Choose a biscuit explicitly labelled gluten-free rather than assuming an ordinary bourbon cream will suit a guest who avoids gluten. Tesco Free From Bourbon Creams and Sainsbury’s Free From Bourbon Creams are both listed as gluten-free 150 g options; choose the shop that works for you and check the pack label before serving. If other snacks contain gluten, keep the biscuits separate and use clean hands and serving utensils.
If a guest avoids gluten, the familiar look of a bourbon biscuit is not enough to establish suitability. Choose an explicitly gluten-free pack, check its label and consider how you will serve it alongside other snacks.
The choice does not end at the biscuit pack. Coeliac UK advises preventing crumb transfer through shared surfaces, utensils and condiments, so plan a separate, clean place to serve the gluten-free option.
Tesco and Sainsbury’s each list a 150 g gluten-free bourbon cream pack. Consider how many guests will want that biscuit and what other snacks you are serving before deciding how many packs to buy.
Start with the gluten-free label, then check the rest of the ingredients and plan how the biscuits will be shared.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free labelling | Look for an explicit gluten-free claim on the biscuit pack. Read the ingredients and allergen information as well, particularly if the guest has other restrictions. | I want a bourbon-style biscuit that is clearly presented as gluten-free, not an ordinary bourbon cream that happens to look similar. |
| Serving separately | Keep the gluten-free biscuits away from gluten-containing snacks. Use a clean bowl or utensils and avoid transferring crumbs from hands or surfaces; Coeliac UK advises taking these precautions against cross-contamination. | Other snacks will be passed around during the game, so I need a way to serve this pack without mixing in crumbs. |
| Pack size and biscuit style | Tesco Free From Bourbon Creams and Sainsbury’s Free From Bourbon Creams are each listed in 150 g packs. If choosing a different gluten-free biscuit, check whether guests are happy to switch from a bourbon cream. | Will one pack cover the people who want some, or should I buy more? If bourbon creams are unavailable, a different biscuit style could work for our group. |
Waitrose Essential Bourbon Creams list wheat flour and wheat starch, while M&S chocolate-coated bourbon creams list wheat flour. Neither should be treated as a gluten-free choice on the strength of its biscuit style or appearance.
Choose a product explicitly presented as gluten-free and read the ingredient and allergen information on the pack you buy.
A listing helps you shortlist biscuits, but the pack in your hand is the practical check when a guest needs to avoid an ingredient.
Read the label each time you buy the biscuits, including repeat purchases, and check any other allergens relevant to your guests.
Crumbs from ordinary snacks can reach a gluten-free biscuit through shared bowls, hands or utensils. Coeliac UK also advises cleaning surfaces and equipment to prevent cross-contamination.
Keep the gluten-free biscuits separate and use clean hands and serving utensils.
Tesco lists Free From Bourbon Creams: a 150 g cocoa-flavoured, rice-flour biscuit with a cocoa filling.
Sainsbury’s lists Free From Bourbon Creams as a 150 g milk- and gluten-free biscuit made with cocoa powder, rice flour and maize flour.
Waitrose lists gluten-free biscuits in other styles, including cookies and shortbread.
M&S lists Made Without biscuits, including gluten-free gingerbread and other biscuit styles.
Tesco lists McVitie’s Gluten Free Original Hobnobs as a gluten-free biscuit option.
This Joybuy option is a gluten-free biscuit in a different style, for a group willing to have Hobnobs instead of bourbon creams.
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Choose these if the group is happy with Hobnobs rather than a chocolate cream sandwich biscuit. The pack is labelled Gluten Free and weighs 150 g; check its label for any other ingredients or allergens your guests need to avoid.
Do not assume they are. Waitrose Essential Bourbon Creams list wheat flour and wheat starch, and M&S chocolate-coated bourbon creams list wheat flour. Choose a biscuit explicitly labelled gluten-free and check its pack.
Look for an explicit gluten-free claim, then read the ingredients and allergen information for the particular guest’s needs. Coeliac UK advises paying attention to any “may contain” statement, which indicates that the manufacturer has identified an unavoidable cross-contamination risk.
Keep them separate from gluten-containing snacks and use clean hands, surfaces and utensils. Coeliac UK advises preventing breadcrumb transfer through shared equipment and condiments.
Use the online listing to find a possible option, then check the label on the pack you buy. This matters especially when a guest needs to avoid another ingredient as well as gluten.