Hosts serving a guest with coeliac disease
Choose a biscuit labelled gluten free and serve it away from crumbs from ordinary biscuits. Coeliac UK advises cleaning food-contact surfaces and utensils to avoid cross-contamination at home.
Who are the biscuits for?
Hosts accommodating several dietary needs
A gluten-free label does not settle whether a biscuit contains milk or oats, or whether its pack carries another allergen warning. Check the recipe against each guest’s needs before putting out a shared plate.
Hosts putting biscuits out for a group
Look at the stated biscuit or serving count as well as pack weight. The checked products include boxes of eight biscuits and a mini-rounds pack stating 24 servings, which are different ways to plan portions.
What should you check before choosing?
Check the gluten-free claim first, then compare ingredients, sharing format and supply for the evening.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs and respondents’ views |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free labelling | Look for an explicit gluten-free claim, rather than relying on a wheat-free name. The Food Standards Agency states that the UK labelling condition is no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten in food as sold to the final consumer. Check for the Crossed Grain mark if that certification matters to your group; it is not required on every gluten-free product. | I want a clearly labelled biscuit for the gluten-free guest. In Coeliac UK’s shopping-habits report published in January 2026, 74.7% of its 3,785 responding members said they trusted its Crossed Grain Trademark more than a gluten-free statement; 76.4% wanted all gluten-free-labelled products to display it. Those are views about labelling, not shortbread purchase rates. |
| Other ingredients | Check for butter or milk, gluten-free oat flour and product-specific nut, peanut or soya warnings. Do not apply one biscuit’s ingredients or warnings to another product in the range. | If a guest needs a milk-free biscuit, I cannot choose an all-butter recipe. If oats or another ingredient are also a concern, I need to check the actual pack: Coeliac UK says a small number of people with coeliac disease remain sensitive to gluten-free oats. |
| Sharing and serving | Compare the stated biscuit or serving count with the number of guests, not pack weight alone. Use a clean, separate dish and utensils if ordinary biscuits are also being served. | There should be enough individual portions to put out during the game without mixing gluten-free biscuits with ordinary biscuit crumbs. |
| Range and supply | Check whether the particular pack you want is available for the evening. Confirm its format and ingredients rather than assuming another gluten-free shortbread is interchangeable. | I need a suitable option I can obtain in time. In Coeliac UK’s report published in January 2026, 38.4% of its 3,785 responding members said they were happy with the range of gluten-free products available in supermarkets; that figure concerns the supermarket range, not shortbread stock. |
What can go wrong when buying or serving?
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Assuming gluten free means milk free or oat free
The checked butter shortbreads contain milk, while some checked milk-free recipes contain gluten-free oats. One pack may therefore not fit everyone’s ingredient requirements.
Compare the ingredients and allergen wording on each pack with what your guests can have before deciding whether to serve one variety or separate options.
Accommodating different ingredient requirements may mean setting out more than one pack.
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Putting gluten-free and ordinary biscuits together
Crumbs from gluten-containing biscuits can get onto food intended for a guest avoiding gluten.
Use a clean, separate dish and serving utensils. Coeliac UK advises cleaning food-contact surfaces and utensils with hot soapy water to avoid cross-contamination at home.
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Choosing a sharing pack by weight alone
A 150 g Lazy Day box states eight biscuits, while Tesco’s checked 250 g mini-rounds pack states 24 servings. The weights do not tell you the same thing about how many pieces can be handed round.
Check the biscuit or serving count for the particular pack and confirm it is available before game night.
Which product lines are worth comparing?
These examples describe particular shortbread products, not every biscuit made by each brand; check the pack you plan to serve.
Walker’s
The checked Gluten Free Shortbread Rounds are an all-butter recipe; a UK listing for the 140 g, nine-round pack displays a Coeliac UK Crossed Grain certification statement.
- The manufacturer lists a rice, potato starch and maize-based flour blend for its rounds.
- The rounds contain milk, and the checked listing says they may also contain nuts.
M&S
The checked Made Without Wheat All Butter Shortbread Rounds are a 150 g gluten-free butter option.
- The product listing states 34% butter and lists rice and maize-based flours.
- The listing says these rounds are not suitable for people with a nut or peanut allergy.
Waitrose
The checked Free From Gluten Butter Shortbread is a 150 g all-butter product whose listing states eight servings.
- The serving count helps when planning how many portions to put out.
- Its listed butter contains milk, and the product may contain nuts.
Tesco
The checked Free From shortbread biscuits and mini rounds are labelled gluten free and milk free, and suitable for vegans.
- The checked formats include a 160 g biscuit pack and a 250 g mini-rounds pack stating 24 servings.
- Both checked recipes use gluten-free oat flour; the 160 g listing also says it may contain soya.
Sainsbury’s
The checked Free From Shortbread 160 g is labelled gluten free and milk free, and suitable for vegans.
- Its listed recipe uses rice and soya flour rather than oat flour.
- The listing says it is not suitable for customers with a nut allergy because of manufacturing methods.
Lazy Day Foods
The checked Vegan Scottish Shortbread is a 150 g box of eight biscuits; the brand also makes a distinct millionaire’s-shortbread treat.
- Lazy Day Foods describes the Scottish shortbread as gluten, milk and egg free and made on a nut-free site.
- That Scottish shortbread contains gluten-free oat flour, so check whether oats suit the guest.
Joybuy biscuit option for sharing
This option is a gluten-free oat biscuit, not shortbread. Consider it if another biscuit format works for the group, and check oat and milk requirements before serving.
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Nairns Gluten Free Biscuit Breaks Chunky Oats, Dark & Coconut 160g
These gluten-free oat biscuits offer a different format from shortbread for a shared snack. Check that oats suit the guests; the product information also warns that the biscuits may contain traces of milk.
Questions about gluten-free shortbread
Does “gluten free” on a UK shortbread pack have a defined limit?
Yes. The Food Standards Agency states that food labelled gluten free must contain no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten as sold to the final consumer. That claim does not mean the biscuit is free from milk, oats or other allergens.
Can every guest with coeliac disease have gluten-free shortbread containing oats?
Check with the guest before choosing an oat-containing recipe. Coeliac UK says most people with coeliac disease can eat gluten-free oats, but a small number remain sensitive to them.
How should I serve gluten-free biscuits beside ordinary snacks?
Keep them on a clean, separate dish with clean serving utensils so ordinary biscuit crumbs do not get into the gluten-free portion. Coeliac UK advises cleaning food-contact surfaces and utensils with hot soapy water to avoid cross-contamination at home.
How should I store an opened pack during or after the game?
Follow the chosen pack’s storage directions. The checked M&S, Tesco and Waitrose listings direct customers to keep opened biscuits in an airtight container; check the pack’s best-before date too.
Is an online ingredient list enough when a guest has another allergy?
Read the label on the pack you receive before serving it, because recipes and allergen information can change. If an ingredient or warning is unclear for that guest, ask the retailer or manufacturer about the particular product.