Hosts serving a guest with coeliac disease
Choose an explicitly gluten-free cracker and plan how to keep its plate, toppings and utensils away from crumbs. Coeliac UK advises using separate condiments or clean cutlery for shared spreads.
Who is this for?
Hosts making a mixed cracker board
You can offer a gluten-free selection alongside conventional crackers, provided the gluten-free food stays separate during preparation and serving.
Guests who avoid oats or avenin
Ask whether gluten-free oats are suitable before choosing an oat-based cracker. Coeliac UK says a small number of people with coeliac disease are sensitive to gluten-free oats.
What should you check?
Start with the pack’s gluten-free claim and the guest’s oat requirements, then match the cracker to the toppings and decide how to serve it separately.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free status | Look for an explicit gluten-free claim on the current pack. Read its ingredients and allergen information rather than judging by flavour, appearance or a vegan claim. | I need a cracker I can identify as gluten free, not one that merely looks like a plain party cracker. |
| Toppings | Consider whether a plain, salted, seeded or flavoured cracker works with the cheese, dips and spreads you plan to serve. Check the pack size for your serving plan. | For a varied platter, I want a cracker that works with several toppings; for a particular pairing, a stronger flavour might suit. |
| Separate serving | Keep the gluten-free plate away from conventional crackers. Coeliac UK recommends separate condiments or clean cutlery for shared butter, jam and spreads. | I’m serving both kinds of cracker and need to prevent crumbs or shared utensils reaching the gluten-free food. |
| Oats | Check whether the cracker contains oats and, if it does, whether they are labelled gluten free. Ask the guest whether oat-based food suits them. | An oat-based option may not work for my guest: Coeliac UK says a small number of people with coeliac disease are sensitive to gluten-free oats. |
Serving and shopping mistakes
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Assuming a plain cracker is gluten free
SPAR Scotland lists wheat in Jacob’s Original Cream Crackers, ASDA lists wheat in Carr’s Table Water Crackers, and Ocado lists wheat and barley malt flour in Ritz Original Crackers.
Choose a separately labelled gluten-free pack for the guest who needs it, and read its current ingredients and allergen information.
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Sharing knives and spoons between platters
Crumbs can pass into butter, jam or dips when guests use the same utensil for conventional and gluten-free crackers.
Coeliac UK recommends separate condiments or clean cutlery for shared spreads. Keep the gluten-free serving plate apart from conventional crackers.
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Treating any oats as suitable
Coeliac UK distinguishes gluten-free oats from ordinary oats and notes that a small number of people with coeliac disease are sensitive to avenin in oats.
Check for gluten-free labelling on an oat-based cracker and ask the guest whether they eat gluten-free oats.
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Choosing flavour without considering the toppings
A peppery, seeded or cheese-flavoured cracker changes the flavour of a topping combination that was planned around a plain base.
Match the cracker’s stated flavour and ingredients to the food on the table; consider a plain labelled gluten-free option for a varied selection.
Relevant brand and product references
Nairn’s
Nairn’s describes its Original Wholegrain Crackers as made with gluten-free wholegrain oats and suitable for a cheeseboard. Its Super Seeded Wholegrain Crackers contain flax, millet and chia seeds.
- Plain and seeded varieties provide different topping and flavour choices.
- Check with a guest who avoids gluten-free oats before choosing an oat-based variety.
Sainsbury’s Free From
Sainsbury’s lists its 137 g Free From Crackers as made with gluten-free oat, maize and rice flour.
- A plainly described cracker to consider for a board with several toppings.
- The listed oat ingredient makes individual oat suitability worth checking.
Asda Free From
Asda has a Free From Sea Salt & Black Pepper Crackers product.
- Check the current pack’s gluten-free claim, ingredients and allergen information before selecting it for a guest who needs gluten-free food.
Jacob’s
Jacob’s Original Cream Crackers are a conventional option for guests who do not need gluten-free food.
- SPAR Scotland lists wheat flour in this product. Do not use it for the gluten-free plate.
Carr’s
Carr’s Table Water Crackers are another conventional cracker to keep separate from a gluten-free selection.
- ASDA’s listing states that this product contains wheat.
Ritz
Ritz Original Crackers can be offered to guests who do not require gluten-free food, but they are not a substitute for a labelled gluten-free cracker.
- Ocado’s ingredient listing includes wheat flour and barley malt flour.
Joybuy cracker options
These options include two labelled gluten-free Schar products in crispbread and salted-cracker formats, plus Nairn’s gluten-free cheese oatcakes. Check each current pack against your guest’s ingredients and oat requirements before serving.
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Schar Gluten Free Crispbread 150g
A gluten-free crispbread to consider for savoury toppings at afternoon tea. Its crispbread format may have a different texture from a conventional cracker; check the current pack’s ingredients if your guest avoids oats or other ingredients.
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Schar Gluten Free Salti Crackers 175g
These gluten-free salted crackers suit a platter where a savoury cracker is wanted. Check whether the salted flavour works with your planned toppings, and read the current pack for ingredient requirements.
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Nairn’s Gluten Free Cheese Oatcakes 180g
A cheese-flavoured, gluten-free oatcake for a savoury selection rather than a plain topping base. Confirm with your guest that oat-based food suits them, and check the current pack’s ingredients before serving.
Questions about gluten-free crackers
What does “gluten free” mean on a UK cracker label?
The Food Standards Agency defines “gluten-free” for food as sold to the final consumer as no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten. Check the current pack’s claim, ingredients and allergen information when choosing a particular cracker.
Are Jacob’s, Carr’s and Ritz crackers gluten free?
The specific conventional products listed here are not gluten-free choices: SPAR Scotland lists wheat in Jacob’s Original Cream Crackers, ASDA lists wheat in Carr’s Table Water Crackers, and Ocado lists wheat and barley malt flour in Ritz Original Crackers. Check the exact variant rather than judging every product from a brand by one pack.
Can gluten-free and ordinary crackers share an afternoon-tea table?
Yes, if you keep the gluten-free food protected from crumbs and shared utensils. Coeliac UK recommends separate condiments or clean cutlery for shared spreads; keep the gluten-free plate apart during preparation and serving.
Are gluten-free oat crackers suitable for every guest with coeliac disease?
No. Coeliac UK says most people with coeliac disease can eat gluten-free oats, but a small number are sensitive to avenin. Ask the guest whether oat-based products suit them and check that any oats in the chosen product are labelled gluten free.
Does a vegan label mean a cracker is gluten free?
No. Vegan and gluten-free claims address different ingredients. Ocado’s listing for Ritz Original Crackers includes wheat flour and barley malt flour, so check for a gluten-free claim and read the ingredients even when a cracker is described as vegan.