Choose custard creams explicitly labelled gluten-free and check the packet you serve; an ordinary custard cream or a different gluten-free biscuit is not an interchangeable substitute. Schär’s separate portions can make serving one guest easier, while Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s offer free-from packets for a sharing plate. Check any other dietary requirements separately, and keep the gluten-free biscuits away from ordinary biscuit crumbs.
You need an identifiable gluten-free custard cream and a clean way to serve it when ordinary biscuits are also on the table. Coeliac UK advises keeping food intended for someone following a gluten-free diet away from gluten-containing crumbs.
A gluten-free label does not answer every guest’s requirements. Check milk-free or vegan claims on the particular packet, and ask before substituting an oat-containing biscuit.
Start with the gluten-free claim, then choose a serving format and check any other requirements against the packet you will put out.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free labelling | Look for an explicit gluten-free claim on the exact product. The Food Standards Agency defines the UK claim as no more than 20 mg/kg gluten in food as sold; check the current ingredients and allergen information too. | I’m serving someone who needs to avoid gluten, so the biscuit’s appearance or a wheat-free description alone will not settle the choice. |
| Separate serving | Compare individual portions with an open sharing packet. Coeliac UK advises cleaning surfaces and utensils to prevent contact with gluten-containing food. | If ordinary biscuits are also going out, I want to keep the gluten-free portion away from their crumbs. |
| Other requirements | Check milk-free and vegan claims separately on the chosen packet. If considering an oat biscuit instead, check whether oats suit the guest. | Several friends have different requirements; I cannot assume that every free-from biscuit covers them all. |
| Portions | Count the guests and compare the pack format. Asda describes Schär’s 125 g pack as five separate packs containing two biscuits each; Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s also list 125 g free-from custard-cream packets. | I’d like enough suitable biscuits to offer each guest a serving without opening more than I need. |
Asda lists wheat in its ordinary Custard Creams, while its separate Free From custard creams carry a gluten-free claim.
Identify the exact free-from product and read its packet before serving it to a gluten-free guest.
Tesco displays two 125 g Free From Custard Cream listings with different ingredient and nutrition information.
Match the listing to the packet you receive, then check its current ingredients and allergen information.
Contact with gluten-containing crumbs can contaminate biscuits intended for a guest following a gluten-free diet.
Follow Coeliac UK’s advice to clean the serving area and utensils, and keep the gluten-free biscuits separate.
These product lines differ; a brand name on its own does not establish whether a particular biscuit is gluten-free.
Asda lists Schär gluten-free custard creams in a 125 g pack of five separate two-biscuit portions.
Tesco lists Free From Custard Creams as a 125 g packet option.
Asda lists both Free From custard creams and ordinary custard creams as distinct products.
Sainsbury’s describes its 125 g Free From Custard Creams as milk- and gluten-free vanilla-flavour sandwich biscuits.
McVitie’s lists Gluten Free Original Hobnobs, a different biscuit rather than a custard cream.
M&S Extra Cream Custard Creams are an ordinary custard-cream reference, not a gluten-free selection.
This Schär option is relevant if separate portions would help you serve a gluten-free guest alongside friends having other biscuits.
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The separate portions can help you put out a biscuit for a gluten-free guest away from an open packet of ordinary biscuits. The 125 g pack contains five portions of two biscuits; check the packet’s current ingredients and allergen information before serving.
No. For this UK choice, look for a gluten-free claim on the particular biscuit. The Food Standards Agency defines that claim as no more than 20 mg/kg gluten in food as sold; a wheat-free description alone is not a substitute.
Use a clean plate and utensils, and keep ordinary biscuit crumbs away from the gluten-free serving. Coeliac UK advises cleaning surfaces and utensils to prevent contact with gluten-containing food.
No. The symbol belongs to an additional licensed scheme; it is not required for a UK gluten-free claim. Coeliac UK says its packaged-product scheme includes gluten analysis and a manufacturing-site audit, so check the actual packet if that additional assurance matters to your guest.
Check the packet you receive. Ingredients and allergen information can change, and Tesco’s differently specified Free From Custard Cream listings show why identifying the particular product matters.
Only if the guest wants that biscuit type and oats suit their requirements. McVitie’s Gluten Free Original Hobnobs contain gluten-free oats, while the Food Standards Agency notes that oats remain an allergen even when labelled gluten-free.