For an afternoon tea where the custard cream itself must meet a Fairtrade requirement, check the exact pack for the applicable FAIRTRADE Mark and what it says is certified. Fairtrade International distinguishes the mark for multi-ingredient products from its ingredient-specific Fairtrade Sourced Ingredient Mark. If the biscuit’s status cannot be confirmed, you can serve custard creams alongside tea with its own Fairtrade mark, but that does not make the biscuits Fairtrade-certified.
The first decision is whether Fairtrade certification must apply to the biscuit, or whether a separately certified tea meets your plans for the afternoon.
If the sourcing requirement applies to the custard cream itself, check its exact pack. Fairtrade International explains that the marks used on multi-ingredient foods and on individually sourced ingredients have different scopes.
If you want a vanilla-flavour sandwich biscuit with tea, compare the filling style and pack size, then check ingredients against your guests’ requirements. A familiar biscuit format does not establish a Fairtrade claim.
Look for the relevant claims on the particular biscuit rather than assuming a standard custard cream will suit everyone. Sainsbury’s lists its Free From Custard Creams as gluten-free, milk-free and suitable for vegans; check the current pack before serving.
Decide which item needs to carry the Fairtrade claim, then choose biscuits that meet your guests’ dietary requirements and the serving style you want.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade scope | Look for the applicable FAIRTRADE Mark on the exact biscuit pack and read what it covers. Fairtrade International says its ingredient-specific white mark identifies the named Fairtrade-sourced ingredient; it is not a claim about every ingredient. | I want the biscuit itself to meet my Fairtrade requirement, not merely to carry a different sourcing statement. |
| Guests’ diets | Read the current ingredients, allergen information and any gluten-free, milk-free or vegan claims. Standard custard creams listed by Sainsbury’s and Asda contain wheat and milk; Sainsbury’s separately lists a Free From option. | A guest needs a biscuit that is explicitly labelled for their dietary requirements, so I cannot rely on the words “custard creams” alone. |
| Biscuit style | Compare the stated filling and pack size. Tesco describes Crawford’s as vanilla-flavour cream sandwich biscuits; Marks & Spencer describes an extra-cream filling made with custard powder. | For the tea table, I’m choosing between a conventional vanilla filling and a different filling style, while allowing enough biscuits for the guests. |
| Fairtrade tea | If certification applies to the tea rather than the biscuit, check the tea pack for its own FAIRTRADE Mark. Choose between regular and decaffeinated tea according to what you intend to serve. | I can serve custard creams with a separately marked Fairtrade tea, provided I do not describe the biscuits as Fairtrade-certified. |
Tesco’s Crawford’s listing states that its palm-oil products come from RSPO segregated sources. That statement does not establish Fairtrade certification for the biscuit.
For a Fairtrade requirement, check for the relevant FAIRTRADE Mark on the exact pack. If it is an ingredient-specific mark, read which ingredient it names.
Standard custard creams listed by Sainsbury’s and Asda contain wheat and milk. Asda also lists possible additional allergens, including sesame.
Check the current pack for each biscuit you serve. Where a guest needs a gluten-free, milk-free or vegan option, choose one explicitly labelled for that requirement.
A claim about chocolate, tea or a named ingredient does not establish the certification status of a separate custard cream. Fairtrade International’s ingredient-specific mark identifies the ingredient to which it applies.
Keep each claim tied to its product: check the biscuit pack if the biscuit must qualify, or describe a marked Fairtrade tea as the Fairtrade part of the afternoon tea.
These examples show differences worth checking on the exact product pack; a brand name alone does not establish Fairtrade certification or dietary suitability.
McVitie’s Tasties Custard Creams are described by Pioneer Foodservice as vanilla-flavour cream sandwich biscuits.
Tesco lists Crawford’s Custard Creams as a 300 g pack of biscuits with vanilla-flavour cream filling.
Sainsbury’s lists both standard Custard Creams and a separate Free From Custard Creams product.
Asda describes its 400 g Custard Creams as biscuits with a creamy vanilla-flavour filling.
Marks & Spencer describes its Extra Cream Custard Creams as having a vanilla-flavour filling made with custard powder.
These options cover a gluten-free custard cream and two teas labelled Fairtrade. The teas can provide a separately marked Fairtrade element alongside biscuits; neither tea establishes a Fairtrade claim for the biscuit you serve.
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A custard-cream option for a guest seeking a gluten-free biscuit. Check the current pack for any other dietary requirements and for a FAIRTRADE Mark if certification of the biscuit is essential.
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A tea option to serve alongside custard creams when you want the Fairtrade claim to apply to the drink. The product name states organic and Fairtrade; check the pack’s mark and remember that this is tea, not a certified biscuit.
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A decaffeinated tea option for guests who prefer it with their biscuits. The product name states organic and Fairtrade; check the pack’s mark. Its Fairtrade claim does not extend to custard creams served alongside it.
No Fairtrade claim follows from the ingredient name alone. Fairtrade International says its mark for multi-ingredient products covers ingredients available under Fairtrade conditions, while the white Fairtrade Sourced Ingredient Mark identifies a named ingredient. Check the mark and explanation on the exact biscuit pack.
Yes, if you keep the claims separate: describe the biscuits as custard creams and choose tea with its own FAIRTRADE Mark for a Fairtrade element. Certification of the tea does not certify the biscuits.
Do not assume so. The standard Sainsbury’s and Asda products listed contain wheat and milk, while Sainsbury’s lists a separate gluten-free, milk-free Free From product. Check the current pack against each guest’s requirements before serving.
Read the current pack’s ingredients and allergen information. GOV.UK says food businesses must tell consumers about specified allergens when they are ingredients in food or drink; a retailer search result is not a substitute for checking the biscuit you will serve.
Follow the storage instructions on the pack. Sainsbury’s standard Custard Creams listing says to store them in a cool, dry place and, once opened, in an airtight container for best quality. Check the pack’s best-before date when planning when to serve them.