Hosts serving biscuits with tea
Choose a pack and serving format that work for the guest list. Keep the pack information available so guests can check ingredients, and follow its directions for storing biscuits after opening.
Who is choosing?
Guests bringing a host gift
Decide whether you are bringing biscuits to put out or a presented assortment of chocolates. Check the recipient’s dietary requirements before choosing a box.
Hosts catering for different diets
Check the ingredients and warnings on each exact pack. Ordinary custard creams, coated biscuits and chocolate assortments can have different allergens; the product type alone does not establish suitability.
What matters when choosing?
Ordinary custard creams
Choose when: You want a help-yourself biscuit plate alongside tea.
Bear in mind: A packet of one biscuit type does not offer the chocolate variety or presentation of a gift assortment.
Chocolate-coated custard creams
Choose when: You want a custard-cream biscuit with a chocolate coating.
Bear in mind: It remains one biscuit format, not a box of different chocolates.
Boxed chocolates
Choose when: You want a host gift or an assortment of chocolates to share.
Bear in mind: Check the whole assortment’s warnings; the M&S Belgian Chocolatier Collection also contains alcohol.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Format and quantity | Compare the pack mass and any stated servings with the guest list. Asda suggests 34 servings for its 400g custard creams; Sainsbury’s states approximately 16 for its 200g pack. For a gift, check whether the product is presented as a boxed assortment. | I’m putting biscuits out for guests, so I need enough to serve them. If I’m bringing a present instead, I want to know whether I’m buying a biscuit packet or a chocolate assortment. |
| Type of treat | Distinguish a filled sandwich biscuit from a coated biscuit and separate chocolates. Asda lists milk chocolate as 52% of its 162g coated custard creams; the M&S 624g selection contains milk, dark and white chocolates. | For tea, I might prefer a familiar biscuit. If I want guests to choose between types of chocolate, one coated biscuit recipe will not provide that assortment. |
| Allergens | Read the supplied pack’s ingredients and precautionary warnings for the exact product. The Tesco and Asda ordinary biscuits list wheat and milk; Asda’s coated version also lists soya. Check assortment-wide warnings rather than judging a box by one pictured chocolate. | A guest has a dietary restriction, so I need to establish whether each treat I put out is suitable for them. |
| Outdoor serving | Follow each pack’s storage directions. Asda’s coated biscuits and the M&S chocolate selection specify cool, dry storage away from sunlight; Tesco directs you to keep opened biscuits in an airtight container. | I need somewhere suitable to keep the treats before they go on the garden table, and a way to store any opened biscuits afterwards. |
What should you avoid assuming?
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A chocolate-coated custard cream is a chocolate assortment
Asda’s 162g coated product is a biscuit format; a boxed assortment contains separate chocolates. They serve different purposes on a party table.
Decide whether you need biscuits to serve, coated biscuits or a presented host gift before comparing packs.
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Every chocolate in an assortment suits every guest
The M&S selections carry allergy warnings, and its Belgian Chocolatier Collection contains alcohol. A varied box does not remove the need to check its contents.
Read the exact box and supplied label against guests’ allergies and preferences before serving.
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An older taste-test position describes today’s pack
Good Housekeeping’s custard-cream test dates from September 2020. Its position for M&S Custard Creams does not identify the current 165g M&S Extra Cream product or establish that the tested recipe is unchanged.
Use the historical result for its original context, and check the current pack’s identity and ingredients separately.
Relevant brand references
M&S
M&S lists ordinary and chocolate-coated custard creams alongside boxed chocolate assortments.
- Its listed formats include 165g Extra Cream custard creams and a 624g milk, dark and white chocolate selection.
- Check the particular assortment’s warnings; the 313g Belgian Chocolatier Collection contains alcohol and is marked unsuitable for people with a nut allergy.
Asda
Asda lists 400g ordinary custard creams and 162g milk-chocolate-coated custard creams.
- The listings distinguish the two biscuit formats and provide their ingredients.
- Their pack sizes differ, and the coated product lists soya as well as milk and wheat; check the supplied label.
Tesco
Tesco lists a 400g pack of vanilla-flavour custard cream biscuits.
- The listing provides ingredients and directs that opened biscuits be kept in an airtight container.
- The listed ingredients include wheat and milk; check the supplied pack for guest suitability.
McVitie's
A UK grocery listing describes McVitie's Tasties custard creams in a 300g pack.
- The product is a custard-flavour filled biscuit for the biscuit-plate option.
- The retailer lists wheat and milk allergens and a precautionary sesame warning.
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's lists a 200g pack of own-label custard creams.
- The listing states approximately 16 servings, a useful pack-specific figure when planning a biscuit plate.
- The listing was marked out of stock; check the current offer before planning around this pack.
Crawford's
A UK wholesaler documents Crawford's custard creams in a 150g pack format.
- The documented pack size provides a point of reference when comparing biscuit quantities.
- The wholesaler’s listing is for an enquiry about a case of 36 packs, not a single-pack consumer offer.
Boxed chocolate options on Joybuy
These chocolate boxes relate to the gift-or-sharing option for a garden party. They are not substitutes for a plate of custard cream biscuits if that is what you intend to serve.
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Ferrero Rocher x16 200g
A box to consider when bringing chocolates for the host or putting them out to share. The stated format is x16, 200g; check the supplied pack’s allergen and storage information before serving outdoors.
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Tony's Chocolonely Tiny Tony's Mix Gift Chocolate Box 180g
The mix gift box fits the choice of bringing or sharing chocolates rather than serving custard cream biscuits. It is a 180g box; check its full ingredients and storage directions for your guests and serving location.
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Ferrero Rocher T24 300g
Consider this box when the stated T24, 300g format better matches the number of chocolates you plan to share. Check the exact pack’s allergen warnings and where it should be stored before putting it on an outdoor table.
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Lindt Lindor Assorted Cornet 200g
The assorted format is relevant if you want to offer a choice of chocolates rather than one biscuit recipe. The cornet is 200g; read the supplied pack’s assortment-wide allergen information and storage instructions.
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Lindt Lindor Cornet Strawberries & Cream 200g
This 200g cornet offers a named strawberries-and-cream option if that is the flavour you want to bring or serve. Check the exact pack’s ingredients, allergen warnings and storage directions before sharing it.
Common questions
Are ordinary custard creams suitable for someone with a milk allergy?
Do not assume they are: Tesco’s and Asda’s listed ordinary custard creams contain milk ingredients as well as wheat. Read the supplied label for the exact pack and check any precautionary warnings.
How should I keep biscuits and chocolates at a garden party?
Follow the directions for each pack and keep treats in suitable conditions until serving. Tesco specifies cool, dry storage and an airtight container for its biscuits once opened; the M&S chocolate selection specifies a cool, dry place away from sunlight.
Can I plan the serving quantity from the pack weight alone?
Check stated servings or piece counts as well as weight, then compare them with your guest list. Asda suggests 34 servings for its 400g custard creams, while Sainsbury’s states approximately 16 for its 200g pack; those are product-specific figures, not a serving rule for every biscuit.
What if a guest needs gluten-free custard creams?
Do not replace a specifically chosen gluten-free product with an ordinary wheat-based custard cream. Sainsbury’s describes Schär’s 125g custard creams as gluten-free and packed in five portions of two biscuits; check the current supplied label against the guest’s requirements.