Original Digestives 400g
Another digestive for the sweet plate if guests want to compare sugar figures. Read the nutrition panel and ingredients on the exact pack rather than drawing conclusions about a serving from the product name alone.
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Jacob's Cream Crackers 300g
A cream cracker for a plate with cheese or other savoury toppings. The cited pack lists wheat; check the delivered pack and any topping against guests’ requirements.
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Carr's Table Water Biscuits 125g
A Table Water biscuit for the savoury plate. Tesco’s listing for the cited 125g pack gives 1.5g salt per 100g and lists wheat and a possible sesame warning; check the delivered pack before serving.
Common questions
Does ‘digestive’ mean the biscuit will help digestion?
No effect on digestive symptoms follows from the product name. If you are comparing fibre, use the declared figure on each pack; the NHS discusses fibre in the wider diet, not digestive biscuits as a treatment.
How should I serve a gluten-free biscuit beside ordinary crackers?
Check the exact pack against the guest’s requirements, then keep it clear of crumbs and use clean utensils and separate spreads. Coeliac UK identifies shared spreads and utensils as possible sources of gluten cross-contact.
Are gluten-free oat digestives suitable for everyone with coeliac disease?
Not necessarily. Coeliac UK says most people with coeliac disease can eat gluten-free oats, but a small number remain sensitive to them; ask the guest about oats and check the particular pack.
Can I rely on an online ingredient list for a guest with an allergy?
Check the delivered pack before serving. Tesco and Asda advise reading product labels because ingredients and allergen information can change.
How should I store biscuits and crackers after opening?
Follow the instructions on the particular pack. The cited Tesco digestives and Carr’s crackers packs say to store them in a cool, dry place and use an airtight container once opened.