For a continental breakfast, choose a biscuit whose exact UK product is labelled gluten-free, then decide whether guests would prefer a chocolate-topped oat biscuit, a digestive or a chocolate-coated finger. Ask about oats and other allergens before serving: Coeliac UK notes that some people with coeliac disease are sensitive even to gluten-free oats, and shared utensils can introduce gluten-containing crumbs.
Choose an explicitly labelled gluten-free biscuit and give it a clean, separate place on the breakfast table. Coeliac UK advises using clean utensils and keeping gluten-free food apart during preparation and serving.
A chocolate-topped oat biscuit or digestive offers a different format from a chocolate-coated finger. Check the exact recipe for milk and any other allergens rather than choosing by shape alone.
A gluten-free label does not settle whether an oat-based biscuit is suitable. Coeliac UK says a small number of people with coeliac disease remain sensitive to gluten-free oats; check the ingredients of any alternative too.
Start with the exact product's gluten-free designation and ingredients, then choose a biscuit format and plan how it will be served.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free identification | Read the gluten-free claim and ingredient declaration on the exact variant. The Food Standards Agency defines gluten-free as no more than 20 mg/kg gluten in the food as sold. Do not transfer one biscuit's claim to another in the same range. | I need a biscuit I can identify as gluten-free, not just one made by a familiar brand. McVitie's lists gluten-free Milk Chocolate Hobnobs, whereas its Penguin Original ingredients include wheat flour. |
| Oats and other allergens | Check for gluten-free oats and the pack's other ingredient and precautionary-allergen information. Coeliac UK says some people with coeliac disease are sensitive even to gluten-free oats. | If my guest avoids oats, an oat-based Hobnob or chocolate digestive may not suit them. Milk, egg, soya or nut information may also change which particular biscuit I choose. |
| Biscuit style | Compare the format: McVitie's gluten-free chocolate Hobnobs contain oats; Tesco and Sainsbury's describe half-chocolate-coated oat digestives; Schär describes its Chocolate Fingers as milk-chocolate-coated biscuits. | For a crumbly biscuit plate, I might choose an oat-based option if oats suit the guest. For a coated finger instead, I would check the Schär pack's own ingredients and allergen warnings. |
| Shared serving | Use a clean plate and utensils, and keep the biscuits separate from ordinary pastries and shared spreads. Coeliac UK also advises clean cutlery for shared butter, jam and other spreads. | I want guests to be able to pick up their biscuit without it touching gluten-containing crumbs or a utensil used for another food. |
McVitie's identifies its Gluten Free Milk Chocolate Hobnobs as gluten-free, but lists wheat flour in Penguin Original.
Match the full product name and read the gluten-free and allergen information on the pack you intend to serve.
Coeliac UK says a small number of people with coeliac disease are sensitive to gluten-free oats.
Ask the guest whether oats are suitable before choosing an oat-based biscuit. Check the ingredients of an alternative rather than assuming it is oat-free.
Crumbs from ordinary pastries or a utensil used for a shared spread can come into contact with a gluten-free biscuit.
Use a clean plate and utensils, and keep the biscuits separate. Coeliac UK advises clean cutlery for shared spreads.
These are references to particular UK products and recipes, not gluten-free claims for every biscuit made by each brand.
Its Gluten Free Milk Chocolate Hobnobs are an oat-based chocolate biscuit.
Tesco Free From Chocolate Digestives 166g are described as gluten-free oat biscuits half coated in milk chocolate.
Its identified Free From chocolate digestives are oat-based biscuits half coated in milk chocolate.
Schär identifies both Chocolate Fingers and Digestive Choc as gluten-free, but they have different recipes.
The brand's own shop describes Chocolate Butter Crunch as a gluten-free cocoa-and-butter biscuit.
These options cover a gluten-free oat biscuit and a gluten-free choc macaroon for a breakfast plate. The macaroon is a different style from a crumbly digestive or chocolate-coated finger; check each pack against your guest's needs.
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An oat-based biscuit option for a breakfast plate when the guest can eat gluten-free oats. The named pack is 160g; check its chocolate and allergen details if those determine your choice. Coeliac UK notes that some people with coeliac disease are sensitive to gluten-free oats.
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A six-pack of gluten-free choc macaroons for someone who wants a different format from an oat biscuit or digestive. This coconut-and-egg macaroon is described as soft and chewy; check the pack's egg, soya, milk and nut information before serving it to a guest with additional allergies.
No. The Food Standards Agency states that food labelled gluten-free contains no more than 20 mg/kg gluten as sold to the consumer. Check that the claim applies to the exact biscuit you are choosing.
Serve them separately with clean utensils to avoid contact with gluten-containing crumbs. Coeliac UK also advises using clean cutlery for shared spreads and keeping gluten-free ingredients separate during preparation.
Not necessarily. The identified Tesco and Sainsbury's gluten-free chocolate digestives both contain milk chocolate. Read the exact pack if milk is also a concern.
Read the delivered pack before serving the biscuits, particularly its gluten-free claim, ingredients and allergen information. A previously viewed product description should not replace the details on the pack in hand.
Follow that product's storage instructions. For example, Tesco says to keep its identified Free From Chocolate Digestives in a cool, dry place and, once opened, in an airtight container.