Choose custard creams explicitly labelled gluten free, rather than relying on the biscuit name: the McVitie’s and Crawford’s products described in the cited ingredient listings contain wheat flour and wheat starch. For a lunch bag, Schär’s five portion packs offer separate servings; Tesco Free From and Sainsbury’s Free From are 125 g alternatives if you are happy to pack a portion yourself. Check the current pack for every dietary requirement that matters to you.
If you need gluten-free biscuits, look for an explicit claim on the product rather than assuming a familiar custard cream meets that requirement. The Food Standards Agency defines “gluten-free” on food sold to consumers as no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten.
Separate servings may be useful when you want to put biscuits in a bag without opening a full pack. Schär describes its custard creams as portion packed for a handbag or lunch box.
Gluten-free and milk-free are separate claims. Tesco Groceries lists its Free From custard creams as both, and Sainsbury’s Groceries describes its Free From version as milk and gluten free.
Start with the dietary claim on the current pack, then decide whether its packaging and serving information work for your lunch.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free label | Look for an explicit gluten-free claim and read the current ingredients and allergen information. The Food Standards Agency defines gluten-free food sold to consumers as containing no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten. | I need a labelled gluten-free biscuit, not a conventional custard cream chosen by name alone. |
| Pack format | Check whether servings are separately packed. Tesco Groceries lists Schär Custard Creams as five portion packs in a 125 g pack. | A separate serving is easier for me to put in a lunch bag; otherwise, I can pack biscuits from a larger pack in my own container. |
| Other dietary claims | Check milk-free, lactose-free or vegan claims separately on the exact product. Tesco Groceries lists its Free From custard creams as milk free and suitable for vegans; Sainsbury’s Groceries describes its version as milk free. | If I also avoid milk, a gluten-free claim on its own does not answer that question. |
| Serving information | Compare the current pack’s nutrition values per biscuit or serving alongside its per-100 g values. Check how many biscuits make up the portion you plan to pack. | When custard creams are a regular part of my lunch, I want the figures to reflect the amount I actually eat. |
The McVitie’s product listed by British Store Online and the Crawford’s product listed by Tesco Groceries both have wheat flour and wheat starch in their ingredient information.
Choose a product with an explicit gluten-free claim, then check the ingredients and allergen information on the pack you buy.
These are different claims. Tesco Groceries lists its Free From custard creams as gluten free and milk free, while Sainsbury’s Groceries makes both claims for its own Free From product; neither claim should be assumed for another biscuit.
Check each dietary requirement against the exact product’s current label.
A full pack and separate portion packs serve different packing needs. Tesco Groceries lists five portion packs for Schär’s 125 g product.
If you choose a full pack, put the serving you want to carry in a clean container.
Stock and product information can differ between a retailer listing and the pack available when you shop.
Check current availability before depending on a product for lunch, and read the physical pack before eating it.
Schär describes its Custard Creams as gluten- and wheat-free biscuits with vanilla cream.
Tesco Groceries lists its 125 g custard creams as gluten free, milk free and suitable for vegans.
Sainsbury’s Groceries describes its 125 g custard creams as milk- and gluten-free vanilla-flavour biscuits made with rice flour and maize flour.
The conventional McVitie’s custard creams listed by British Store Online provide an ingredient comparison, not a gluten-free option.
The conventional Crawford’s custard creams listed by Tesco Groceries are another product to distinguish from explicitly gluten-free packs.
This option is Schär’s portion-packed gluten-free custard creams for carrying in a lunch bag.
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The portion-pack format lets you carry a separate serving for lunch. Schär describes the biscuits as gluten and wheat free, and Tesco Groceries lists five portion packs in the 125 g product. Check the current pack for any additional dietary requirements.
Not necessarily. The McVitie’s custard creams listed by British Store Online and the Crawford’s custard creams listed by Tesco Groceries contain wheat flour and wheat starch. Look for an explicit gluten-free claim on the product you choose.
The Food Standards Agency defines “gluten-free” food sold to consumers as containing no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten. Check that the claim applies to the biscuit you are buying, rather than to another product from the same brand.
Schär’s portion-packed custard creams provide separate servings: Tesco Groceries lists five portion packs in the 125 g product. A full pack can also work if you put the biscuits you want to carry in your own container.
No; check each claim on the exact product. Tesco Groceries lists its Free From custard creams as gluten free, milk free and suitable for vegans, while Sainsbury’s Groceries describes its Free From version as milk and gluten free.
Yes. Read the current ingredients and allergen information on the physical pack, particularly when a dietary restriction matters to your choice; an earlier purchase or online listing should not replace that check.