For a garden party, choose custard creams with a gluten-free claim on the current pack rather than assuming ordinary custard creams, or another type of gluten-free biscuit, will suit your guests. Sainsbury’s lists Schär’s 125 g pack as five separate two-biscuit portions, while Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda list 125 g gluten-free own-label custard creams. Keep the pack available for allergy checks and use a separate clean plate and utensils when serving biscuits beside wheat-containing ones, as Coeliac UK advises.
Look for an expressly labelled gluten-free custard cream. If other biscuits contain wheat, keep the gluten-free serving area and utensils separate; Coeliac UK advises cleaning surfaces and utensils to avoid cross-contact.
Check gluten-free, milk-free, lactose-free and vegan claims separately against each guest’s requirements. The product listings from Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Asda describe different combinations of these claims.
Start with the gluten-free claim on the pack you will serve, then choose a portion format that works for your table and check any other dietary requirements.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free claim | Read the current pack for an explicit gluten-free claim; do not judge by appearance or ingredients alone. The Food Standards Agency says food labelled gluten-free must contain no more than 20 mg/kg gluten as sold. | I want a clearly identified biscuit for a gluten-free guest. In Coeliac UK’s 2025 shopping-habits survey of 3,785 responding members, 74.7% said they trusted its Crossed Grain Trademark more than a gluten-free statement; that measures trust, not custard-cream purchases. |
| Portions and serving | Sainsbury’s lists five individual two-biscuit packs for Schär’s 125 g product. For an open plate, use a clean surface and separate utensils, following Coeliac UK’s cross-contact advice. | Separate packs would make it easier for me to hand out identified portions; for a shared plate, I would keep wheat-biscuit crumbs and utensils away. |
| Biscuit choice | Confirm that the exact product is a gluten-free custard cream. Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda list 125 g own-label options; McVitie’s Gluten Free Original Hobnobs are oat biscuits, not custard creams. Check the chosen pack for its biscuit or serving count rather than using its weight as a guest count. | I want custard creams rather than a different gluten-free biscuit. Coeliac UK reported that 38.4% of respondents to its 2025 survey of 3,785 members were happy with the general range of gluten-free products in supermarkets; this was not a measure of custard-cream choice. |
| Other requirements | Read the full allergy information on the pack served. The Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda listings identify their custard creams as milk-free; Schär’s listing says lactose-free, which is a different claim. | If a guest also needs to avoid milk or has another requirement, I need to check that separately from the gluten-free wording. |
The checked Crawford’s and M&S custard creams list wheat, according to their product listings. A similar-looking biscuit is not necessarily gluten-free.
Check the exact pack for a gluten-free claim before setting it out for gluten-free guests.
Crumbs can reach a gluten-free biscuit after its pack is opened. Coeliac UK advises cleaning surfaces and utensils to avoid cross-contact.
Keep individual portions packaged until needed where practical, or use a separate clean plate and utensils.
Gluten-free, milk-free, lactose-free and vegan describe different things; one claim does not establish the others.
Ask what each guest needs and check the complete allergy information on the pack you serve.
These details concern the named products in the cited brand or retailer listings, not every biscuit made by each brand.
Sainsbury’s lists Schär Gluten Free Custard Creams in a 125 g pack containing five individual two-biscuit portions.
Tesco lists Free From Custard Creams in a 125 g pack.
Sainsbury’s lists its own Free From Custard Creams in a 125 g pack.
Asda lists Free From Custard Creams in a 125 g pack.
The checked 300 g Crawford’s Custard Creams listing is for conventional biscuits.
The checked M&S Extra Cream Custard Creams are a 165 g conventional product.
McVitie’s Gluten Free Original Hobnobs are an oat-biscuit alternative, not custard creams.
This option is a portioned gluten-free custard cream for handing out separate servings at a garden party.
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For handing out separate portions, Sainsbury’s lists this 125 g Schär product as five individual packs of two biscuits. Its listing describes the biscuits as gluten-free, lactose-free and suitable for vegans; check the actual pack for any additional allergy requirements, particularly if a guest needs a milk-free product.
No. Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda list their checked own-label custard creams as both gluten-free and milk-free, but Sainsbury’s describes the checked Schär product as gluten-free and lactose-free. Read each claim and the full allergy information on the current pack separately.
Keep the identifying pack available and use a separate clean plate and utensils. Coeliac UK advises cleaning surfaces and utensils to avoid cross-contact; take care not to transfer crumbs from wheat-containing biscuits.
Follow the storage and best-before directions on the pack. The checked Asda listing specifies a cool, dry place, but use the instructions on the product you have.
The Department for Education’s school-food guidance concerns food provided in state-funded schools in England, not a private garden party. Restrictions on advertising less-healthy food are a separate matter; the Department of Health and Social Care guidance does not establish an HFSS classification for each custard cream listed here. The proposed updated England school-food standards were subject to Parliamentary approval as of October 2026.