Car boot sellers offering packaged refreshments
Keep the original biscuit packs available so customers can read the ingredients and allergen information before choosing.
Who is this choice for?
Buyers comparing sugar content
Compare sugars per 100g across biscuit styles. An oat biscuit may meet this priority without being a conventional ginger nut.
Buyers looking for a gluten-free ginger biscuit
Check the particular product's ingredients and cautions. Waitrose & Partners states that Nairn's oat biscuit is not suitable for people who react to avenin.
What should you check?
Decide whether the biscuit must be a traditional ginger nut, then compare sugar figures on the same basis and check the pack you intend to supply.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar content | Compare sugars per 100g, not just per biscuit. Waitrose & Partners lists Nairn's oat biscuits at 17.2g; Tesco and Sainsbury's each list 25.5g for their standard ginger biscuits. Check the current pack. | I'm willing to change biscuit style if that gives me a lower listed sugar figure. |
| Biscuit style | Distinguish ginger nuts from ginger snaps and stem-ginger oat biscuits. Check the product name if customers expect a particular type. | If I'm offering ginger nuts specifically, an oat biscuit is not a like-for-like substitute. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current ingredients and allergen declaration. Waitrose & Partners cautions that Nairn's oat biscuits are unsuitable for people who react to avenin. | I want customers to be able to check the actual pack rather than rely on a general description such as gluten free. |
| Stall information | Keep original packaging with the biscuits. The Food Standards Agency says food businesses must provide allergen information for prepacked and non-prepacked food. | Customers should be able to identify what is in a biscuit before accepting or buying it. |
Mistakes to avoid
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Reading “lighter” as “lower sugar”
Sainsbury's says its Lighter Ginger Snaps have 35% less fat than its standard version, but lists 28.9g sugars per 100g for Lighter and 25.5g for standard Ginger Snaps. A gluten-free label does not establish sugar content either.
If sugar is your deciding factor, compare the sugars-per-100g line on the current packs.
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Assuming ginger biscuits suit the same allergen needs
Traditional ginger nuts in this comparison contain wheat. Nairn's offers a gluten-free oat biscuit, but Waitrose & Partners says it is unsuitable for people who react to avenin.
Keep the pack available and use its product-specific allergen information when answering customers' questions.
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Separating biscuits from their labels
Once biscuits are decanted, customers cannot inspect the original pack beside them. The Food Standards Agency requires food businesses to provide allergen information for both prepacked and non-prepacked food.
Retain the packaging at the stall, and check with the organiser and relevant local authority about requirements for your activity.
Relevant brands and retailers
Nairn's
Stem Ginger Oat Biscuit Breaks are an oat-biscuit alternative, not traditional ginger nuts.
- Waitrose & Partners lists 17.2g sugars per 100g for the 160g product.
- Waitrose & Partners says it is not suitable for people who react to avenin.
Tesco
Tesco Ginger Nuts provide a conventional ginger-nut option.
- Tesco lists 25.5g sugars per 100g and 2.6g per 10g biscuit.
- They contain wheat; check the current pack for ingredients and nutrition.
Sainsbury's
Its standard and Lighter Ginger Snaps have different nutritional figures.
- Sainsbury's lists 25.5g sugars per 100g for standard Ginger Snaps.
- Its Lighter Ginger Snaps make a lower-fat comparison with the standard product, but list 28.9g sugars per 100g.
McVitie's
Ginger Nuts are a traditional ginger-nut format.
- ASDA Groceries lists 2.9g sugars per 10.1g biscuit.
- ASDA Groceries lists 28.9g sugars per 100g, compared with Tesco's 25.5g for its Ginger Nuts. McVitie's product contains wheat.
Asda
Asda Ginger Nuts are another conventional option.
- ASDA Groceries lists 3.5g sugars per biscuit.
- Its listed 29g sugars per 100g exceeds the 25.5g Tesco lists for Tesco Ginger Nuts. Check the current pack if comparing them.
Waitrose
Waitrose & Partners lists Essential Ginger Nuts alongside other ginger biscuits.
- Its listings provide another ginger-nut product to consider.
- Check the specific pack's sugars-per-100g figure before making a sugar comparison.
M&S
Marks & Spencer lists stem-ginger cookies and describes reduced-sugar varieties elsewhere in its cookie range.
- Check the particular stem-ginger cookie's nutrition panel; a reduced-sugar description for other cookies does not establish its sugar content.
Ginger-biscuit options on Joybuy
This ginger oat biscuit is an alternative to a traditional ginger nut for a car boot sale. Compare its current pack information with the type of biscuit and ingredients your customers need.
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Gullon Zero Dark Chocolate Ginger Oaties 285g
A dark-chocolate ginger oat biscuit to consider if a traditional ginger nut is not essential. Check the current pack for sugars per 100g, ingredients, allergen information and any sweetener warning before offering it to customers.
Common questions
Is a lower-sugar ginger oat biscuit the same as a ginger nut?
No. Nairn's Stem Ginger Oat Biscuit Breaks are an oat-biscuit alternative. Waitrose & Partners lists 17.2g sugars per 100g for them, while Tesco lists 25.5g per 100g for its conventional Ginger Nuts; compare current packs if the distinction matters to your choice.
Do “Lighter” Ginger Snaps contain less sugar?
Not in Sainsbury's comparison with its standard Ginger Snaps. Sainsbury's describes the Lighter product as 35% lower in fat, but lists 28.9g sugars per 100g for Lighter and 25.5g for standard Ginger Snaps.
Should I check food rules before supplying biscuits at a car boot sale?
Yes. GOV.UK guidance for community and charity events in England, Northern Ireland and Wales says selling or supplying food may make you a food business that needs registration. Ask the relevant local authority how requirements apply to your car boot sale activity, and check the organiser's rules.
Why keep biscuit packs at the stall?
The original packs let customers inspect the particular biscuits' ingredients and allergen information. This matters when choosing between wheat-containing traditional ginger nuts and oat-based alternatives; the Food Standards Agency says food businesses must provide allergen information for prepacked and non-prepacked food.