Hosts serving a guest with coeliac disease
Choose an identifiable gluten-free biscuit and plan how to keep it away from ordinary biscuits, crumbs and shared spreads. Coeliac UK advises using separate condiments or clean cutlery for shared spreads.
Who is this for?
Gluten-free breakfast shoppers
Compare the gluten-free wording on the particular custard-cream pack, its serving format and any other dietary information the guest needs. A standard custard cream is not automatically gluten-free.
What should you check?
Choose the biscuit for the guest’s dietary requirements, then decide how to serve it without contact with ordinary breakfast food.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free label | Look for an explicit gluten-free statement and check the delivered pack’s ingredients and allergen information. The Food Standards Agency defines gluten-free as no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten in the food as sold. | I’m choosing biscuits for someone who must avoid gluten, so the custard-cream name alone is not enough to establish suitability. |
| Separate serving | Check whether the biscuits can stay enclosed until serving. Use clean utensils and separate spreads, or make sure shared spreads have not picked up crumbs, as Coeliac UK advises. | Several people will share the breakfast table, and I need to keep the gluten-free biscuits away from ordinary biscuits and crumbs. |
| Other requirements and pack format | Check each pack’s wording for requirements beyond gluten avoidance: the listed Tesco, Asda and Morrisons Free From custard creams say milk-free, while Schär’s product is described as lactose-free. Compare Schär’s portion packs with the supermarket packs for your serving arrangement. | My guest may have another dietary requirement, or I may need biscuits that are easy to keep separate during a shared breakfast. |
Mistakes to avoid
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Assuming a familiar custard cream is gluten-free
The checked standard McVitie's, Sainsbury's and M&S custard-cream listings contain wheat ingredients.
For a gluten-free guest, choose a product explicitly labelled gluten-free and check the pack you receive.
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Putting gluten-free biscuits on a shared platter
Ordinary biscuit crumbs can come into contact with the biscuits or shared spreads. Coeliac UK advises separate condiments or clean cutlery for shared spreads.
Keep gluten-free biscuits apart from ordinary ones, and leave portion packs closed until needed where practical.
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Assuming every Free From pack excludes the same ingredients
Milk-free and lactose-free are different product descriptions; neither follows automatically from a gluten-free label.
Check the specific pack against each of the guest’s requirements before serving.
Relevant brand and product references
Schär
Schär describes its UK Custard Creams as gluten-free and portion packed.
- Morrisons lists five portion packs for this product.
- Portion packs do not remove the need for clean utensils and uncontaminated spreads.
Tesco
The listed Tesco Free From Custard Creams 125 g are described as gluten-free and milk-free.
- A supermarket Free From pack for a breakfast that can be served separately.
- Check the delivered pack: Tesco has distinct 125 g custard-cream listings with different ingredient and nutrition information.
Asda
Asda lists its Free From by Custard Creams 125 g as gluten-free and milk-free.
- The listing also describes the product as suitable for vegans.
- Check the supplied pack rather than relying only on online product information, which Asda says may change.
Morrisons
Morrisons lists its Free From Custard Creams as free from cereals containing gluten and milk.
- A listed gluten-free supermarket option to compare with portion-packed biscuits.
- Morrisons advises checking the supplied label because ingredients and allergens may change.
McVitie's
The checked standard McVitie's Custard Creams 300 g are a comparison with gluten-free-labelled biscuits, not a gluten-free option.
- The product listing includes wheat flour and wheat starch; this finding does not describe every McVitie's biscuit.
Sainsbury's
The checked standard Sainsbury's Custard Creams 200 g list wheat ingredients.
- Do not use this standard product as the gluten-free guest’s biscuit; its ingredients do not establish anything about other Sainsbury's products.
M&S
The checked M&S Extra Cream Custard Creams 165 g list wheatflour.
- This standard product is not presented as gluten-free. Check the current pack for its ingredients.
Joybuy product options
This portion-packed gluten-free custard cream is an option to consider when serving biscuits at a shared continental breakfast.
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Schär Gluten Free Custard Creams 125 g
Schär describes these biscuits as gluten-free and portion packed; Morrisons lists five portion packs. Keep a pack closed until serving where practical, and use clean utensils and uncontaminated spreads. The product information warns that the biscuits are not suitable for young children because of a choking risk.
Frequently asked questions
Does gluten-free on a UK biscuit label mean 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, rather than an absolute zero.
Can gluten-free custard creams go on the same platter as ordinary ones?
Keep them separate for a guest who needs gluten-free food. Ordinary biscuit crumbs can come into contact with food on a shared platter; use clean utensils and check that shared spreads have not picked up crumbs, as Coeliac UK advises. Portion packaging does not make a mixed platter safe.
Does gluten-free also mean milk-free?
No. Check the two requirements separately on the particular pack. The listed Tesco, Asda and Morrisons Free From custard creams say milk-free, while Schär’s product is described as lactose-free.
What should I check when biscuits ordered online arrive?
Check the delivered pack’s gluten-free wording, ingredients, allergen information and any other dietary claims before serving. Online product descriptions may change, so use the information on the particular pack you receive.
How can I spot gluten-containing cereals on a biscuit label?
Look for the named cereal, such as wheat, in the ingredients information rather than expecting gluten to appear as an ingredient name. Coeliac UK explains that cereals containing gluten must be emphasised in the ingredients list of prepacked foods.