For a Mother’s Day tea or gift, choose custard creams with a clear gluten-free claim and check the current pack before serving. Tesco Free From and Sainsbury’s Free From also list their custard creams as milk-free and suitable for vegans; Schär offers individual two-biscuit packs listed as lactose-free and suitable for vegans, but lactose-free is not the same claim as milk-free. M&S Extra Cream Custard Creams contain wheat flour, so they are not a gluten-free substitute.
A familiar biscuit style does not establish gluten-free suitability. If a guest needs to avoid gluten, choose a pack with a gluten-free claim and check its current ingredients and allergen information before putting it on the tea table.
Check both requirements separately rather than treating gluten-free as a milk-free claim. Tesco Free From and Sainsbury’s Free From currently list their custard creams as gluten-free, milk-free and suitable for vegans.
Separate portions may be useful when assembling a hamper. Schär custard creams are listed in five packs of two biscuits, though the Sainsbury’s listing showed the product out of stock when checked; confirm availability before planning around it.
Start with the recipient’s dietary requirements, then consider how the biscuits will be served and whether you can obtain the chosen pack in time.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs and survey context |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free suitability | Look for a gluten-free claim on the current pack; read its ingredients and allergen information. Do not rely on the custard-cream name: M&S lists wheat flour in its Extra Cream version. | If I am serving someone who must avoid gluten, I want a clearly labelled pack rather than a familiar-looking biscuit. In Coeliac UK’s 2025 Shopping Habits survey, 74.7% of 3,785 responding members said they trusted its Crossed Grain Trademark more than a gluten-free statement; the trademark is an additional consideration, not a substitute for checking the pack. |
| Other dietary requirements | Check milk-free, lactose-free and vegan claims separately. Tesco Free From and Sainsbury’s Free From list milk-free and vegan suitability; Schär’s listing says lactose-free and suitable for vegans. | The recipient may avoid milk as well as gluten. I would check the exact requirement rather than assume that a lactose-free claim answers a milk-free question. |
| Portioning | Check the pack format if you want separate servings. The Schär listing describes five individual packs containing two biscuits each. | For a small hamper or a shared tea table, I may prefer biscuits that are already divided into portions. |
| Availability | Confirm the retailer’s current listing before planning the gift or tea. The Sainsbury’s listing for Schär showed it out of stock when checked; keep another suitable pack in mind. | I need to be able to obtain the biscuits before Mother’s Day. In Coeliac UK’s 2025 Shopping Habits survey, 38.4% of 3,785 responding members were happy with the gluten-free range in supermarkets overall; that finding is not specific to custard creams. |
Custard cream describes a biscuit style, not its ingredients. M&S Extra Cream Custard Creams list wheat flour.
For a recipient who needs to avoid gluten, choose a biscuit with a gluten-free claim and read the current pack before serving.
A gluten-free claim does not establish milk-free or vegan suitability. Likewise, lactose-free is not the same claim as milk-free.
Ask which ingredients or attributes matter to the recipient, then check each relevant claim and the allergen information on the pack.
The Sainsbury’s listing for Schär custard creams showed them out of stock when checked, so a planned hamper could depend on finding a different suitable pack.
Check current availability early and identify another biscuit that meets the recipient’s requirements.
These details concern the named custard-cream products, not every biscuit sold under each brand.
Tesco Groceries lists a 125g gluten-free custard cream made with rice-flour biscuits and a vanilla-flavoured filling.
Sainsbury’s lists a 125g custard cream made with rice and maize flour.
Sainsbury’s describes Schär Gluten Free Custard Creams 125g as five individual packs of two biscuits.
M&S Extra Cream Custard Creams provide an example of a conventional custard cream, not a gluten-free option.
This Schär option is a gluten-free custard cream in separate two-biscuit portions, a format to consider for a Mother’s Day hamper or tea table.
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The five individual packs of two biscuits may suit a small gift hamper or separate tea-time servings. Sainsbury’s listing describes this product as gluten-free, wheat-free, lactose-free and suitable for vegans; check the current pack against the recipient’s needs, particularly if they require milk-free rather than lactose-free food. Confirm availability before planning around it.
Not necessarily. M&S Extra Cream Custard Creams list wheat flour, while Tesco Free From and Sainsbury’s Free From custard creams are explicitly listed as gluten-free. Check the current pack rather than relying on the biscuit style.
No. Check for both claims when both matter to the recipient. Tesco Free From and Sainsbury’s Free From currently list their custard creams as gluten-free, milk-free and suitable for vegans.
Schär’s custard creams are listed as five individual two-biscuit packs, which may be convenient for dividing a hamper into servings. Confirm current availability before relying on them: the Sainsbury’s listing showed them out of stock when checked.
Ingredients and allergen information can change. Use a listing to narrow your choice, then read the delivered pack before giving or serving biscuits to someone with dietary requirements.