Hosts serving a guest who needs gluten-free food
Choose a biscuit explicitly labelled gluten free, then keep it away from crumbs from ordinary biscuits. Coeliac UK advises cleaning surfaces and utensils that have contacted gluten-containing food.
Who are you serving?
Hosts serving mixed dietary needs
Keep the gluten-free serving identifiable, and check the supplied pack for any separate requirements, such as avoiding milk. A gluten-free label does not answer those other questions.
How should you choose and serve the biscuits?
Start with the exact biscuit’s gluten-free label, then decide whether separate portions or a sharing plate will work for the way guests take their biscuits.
Individual portions
Consider when: Guests will take biscuits at different times. ASDA Groceries lists Schär’s 125 g pack as five individually wrapped portions of two biscuits.
Bear in mind: Wrapping helps identify portions before opening; the biscuits still need protection from ordinary biscuit crumbs once served.
Sharing packets
Consider when: You can set out a separate, clearly identified plate. Tesco, ASDA and Sainsbury’s list 125 g Free From custard cream packets labelled gluten free.
Bear in mind: These listings describe packets rather than individual portions, so use a clean plate and utensils when ordinary biscuits are also on the table.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free identification | Check the gluten-free statement on the exact UK biscuit pack, not just the brand. Look at the supplied pack before serving. | I need to know that the custard creams themselves are labelled gluten free, rather than assuming another biscuit from the same brand is suitable. |
| Serving separately | Check whether portions stay wrapped until needed. When ordinary biscuits are served too, use a separate clean plate and utensils, as Coeliac UK advises for avoiding cross-contact. | Guests may take biscuits throughout the coffee morning, so I want their gluten-free serving to stay identifiable and away from ordinary crumbs. |
| Other dietary requirements | Check the current ingredients and statements on the particular pack. Tesco, ASDA and Sainsbury’s describe their listed Free From custard creams as milk free and suitable for vegans; gluten free alone establishes neither. | If a guest has another requirement, I need to check it separately rather than relying on the gluten-free wording. |
| Portions for the group | Check the number of biscuits or stated servings. ASDA Groceries lists five packs of two biscuits for Schär; ASDA and Sainsbury’s each list around nine servings for their own-label 125 g packets. | I want enough identifiable biscuits for the guests who need them, whether I hand out portions or put out a sharing plate. |
What should you avoid?
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Assuming a familiar custard cream is gluten free
The Crawford’s custard creams listed by Tesco contain wheat flour and wheat starch, while M&S lists wheatflour in its Extra Cream Custard Creams. McVitie’s identifies its Gluten Free Original Hobnobs as gluten free, but they are a different biscuit.
Check the gluten-free statement and ingredients of the exact custard creams you intend to serve.
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Putting gluten-free biscuits among ordinary crumbs
A suitable biscuit can come into contact with gluten-containing crumbs after its packet is opened. Individual wrapping does not protect a biscuit once it is placed on a shared plate.
Follow Coeliac UK’s advice to clean surfaces and utensils that have contacted gluten-containing food, and provide a separate clean plate.
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Using “gluten free” to answer every dietary question
Milk avoidance and vegan suitability are separate from gluten-free identification. A guest considering an oat biscuit instead of a custard cream may also have an oat-related requirement.
Ask about the requirements that matter to your guests and check the statements and ingredients on each supplied pack.
Which biscuit ranges are relevant?
These references concern the particular products described, not every biscuit sold under each brand.
Schär
ASDA Groceries lists Schär gluten-free custard creams as a 125 g pack containing five individual portions.
- The listing describes two biscuits per portion and identifies a Crossed Grain symbol.
- Once opened, the biscuits still need to be kept away from ordinary biscuit crumbs.
Tesco
Tesco lists a 125 g Free From Custard Creams packet labelled gluten free.
- The product listing also describes these biscuits as milk free and suitable for vegans.
- It is listed as a packet, not as separately wrapped portions.
ASDA
ASDA lists its own-label Free From custard creams in a 125 g packet, as well as the separately portioned Schär product.
- The own-label listing describes the biscuits as gluten free, milk free and suitable for vegans, with approximately nine servings.
- Those statements apply to the listed own-label product, not every ASDA biscuit.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s lists Free From Custard Creams in a 125 g packet.
- The listing describes them as gluten free and milk free, suitable for vegans, and containing nine servings.
- Check the supplied packet if a guest has requirements beyond avoiding gluten.
Crawford’s
The Crawford’s custard creams listed by Tesco are conventional biscuits, not a gluten-free option for this gathering.
- The listed ingredients include wheat flour and wheat starch.
M&S
M&S Extra Cream Custard Creams should not be confused with other Free From biscuits in its range.
- The Extra Cream Custard Creams ingredient listing includes wheatflour.
McVitie’s
McVitie’s Gluten Free Original Hobnobs are an alternative biscuit type if custard creams are not essential.
- McVitie’s identifies this particular Hobnobs product as gluten free.
- It is an oat biscuit, not a custard cream; check the particular pack if a guest has an oat-related requirement.
A Joybuy option for separate portions
This custard cream option is for a coffee morning where separately portioned gluten-free biscuits would help guests identify their serving.
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Schär Gluten Free Custard Creams 125 g
The Joybuy listing describes five portions, which can help keep servings identifiable until guests take them. Keep the biscuits away from ordinary biscuit crumbs after opening, and check the supplied pack for any other dietary requirements.
Questions about gluten-free custard creams
Does “gluten free” mean a UK biscuit contains absolutely no gluten?
No. The Food Standards Agency states that food labelled gluten free must contain no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten in the food as sold to the final consumer. Check the statement on the particular biscuit pack you plan to serve.
Can gluten-free and ordinary custard creams go on the same plate?
Use a separate clean plate and utensils for the gluten-free biscuits. Coeliac UK advises preventing contact with gluten-containing food and cleaning surfaces and utensils that have come into contact with it.
Are gluten-free custard creams automatically milk free or vegan?
No. Gluten-free wording does not establish either of those separate requirements. Tesco, ASDA and Sainsbury’s describe their particular Free From custard creams as milk free and suitable for vegans, but check the pack supplied to you.
Should I look for a Crossed Grain symbol?
Start by checking that the exact biscuit is labelled gluten free. ASDA Groceries also identifies a Crossed Grain symbol on its Schär custard creams listing; check the supplied pack for the statements and symbols relevant to your guests.