Who is choosing the biscuits?

Meeting refreshment organisers

You need to identify the gluten-free pack for attendees and serve its contents without contact with ordinary biscuits, in line with Coeliac UK’s cross-contamination guidance.

Hosts accommodating several diets

You need to check requirements beyond gluten separately. Milk, nut and oat information differs between the named biscuit products, so one gluten-free choice may not suit everyone invited.

What should you check before buying?

Confirm the exact product’s gluten-free claim and other ingredient requirements before choosing a format and planning how to serve it.

Priority What to check Your needs
Gluten-free identification Check the gluten-free claim on the exact pack and read its current ingredients. The Food Standards Agency defines gluten-free as no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten in food as sold to the consumer. I want attendees to be able to identify the biscuit offered for a gluten-free diet, rather than rely on a familiar brand name or chocolate coating.
Other dietary requirements Read the milk, soya and nut information for the particular product. If oats matter, check the ingredient list as well: Coeliac UK notes that some people with coeliac disease react even to gluten-free oats. If someone also avoids milk, nuts or oats, I need a biscuit that meets that separate requirement; a gluten-free label alone does not answer it.
Biscuit format Choose between coated biscuits, chocolate-chip cookies and portioned bars according to how refreshments will be offered. Tesco Groceries lists Prewett’s Chocoful as five 20 g bars per pack. For a shared break I may prefer biscuits on a separate plate; for handouts, a known number of portions helps me plan.
Serving and identification Keep the original packaging available and gluten-free biscuits separate from ordinary ones. Coeliac UK advises preventing contact with gluten-containing food during preparation and serving. Attendees should be able to tell which biscuits are theirs without the gluten-free selection coming into contact with the others.

What can catch a meeting organiser out?

  • Assuming every biscuit from a familiar line is gluten-free

    McVitie’s names a Gluten Free Milk Chocolate Hobnobs variant, but its Penguin Original and Club Orange ingredient lists contain wheat flour. Tesco Groceries likewise lists wheat flour in Fox’s Milk Chocolate Rounds.

    Match the full product name and gluten-free claim on the pack you intend to serve, not just the brand or appearance.

  • Treating gluten-free as an answer to every dietary requirement

    The named gluten-free biscuits differ in their milk, soya and nut information, and several contain gluten-free oats. Coeliac UK says a small number of people with coeliac disease remain sensitive to avenin in oats.

    Ask which requirements apply, then check each against the exact pack. If an attendee needs to avoid oats, choose a gluten-free product whose current ingredient list excludes them.

  • Using a product description when ingredient information conflicts

    Nairn’s lists milk as an ingredient in its Chocolate Chip Oat Biscuit Breaks, while a Joybuy description of a similarly named product describes milk as a possible trace. Those are different statements for someone avoiding milk.

    Do not present that biscuit as milk-free on the basis of the online description. Check the physical pack and resolve the discrepancy before serving it to someone with a milk allergy.

Relevant brand and product references

These details concern the named products, not every biscuit sold under each brand.

McVitie's

Gluten Free Milk Chocolate Hobnobs offer a chocolate-coated oat-biscuit format.

  • McVitie’s lists gluten-free oats and milk chocolate for this variant.
  • Its ingredient information includes milk and soya and says the biscuits may also contain nuts and egg. Penguin Original and Club Orange contain wheat flour and are not substitutes for this variant.

Tesco Free From

Tesco Free From Chocolate Digestives are a half-coated biscuit listed in a 166 g pack.

  • Tesco Groceries lists gluten-free oat flour and milk chocolate for this product.
  • The listing identifies soya lecithins and says the biscuits may contain peanuts and nuts. Check the supplied pack for current ingredients and allergens.

Sainsbury's Free From

Its Chocolate Chip Cookies are a 150 g option when the choice also needs to avoid milk ingredients.

  • Sainsbury’s lists these cookies as gluten-free and milk-free, and says they are suitable for vegans.
  • They contain gluten-free oat flour. Sainsbury’s says they are not suitable for customers with a nut allergy because of manufacturing methods.

Prewett's

Gluten Free Milk Chocolate Chocoful provides five chocolate-coated bars per pack.

  • Tesco Groceries lists the pack as five 20 g bars, giving organisers a portion count for handouts.
  • The listed ingredients include oat flour, milk and soya; the listing also says the bars may contain nuts.

Nairn's

Nairn’s Chocolate Chip Oat Biscuit Breaks are listed by the manufacturer in a 160 g pack.

  • Nairn’s identifies gluten-free oats in this product.
  • The manufacturer’s ingredient list includes milk and says the biscuits are not suitable for people who react to avenin. Check the physical pack rather than relying on a conflicting online milk description.

Fox's

A chocolate-biscuit name does not establish that a particular product is gluten-free.

  • Tesco Groceries lists wheat flour in Fox’s Milk Chocolate Rounds 117 g, so that product is not the gluten-free meeting choice. This does not describe every Fox’s biscuit.

Chocolate-biscuit options on Joybuy

These options cover two different formats for meeting refreshments: chocolate-flavoured macaroons and oat biscuit breaks. Check the pack against attendees’ dietary requirements before serving either.

Mrs Crimble's Gluten Free 6 Big Choc Macaroons

Mrs Crimble's Gluten Free 6 Big Choc Macaroons

A six-macaroon format to consider when planning how many refreshments to provide. Confirm the current pack’s ingredients and allergen information for each attendee, including any need to avoid oats, egg, soya, milk or nuts.

View on Joybuy
Nairns Gluten Free Biscuit Breaks Chunky Oats, Dark & Coconut 160g

Nairns Gluten Free Biscuit Breaks Chunky Oats, Dark & Coconut 160g

An oat-biscuit option for attendees who can eat gluten-free oats. If anyone reacts to avenin or needs to avoid milk or nuts, check the exact pack’s warnings and ingredient information before serving.

View on Joybuy

Questions about choosing and serving

Does gluten-free mean a biscuit contains absolutely no gluten?

No. The Food Standards Agency defines gluten-free as no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten in the food as sold to the consumer. Check that the claim applies to the specific biscuit pack you buy.

Can gluten-free and ordinary biscuits go on the same meeting plate?

Serve them separately and keep the gluten-free packaging available so attendees can identify the product. Coeliac UK advises preventing gluten-containing food from contaminating gluten-free food; separate plates do not replace checking the biscuit itself.

Are gluten-free oat biscuits suitable for every attendee with coeliac disease?

No. Coeliac UK says most people with coeliac disease can eat gluten-free oats, but a small number remain sensitive to avenin. Ask whether oats are suitable for the attendee before choosing an oat-based biscuit.

What if a website and the biscuit pack give different ingredient information?

Check the physical pack and resolve the difference before serving the biscuits to someone whose requirement depends on that ingredient. Ingredients and allergen information can change; do not assume an online description establishes milk-free or other allergen suitability.