Choose digestives explicitly labelled gluten-free, then check whether their oats, other allergens and pack size suit your guests. At a Boxing Day buffet with ordinary biscuits, keep the gluten-free portion labelled and separate, with its own clean serving utensils; ask a guest who avoids oats whether an oat-based option is appropriate.
Look for an explicitly gluten-free biscuit and plan how to keep it apart from ordinary biscuits and crumbs. Coeliac UK advises using only oats labelled gluten-free for people with coeliac disease; ask your guest whether oats suit them.
A plain digestive-style biscuit can sit alongside other treats if the gluten-free portion stays identifiable and separate. Compare pack weights when deciding how many biscuits to buy: the listed supermarket examples are 188 g, while the Schär digestive is 150 g.
Check the exact pack for milk, nuts, soya, lupin and oats as relevant to your guests. A gluten-free label does not establish suitability for every other allergy.
Start with the gluten-free label and your guests’ ingredient requirements, then work out the quantity and serving setup.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free label | Check that the exact biscuit is labelled gluten-free. Do not treat a wheat-free description, ordinary digestive or unlabelled oat biscuit as equivalent. | I’m serving someone who needs a gluten-free biscuit, so I want the claim on the product I actually buy. |
| Oats and other allergens | Check whether the biscuits contain oats, milk or soya, and read any nut or lupin allergy advice. If oats matter to a guest, confirm their suitability with that guest. | One gluten-free choice may not work for everyone at the table; I need to account for the guests’ other ingredient restrictions. |
| Buffet service | Use a separate, labelled plate and clean or dedicated utensils. Keep it away from ordinary biscuits and their crumbs, in line with Coeliac UK’s catering guidance. | Guests will serve themselves, so I need the gluten-free biscuits to remain identifiable and separate after opening. |
| Quantity and format | Compare net weight and any stated servings rather than pack appearance. The listed Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda digestives are 188 g; the listed Schär pack is 150 g. | I want enough plain digestive-style biscuits for the people who will eat them, without assuming differently sized packs provide the same amount. |
Neither description establishes that the biscuit meets the gluten-free claim needed for this choice. Coeliac UK also advises that oats for people with coeliac disease must themselves be labelled gluten-free.
Choose a biscuit explicitly labelled gluten-free and read the current pack, particularly when it contains oats.
Crumbs from ordinary biscuits can reach a gluten-free portion during self-service, even when the unopened product was correctly labelled.
Follow Coeliac UK’s catering guidance: serve the gluten-free biscuits separately and use clean or dedicated utensils.
The listed products have different ingredients and allergy cautions, including oat, nut, soya or lupin considerations. A single platter may therefore not suit every guest.
Ask about relevant allergies before shopping and check each exact pack’s ingredients and allergy advice before serving.
The listed Schär digestive pack is 150 g, while the listed Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda examples are 188 g. One pack of each does not provide the same quantity.
Plan the portion by net weight and any stated servings, then check the pack when buying.
Tesco Groceries lists a 188 g gluten-free digestive made with gluten-free oat flour.
Sainsbury’s Groceries lists 188 g milk- and gluten-free digestives made with oats.
Asda Groceries lists a 188 g plain digestive described as gluten-free and milk-free.
The listed 150 g gluten-free digestive offers an oat-free ingredient route, using maize, soya, buckwheat and tapioca.
M&S lists gluten-free biscuits in its free-from range for hosts who do not need an exact digestive biscuit.
This listed option is a gluten-free digestive for a Boxing Day buffet where an oat-free biscuit is wanted. Check its other allergens and the pack before serving.
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An oat-free digestive option for a buffet guest who avoids oats. The 150 g biscuits use maize, soya and buckwheat ingredients; they contain soya and may contain lupin. Check the final pack with guests’ requirements in mind.
No. Choose a biscuit explicitly labelled gluten-free rather than relying on its wheat-free description or oat ingredients. Coeliac UK advises that only oats labelled gluten-free are suitable for people with coeliac disease.
Not necessarily. Coeliac UK says a small proportion of people with coeliac disease are sensitive to avenin, a protein in oats. Ask the guest whether oat-based biscuits suit them, even when the oats are labelled gluten-free.
Yes, if you keep the gluten-free biscuits separate from gluten-containing food and crumbs. Coeliac UK’s catering guidance calls for separation and clean utensils or equipment; use a labelled plate and its own clean serving utensil.
No. Tesco and Asda list milk-free, vegan digestive options, but their product information includes nut-related cautions. Check the exact pack for every relevant ingredient and allergy warning rather than extending its gluten-free claim to other needs.
Put out a clean, separate portion with dedicated utensils and replenish it without using equipment from the ordinary-biscuit area. Keep the remaining biscuits covered or in an airtight container after opening, following the pack’s storage instructions.