Shoppers looking for a gluten-free bourbon
If the cocoa biscuit and filling are part of the tea-break choice, look for that format alongside an explicit gluten-free claim on the pack.
Who is this choice for?
Hosts serving someone with coeliac disease
Check the current label before serving and keep the biscuits separate from crumbs from gluten-containing food, in line with Coeliac UK’s cross-contamination guidance.
Shoppers checking other ingredients too
Check milk, oats and any other relevant ingredients separately. A gluten-free label does not answer every dietary question.
What should you check before choosing?
Start with the gluten-free claim, then decide whether the biscuit needs to be a bourbon or whether another tea biscuit will do.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free labelling | Look for an explicit claim on the exact pack and read its ingredients and allergen information. The Food Standards Agency states that ‘gluten-free’ means no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten in the food as sold. | I need to identify a suitable biscuit without assuming that the word ‘bourbon’ or its place on a shelf establishes its gluten status. |
| Bourbon-style format | Check for a cocoa biscuit with a filling if that familiar sandwich style matters. Tesco and Sainsbury’s describe this format for their free-from Bourbon Creams; an oat biscuit or vanilla wafer is a different choice. | I want a gluten-free biscuit that still looks and eats like a bourbon, rather than another type of tea biscuit. |
| Other ingredients | Read the current pack for milk and any other relevant allergens. For an oat-based alternative, check whether oats suit the person eating it: Coeliac UK says a small number of people with coeliac disease remain sensitive even to gluten-free oats. | At a shared break, I need to consider restrictions beyond gluten before putting biscuits out for everyone. |
| Pack and serving details | Check the supplied net weight and the product’s own per-biscuit nutrition declaration if portion information matters. Asda’s bourbon-biscuit listing displays both 150 g and 160 g, so confirm the weight on the supplied pack. | I want to know how much is in the pack and what the stated serving refers to, without treating ‘gluten free’ as a nutrition claim. |
What could go wrong at a shared tea break?
-
Assuming every bourbon biscuit is gluten free
The name and chocolate-coloured filling do not establish the biscuit’s ingredients or gluten-free status.
Find the gluten-free claim on the exact pack and read its ingredient and allergen information before serving.
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Treating gluten free as an all-allergen claim
Milk and other ingredients need separate checks. Coeliac UK also notes that a small number of people with coeliac disease are sensitive to gluten-free oats.
Check the eater’s relevant restrictions against the current label, particularly when choosing an oat-based alternative.
Which brands offer relevant biscuits?
Some of these brands list bourbon-style biscuits; others provide different free-from tea biscuits, so check the specific product rather than assuming the formats are interchangeable.
Tesco
Tesco lists Free From Bourbon Creams in a 150 g pack.
- The Tesco listing describes cocoa-flavoured biscuits with a cocoa filling and labels the product gluten free.
- Check the supplied pack’s ingredients and allergens; the listing describes this product, not Tesco’s entire biscuit range.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s lists Free From Bourbon Creams in a 150 g pack.
- Its listing describes cocoa biscuits with a filling and marks this product gluten free, milk free and suitable for vegans.
- Read the supplied label for the ingredients and allergens of the pack you receive.
Asda
Asda lists a Free From bourbon-style biscuit labelled gluten free.
- It provides another bourbon-style option to check when the cocoa sandwich format matters.
- Asda’s listing shows both 150 g and 160 g; confirm the net weight on the supplied pack.
Morrisons
Morrisons lists Free From Bourbon Biscuits in a 145 g pack.
- The listing describes this product as gluten free, milk free and wheat free.
- Morrisons advises checking the delivered label because ingredients and allergens can change.
McVitie’s
McVitie’s Gluten Free Original Hobnobs are an oat-biscuit alternative, not a bourbon-style biscuit.
- McVitie’s lists gluten-free oats among the product’s ingredients.
- Coeliac UK says a small number of people with coeliac disease remain sensitive to gluten-free oats.
M&S
M&S lists Made Without Wheat shortbread, ginger snaps and chocolate chunk cookies as non-bourbon options.
- The listed formats offer a choice when a bourbon-style biscuit is not essential.
- Check the exact alternative’s gluten-free claim and full label; a different biscuit style is not a bourbon equivalent.
Waitrose
Waitrose lists gluten-free chocolate chunk cookies, ginger cookies and shortbread in its free-from range.
- These listed products provide non-bourbon biscuit formats for a tea break.
- Choose by the exact product label rather than treating the free-from range as one interchangeable recipe.
Gluten-free tea biscuits on Joybuy
These are gluten-free alternatives for a morning tea break, including oat biscuits, digestives and wafers. They are not bourbon-style cocoa sandwich biscuits.
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Nairns Gluten Free Biscuit Breaks Chunky Oats, Dark & Coconut 160g
An oat-based tea-break biscuit rather than a bourbon-style cocoa sandwich biscuit. The named pack is 160 g; if oats are a concern, check with the person eating it before serving.
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McVitie’s Gluten Free Hobnobs 150g
A gluten-free oat biscuit for someone happy to choose a different style from a bourbon. McVitie’s lists gluten-free oats for this product; ask about oat sensitivity when serving someone with coeliac disease.
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Schar Gluten Free Digestive Biscuits 150g
A gluten-free digestive for a tea break, not a cocoa-filled bourbon. The named pack is 150 g; check its current allergen information if lupin or another ingredient matters.
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Schar Gluten Free Vanilla Wafers 125g
A gluten-free vanilla wafer when a different biscuit style suits the break. The named pack is 125 g; check the supplied label for milk, soya, nuts or any other relevant allergens before sharing.
Questions about gluten-free biscuits
Does ‘gluten free’ mean a biscuit contains absolutely no gluten?
No. The Food Standards Agency states that food labelled ‘gluten-free’ may contain no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten in the food as sold.
Can gluten-free bourbons go in a shared biscuit tin?
Keep them separate from crumbs from gluten-containing biscuits. Coeliac UK’s cross-contamination guidance advises preventing gluten-containing food from contaminating gluten-free food during storage and preparation.
Are gluten-free oat biscuits suitable for everyone with coeliac disease?
No. Coeliac UK says most people with coeliac disease can eat gluten-free oats, but a small number remain sensitive to the oat protein avenin. Check with the person eating them before choosing an oat-based alternative.
What should I do if the supplied pack differs from its online description?
Read the supplied label before serving. Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons advise shoppers to check current pack information rather than rely solely on online ingredient and allergen details; contact the seller if the product supplied is not what you expected.
Is the ingredients list enough to identify a gluten-free bourbon?
Check both the gluten-free claim and the full label on the specific pack. Coeliac UK explains that cereals containing gluten must be emphasised when they appear as ingredients in prepacked food; the gluten-free claim answers a separate question about the product as sold.