Who is this for?

Hosts serving a mixed festival spread

Choose a clearly labelled gluten-free pack and plan how to keep its biscuits separate from standard biscuits. Coeliac UK advises preventing contact between gluten-free food and food containing gluten.

Guests who prefer a familiar biscuit format

Chocolate-coated oat biscuits, chocolate digestives and chocolate-chip oat biscuits offer recognisable formats. Check the exact pack rather than assuming a standard version of a familiar biscuit is gluten-free.

Organisers handing out individual servings

A portioned format can be easier to distribute than one open communal pack. Waitrose & Partners lists Nairn's Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Biscuit Breaks as four pouches of four biscuits; check other allergens before choosing them for guests.

What matters when choosing?

Check the gluten-free claim and other allergens before deciding whether the pack format suits carrying, sharing or serving alongside standard biscuits.

Priority What to check Your needs
Gluten-free identification Look for the claim on the exact pack. The Food Standards Agency says food labelled gluten-free must contain no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten as sold to the final consumer; a familiar brand name alone does not establish this. I want a claim I can check on the pack. In Coeliac UK's 2025 shopping habits survey of 3,785 responding members, 74.7% trusted the Crossed Grain Trademark more than a gluten-free statement.
Carrying and distribution Check whether the biscuits come in smaller pouches or one shared pack, and whether the packaging can stay closed until needed. Smaller portions still need careful handling when served. A biscuit I can carry or hand out without opening a communal pack would be useful. In the same Coeliac UK survey, 70% of responding members were dissatisfied with the quality of gluten-free products on the go; that finding does not assess a particular biscuit.
Shared-table serving Keep gluten-free biscuits apart from gluten-containing food, with a separate plate and utensils. Coeliac UK warns against contact with food containing gluten. If standard biscuits are on the table too, I need a way to prevent crumbs and shared tongs from reaching the gluten-free option.
Other allergens Read the current ingredient and allergen declaration for each guest's requirements. Gluten-free oat and chocolate biscuits can still contain other allergens; Nairn's lists milk and soya ingredients in its Gluten Free Oaties Chocolate Chip. Someone may need to avoid an ingredient other than gluten, so I cannot choose for them from the gluten-free claim alone.

Serving mistakes to avoid

  • Assuming gluten-free covers every allergy

    A gluten-free biscuit can contain other allergens. Nairn's Gluten Free Oaties Chocolate Chip, for example, lists milk and soya ingredients.

    Ask guests about other ingredients they need to avoid, then check the exact pack's current ingredient and allergen declaration.

  • Sharing utensils with standard biscuits

    Crumbs or serving equipment that have touched gluten-containing food can come into contact with gluten-free biscuits. Coeliac UK advises against this contact when following a gluten-free diet.

    Keep the pack closed until needed and use a separate plate and tongs away from the standard biscuits.

  • Choosing by biscuit style alone

    A chocolate digestive or oat biscuit is not necessarily gluten-free because a similar-looking product carries that claim.

    Check the gluten-free claim and allergen information first; then choose the coated, digestive-style or portioned format that suits the serving plan.

  • Discarding the packaging before guests can check it

    For a guest checking ingredients, an unpackaged biscuit may be harder to identify. Food Standards Agency guidance also notes that food sold at some mobile or temporary outlets can have different labelling circumstances.

    When buying packaged biscuits for the spread, retain their original packaging so guests can inspect the product-specific information.

Brand and range references

These examples show different biscuit formats; the relevant claim and ingredients still need checking on the product you buy.

McVitie's

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

  • McVitie's describes a crunchy oaty biscuit finished with milk chocolate; Tesco lists the 150 g product as gluten-free.
  • Its milk-chocolate coating means the gluten-free claim should not be taken as a dairy-free claim. Check the current pack for each guest.

Nairn's

The range includes gluten-free chocolate-chip oat biscuits and a separately listed portioned biscuit-break format.

  • Nairn's describes Choc Chip Oaties as made with gluten-free oats and chocolate chips. Waitrose & Partners lists its Chocolate Chip Biscuit Breaks in four pouches of four biscuits.
  • Nairn's ingredient information for Gluten Free Oaties Chocolate Chip lists milk and soya; check the exact variant before serving.

Tesco Free From

Its Chocolate Digestives offer a traditional digestive-style option for a biscuit table.

  • Tesco describes the 166 g product as gluten-free digestives made with gluten-free oat flour and half coated in Belgian milk chocolate.
  • Check the current pack if guests also need to avoid oats or milk.

Sainsbury's Free From

Sainsbury's lists chocolate-chip cookies and chocolate digestive-style products in its gluten-free range.

  • The range listing offers two different chocolate-biscuit formats to consider.
  • Check the exact product label and allergen declaration rather than relying on the range listing.

Joybuy product options

These options cover a biscuit-break format and a choc macaroon for a festival spread. Check each pack against the ingredients your guests need to avoid.

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

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

This gluten-free biscuit-break variant is an option to consider when planning smaller servings. If guests also avoid oats, soya or milk, check its current allergen declaration before serving.

View on Joybuy
Mrs Crimble's Gluten Free 6 Big Choc Macaroons

Mrs Crimble's Gluten Free 6 Big Choc Macaroons

The six-piece choc macaroon pack offers a different format from an oat biscuit or chocolate digestive. Check its current egg, soya, milk and nut information against guests' requirements.

View on Joybuy

Common questions

What does gluten-free mean on a UK biscuit pack?

The Food Standards Agency states that food labelled gluten-free must contain no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten as sold to the final consumer. Check the claim on the exact biscuit pack rather than treating a description such as wheat-free as equivalent.

Can gluten-free biscuits go on a table with standard biscuits?

They need to be served without contact with gluten-containing food. Coeliac UK advises preventing that contact, so keep the gluten-free biscuits separate and use their own plate and utensils.

Are gluten-free chocolate biscuits also dairy-free or soya-free?

Not necessarily. Nairn's ingredient information for Gluten Free Oaties Chocolate Chip lists milk and soya, so check the current pack for every allergen relevant to your guests.

Can a gluten-free chocolate biscuit contain oats?

Yes. The Food Standards Agency notes that oats must still be emphasised as an allergen where relevant, even on food labelled gluten-free. Check the exact ingredients against the guest's requirements.

Does the Crossed Grain Trademark replace an ingredient check?

No. In Coeliac UK's 2025 shopping habits survey of 3,785 responding members, 74.7% trusted the mark more than a gluten-free statement, but it does not tell you whether a biscuit meets a guest's other allergen requirements. Read the current pack as well.