Choose digestives if you want a plain wheat biscuit, or Bourbon creams if your guests would prefer a cocoa sandwich biscuit with filling. Some Bourbon creams are labelled vegan, but that does not make them suitable for every allergy; for guests with dietary requirements, choose the exact pack by its current ingredients and allergen label.
Choose the biscuit format your guests are likely to enjoy, then check each pack against any dietary requirements. The Bourbon creams and digestives listed by Tesco Groceries have different ingredients and precautionary allergen statements.
Look for an explicit vegan label rather than relying on the biscuit name. Tesco Groceries and Asda Groceries label their standard Bourbon examples suitable for vegans, but both list wheat and have precautionary allergen statements.
Start with a product specifically labelled for the guest’s requirement. Sainsbury’s labels its Free From Bourbon Creams gluten free and milk free; its standard Bourbon contains wheat and carries a separate milk-allergy warning.
Decide between a plain digestive and a filled Bourbon cream, then narrow the choice by dietary labels, pack quantity and serving plans.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Dietary suitability | Read the current ingredients, dietary labels and precautionary allergen statements on the exact pack. Do not treat a vegan label as a gluten-free or allergy-suitability label. | I need to offer each guest a biscuit that matches their stated dietary requirements, rather than assuming everyone can share one type. |
| Biscuit format | Compare a plain digestive with a cocoa sandwich biscuit and filling. Tesco Groceries lists 2.1g sugars per 14g biscuit for its standard digestive and 3.5g per biscuit for its Bourbon cream; these are figures for those products and different serving weights. | Would my guests prefer a plain, wheaty biscuit, a filled chocolate-flavoured one, or a choice of both? |
| Pack quantity | Check pack weight and any stated biscuit or serving count before calculating how many packs to buy. The Tesco Groceries examples are a 400g digestive pack and a 296g Bourbon cream pack. | I want enough biscuits for the group without assuming that two packs contain the same number of servings. |
| After opening | Follow the pack’s storage directions. Tesco Groceries advises cool, dry storage and an airtight container after opening for its listed Bourbon creams and digestives. | If I open packs before guests arrive, I need somewhere clean and dry to keep the biscuits until serving. |
The Tesco Groceries and Asda Groceries Bourbon creams labelled suitable for vegans still contain wheat, and their precautionary allergen statements differ.
Check the current physical pack against each guest’s requirements; use a specifically labelled free-from biscuit when that label matches the requirement.
The Tesco Groceries digestive lists fewer sugars per biscuit than its Bourbon cream, but that comparison does not describe every brand or serving size. The listed digestive also contains dried skimmed milk and may contain peanuts and nuts.
Compare the nutrition panel, ingredients and allergen statements of the exact packs you plan to serve.
Storage directions differ by product. Waitrose & Partners recommends eating its Essential Bourbon Creams within seven days of opening for best quality.
Follow each pack’s directions and keep opened biscuits in a clean, airtight container away from damp conditions.
These examples show how biscuit formats and labels vary within and between ranges; check the particular pack before serving it.
McVitie’s Original Digestives are a plain digestive option rather than a filled Bourbon cream.
Tesco Groceries lists standard Bourbon creams, standard digestives and Free From Digestives as distinct options.
Sainsbury’s lists both a standard Bourbon and a separately labelled Free From Bourbon cream.
Asda Groceries lists a standard Bourbon biscuit labelled suitable for vegans.
M&S lists an Extra Cream Bourbon and a separate wholemeal digestive.
Waitrose & Partners lists Essential Bourbon Creams as a 400g chocolate-flavoured sandwich biscuit pack.
These are digestive biscuits in plain, chocolate-coated and other labelled varieties. A chocolate-coated digestive is still a different format from a filled Bourbon cream, so compare the packs with the biscuit type and dietary requirements your guests need.
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A plain digestive option for guests who want a wheat biscuit rather than a filled Bourbon cream. The twin pack contains two 315g packs. McVitie’s lists wheat and a precautionary milk statement for Original Digestives; check the current pack against guests’ requirements.
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A dark-chocolate digestive for guests who want a chocolate-coated biscuit rather than a Bourbon cream sandwich. The twin pack contains two 266g packs. Check the current ingredients and allergen statements before serving it to guests with dietary restrictions.
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A gluten-free-labelled digestive option in a 150g pack, rather than a free-from Bourbon cream. Gluten-free wording does not establish suitability for every other dietary requirement: check the physical pack’s full ingredients and allergen statements for each guest.
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A 400g digestive pack with Zero Sugar Free in the product name; use the current nutrition panel for the figures that matter to your comparison. The product information flags a warning that excessive consumption may produce a laxative effect, which matters when planning portions for an event with children. Check the pack’s ingredients and allergen statements as well.
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A milk-chocolate digestive in a 400g pack for guests who prefer a chocolate-coated biscuit to a plain digestive. It is not a filled Bourbon cream. Check the current pack’s ingredients and allergen statements before offering it to guests with dietary restrictions.
No. The standard Tesco Bourbon creams and digestives listed by Tesco Groceries both contain wheat. For a guest who needs gluten-free food, start with a specifically labelled product, such as the listed Sainsbury’s Free From Bourbon Creams or Tesco Free From Digestives, and check its current physical pack.
A vegan label does not establish suitability for allergies. The Bourbon creams labelled suitable for vegans by Tesco Groceries and Asda Groceries both contain wheat, and their precautionary allergen statements differ. Check the exact pack against each guest’s requirements.
That depends on the exact products and serving sizes. Tesco Groceries lists 2.1g sugars per 14g biscuit for its standard digestive and 3.5g per biscuit for its Bourbon cream; those figures do not establish a rule for other packs. Compare their current nutrition panels before choosing.
Follow each pack’s storage instructions and keep opened biscuits protected until serving. Tesco Groceries advises an airtight container after opening for its listed Bourbon creams and digestives; Waitrose & Partners recommends eating its Essential Bourbon Creams within seven days of opening for best quality.