Hosts serving a guest with coeliac disease
Look for an explicitly gluten-free biscuit and plan how to serve it beside ordinary breakfast food. Coeliac UK advises taking care with shared spreads and cutlery that could pick up breadcrumbs.
Who is this breakfast for?
Shoppers looking for gluten-free bourbons
If the cocoa sandwich-biscuit format matters, check the exact pack rather than choosing any biscuit from a gluten-free range. Compare its ingredients, other allergen information and pack size for the breakfast you are planning.
Hosts serving guests with different requirements
Conventional and gluten-free biscuits can be offered separately. Keep their packs, plates and utensils distinct so crumbs from ordinary biscuits do not reach the gluten-free food.
What should you check when choosing biscuits?
Start with the exact pack’s gluten-free claim, then check whether its biscuit format, other ingredients and serving arrangements suit your guests.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free claim | Look for an explicit claim on the exact pack. Check its current ingredients and allergen information, particularly if a delivered item has been substituted. | I need a biscuit I can identify as gluten-free, not one that merely has a familiar bourbon name. The Food Standards Agency defines a gluten-free claim as no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten in the food as sold. |
| Shared serving | Use a clean plate and utensils for the gluten-free biscuits. Coeliac UK advises clean cutlery for shared butter, jam and other spreads that could pick up breadcrumbs. | Ordinary bread or biscuits will also be on the table, so I want to keep their crumbs out of the gluten-free food. |
| Biscuit type and ingredients | Check whether the pack is a bourbon-style cocoa sandwich biscuit or another gluten-free biscuit. Read its own label for any additional dietary requirements. | If bourbon flavour matters to my guest, a different gluten-free biscuit will not be the same choice. If other ingredients matter too, I need to check this particular pack. |
| Pack and portion information | Check the delivered net weight before comparing packs per 100 g; Asda’s online listing displays both 150 g and 160 g references. Read the nutrition information per biscuit or per 100 g when deciding how much to put out. | I want to plan portions using the pack I receive, rather than assume that gluten-free labelling tells me its sugar content or how many biscuits to serve. |
What can go wrong at a shared breakfast?
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Assuming every bourbon is gluten-free
The checked conventional Waitrose and McVitie’s bourbon listings contain wheat ingredients.
Choose an explicitly labelled gluten-free pack for a guest who needs one, and keep ordinary bourbons separate.
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Keeping the pack separate but sharing the plate
Gluten-containing crumbs can reach gluten-free food through serving plates, utensils or shared spreads.
Use a clean plate and utensils. Coeliac UK advises clean cutlery when taking butter, jam or other shared spreads.
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Assuming Asda’s online pack weight is settled
Asda’s checked listing displays both 150 g and 160 g references, which changes the weight used for a per-100 g comparison.
Read the net weight on the delivered pack before comparing pack sizes or planning servings.
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Reading gluten-free as a nutrition claim
A gluten-free claim does not state a biscuit’s sugar content. NHS guidance identifies biscuits as a source of free sugars.
Check the nutrition panel for the portion you intend to put out alongside the rest of breakfast.
Relevant biscuit brands and ranges
Tesco
Tesco lists Free From Bourbon Creams for shoppers seeking a gluten-free cocoa sandwich biscuit.
- The checked 150 g listing states gluten-free and milk-free.
- Check the exact pack’s label rather than transferring details from another formulation.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s lists Free From Bourbon Creams in a 150 g pack.
- The retailer labels this product gluten-free and milk-free and describes it as suitable for coeliacs.
- Sainsbury’s advises checking the pack before consumption; its suitability statements are retailer product claims.
Asda
Asda lists a gluten-free Free From bourbon-style biscuit.
- The checked listing identifies the biscuit as gluten-free.
- The page displays both 150 g and 160 g references, so check the supplied pack’s net weight before comparing sizes.
Morrisons
Morrisons lists Free From Bourbon Biscuits as a labelled gluten-free option.
- The checked 145 g retailer listing states gluten-free and milk-free.
- Check the label of the pack being served for its current ingredients and allergen information.
M&S
M&S lists other gluten-free biscuits for breakfasts where bourbon flavour is optional.
- Its checked Free From range includes gluten-free gingerbread biscuits.
- The displayed range does not establish a gluten-free bourbon; check the claim on the biscuit you choose.
Waitrose
Waitrose lists gluten-free biscuit alternatives as well as conventional bourbon creams.
- Its gluten-free biscuit section includes choc chunk cookies.
- The checked Essential Bourbon Creams contain wheat flour and wheat starch; the separate gluten-free range does not change that product’s ingredients.
McVitie’s
McVitie’s conventional bourbon listing illustrates why the biscuit name alone is not a gluten-free claim.
- The checked Tasties Bourbon Creams listing contains wheat flour and wheat starch, so it is not the option to choose for a guest requiring gluten-free biscuits.
Joybuy biscuit option
This gluten-free oat biscuit is an alternative when a bourbon-style cocoa sandwich biscuit is not essential.
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McVitie’s Gluten Free Hobnobs 150g
Consider these when you need a labelled gluten-free biscuit for breakfast but do not need bourbon flavour or its cocoa sandwich format. This is a 150 g pack of Hobnobs; check the delivered pack for any other ingredients or allergens that matter to your guest.
Frequently asked questions
Can I serve an ordinary bourbon biscuit to a guest who needs gluten-free food?
Choose a biscuit explicitly labelled gluten-free instead. The checked conventional Waitrose and McVitie’s bourbon listings contain wheat ingredients, while the Food Standards Agency defines a gluten-free claim as no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten in food as sold.
How should I serve gluten-free biscuits beside ordinary breakfast food?
Use a clean plate and utensils, and keep the biscuits away from crumbs from ordinary bread and biscuits. Coeliac UK also advises clean cutlery for shared spreads that might otherwise pick up breadcrumbs.
Does gluten-free labelling tell me how much sugar a bourbon biscuit contains?
No. Check the exact pack’s nutrition panel and the portion you intend to serve; gluten-free labelling does not describe its sugar content. NHS guidance identifies biscuits as a source of free sugars.
What if an online biscuit order arrives with a different pack?
Check the delivered product’s name, gluten-free claim, ingredients and allergen information before serving it. Do not carry over dietary claims or pack-weight figures from the item you expected to receive.