Who is this for?

Hosts serving a guest with coeliac disease

Choose a biscuit with a gluten-free claim on the specific pack, and serve it without contact with ordinary biscuits. Coeliac UK advises keeping gluten-containing crumbs away from gluten-free food.

Hosts accommodating several dietary needs

Check oats, milk and any other relevant allergens separately. A gluten-free oat biscuit is not an oat-free choice, while the listed Tesco and Sainsbury’s Free From Bourbon Creams offer milk-free cocoa sandwich-biscuit options.

What should you check?

Choose the biscuit for the guest’s dietary needs first, then check its style, pack and serving arrangements.

Priority What to check Your needs
Gluten-free claim Read the full product name and the gluten-free claim on the current pack. Check the ingredients for the exact variant rather than relying on its brand or chocolate coating. I need to know that the biscuit I put out—not merely another product from the same brand—is labelled gluten-free.
Oats and allergens Ask whether the guest eats oats. Check milk and other relevant allergen information separately; a gluten-free claim does not answer those questions. Coeliac UK says a small number of people with coeliac disease are sensitive to avenin in oats. If my guest avoids oats or milk, I want an option that meets those needs as well as the gluten-free requirement.
Biscuit style Distinguish milk-chocolate-topped oat biscuits from chocolate-chip oat biscuits and cocoa sandwich biscuits. Check the actual pack size and biscuit count when planning portions. A chocolate coating matters if that is what guests expect; a cocoa-filled sandwich biscuit is a different choice.
Serving Use a separate, clean plate and serving utensils when ordinary biscuits are also offered. Coeliac UK advises cleaning surfaces and utensils to avoid gluten cross-contact. I want guests to be able to identify the gluten-free biscuits and take one without picking up ordinary biscuit crumbs.

What can go wrong?

  • Assuming a familiar chocolate biscuit is gluten-free

    McVitie’s lists wheat flour in Penguin Original and Club Orange, although its Gluten Free Milk Chocolate Hobnobs are a separate gluten-free product. Fox’s Burton’s Companies also lists wheat flour in Fox’s Chocolatey Milk Chocolate Rounds.

    Check the full name, gluten-free claim and ingredients on the particular pack you will serve.

  • Assuming gluten-free oats suit every guest

    Coeliac UK says most people with coeliac disease can eat gluten-free oats, but a small number are sensitive to avenin, a protein in oats.

    Ask the guest about oats before choosing an oat biscuit. If oats are unsuitable, check an oat-free option and its other allergens.

  • Mixing gluten-free and ordinary biscuits on one plate

    Ordinary biscuit crumbs can come into contact with food intended to remain gluten-free.

    Put the gluten-free biscuits on a separate, clean plate and use clean serving utensils, following Coeliac UK’s cross-contact guidance.

Relevant brand references

McVitie’s

Gluten Free Milk Chocolate Hobnobs are the relevant chocolate-topped oat biscuit in this range.

  • McVitie’s lists gluten-free oats and a milk-chocolate topping for this product.
  • It also says the product may contain nuts and egg. Penguin Original and Club Orange list wheat flour and are not substitutes for the named gluten-free Hobnobs.

Nairn’s

Its Chocolate Chip Oat Biscuit Breaks are a gluten-free oat biscuit supplied in portion pouches.

  • Nairn’s lists gluten-free oats and dark chocolate chips for this specific product.
  • Its product information lists milk and says it is not suitable for someone who reacts to avenin.

Tesco

Free From Bourbon Creams 150 g are a cocoa sandwich-biscuit alternative to chocolate-topped oats.

  • Tesco labels this specific product gluten-free and milk-free and describes cocoa-flavoured rice-flour biscuits with a cocoa filling.
  • Check the pack you buy for its current ingredients and allergen information.

Sainsbury’s

Free From Bourbon Creams 150 g offer another cocoa-filled sandwich-biscuit style.

  • Sainsbury’s labels this product gluten-free and milk-free and lists rice flour and maize flour in the biscuits.
  • Read the pack label before serving, as ingredients can change.

Fox’s

Chocolatey Milk Chocolate Rounds are a useful reminder to check individual products, not a gluten-free suggestion.

  • Fox’s Burton’s Companies lists wheat flour for these specific rounds; that ingredient listing does not describe every Fox’s product.

Joybuy product options

These options cover an oat-based biscuit and a coconut macaroon with a chocolate-flavoured coating. Check each pack against your guests’ needs; neither is the oat-free cocoa sandwich-biscuit style discussed above.

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

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

This gluten-free oat biscuit is an option to consider when guests eat oats. The product information says it is not suitable for someone who reacts to avenin and may contain traces of milk; check the pack before serving.

Joybuy
Mrs Crimble's Gluten Free 6 Big Choc Macaroons

Mrs Crimble’s Gluten Free 6 Big Choc Macaroons

These six gluten-free coconut macaroons have a chocolate-flavoured coating, offering a different style from a conventional biscuit. The product information lists egg and soya and says they may contain milk and nuts; check those details against guests’ needs.

Joybuy

Common questions

Does gluten-free mean a biscuit contains no gluten at all?

No. The Food Standards Agency’s gluten-free definition sets a limit of no more than 20 mg/kg gluten in the food as sold; “very-low gluten” is a different claim with a higher limit. Check that the specific biscuit carries the gluten-free claim you need.

Can I serve gluten-free oat biscuits to every guest with coeliac disease?

Not automatically. Coeliac UK says most people with coeliac disease can eat gluten-free oats, but a small number are sensitive to avenin. Ask whether your guest eats oats before choosing an oat-based biscuit.

How should I serve gluten-free biscuits alongside ordinary ones?

Put them on a separate, clean plate with clean serving utensils, and keep ordinary biscuit crumbs away. Coeliac UK also advises cleaning surfaces and utensils to avoid gluten cross-contact.

Can I rely on an online ingredient list after buying the biscuits?

Check the label on the pack you will serve. Tesco and Sainsbury’s both caution that ingredients and allergen information for their listed Free From Bourbon Creams can change.