Travellers who want sweet shortbread with less sugar
Compare sugars per 100g across the exact sweet biscuits you are considering, then use the pack’s portion information to decide how many to take.
Who is this for?
Travellers packing a set portion
Check the size and format of the inner packs as well as the nutrition panel. Walker’s Shortbread, for example, lists a box of 24 separate 40g twin packs.
Travellers open to savoury biscuits
Cheese shortbread offers a different flavour from sweet shortbread. Compare its sugars, saturated fat, salt and ingredients rather than choosing on the sugar figure alone.
What should you check?
Compare sweet biscuits on a common per-100g basis first, then check the portion and pack you would take on the train.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars and portion | Compare sugars per 100g on the exact sweet packs. Then check the weight and sugars per biscuit, if stated: Tesco lists 2.4g sugars per 18g finger for its 210g All Butter Shortbread Fingers. | I want a sweet biscuit, but I also want to know how much sugar is in the number of fingers I pack. |
| Other nutrition | Read saturated fat independently of sugars, using the same per-100g basis. Tesco lists 15.5g saturates per 100g for its 210g fingers; the NHS food-label guide classifies more than 5g per 100g as high. | A lower sugar figure alone does not settle my choice; I want to compare the rest of the nutrition panel too. |
| Pack and ingredients | Check the number and weight of inner packs against the amount you intend to carry. Read the physical pack’s ingredient and allergen information, particularly if an allergy is relevant. | For one journey, I would rather set aside the amount I plan to eat than mistake a box of twin packs for a single snack. |
Common buying mistakes
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Calling the lowest figure ‘low sugar’ or ‘reduced sugars’
A comparison among a few sweet shortbreads is not a nutrition claim for a product. Tesco’s 210g fingers list 13.1g sugars per 100g; the NHS food-label guide defines low sugars for solid food as 5g per 100g or less.
Use the labelled figure and name the products being compared, rather than applying a claim that the pack does not establish.
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Choosing cheese shortbread by sugars alone
Waitrose lists 2.3g sugars per 100g for its No.1 Cornish Quartz Cheddar Shortbread, but also 27.8g saturates and 1.38g salt per 100g. It is a savoury biscuit, not a like-for-like sweet shortbread.
If a savoury snack appeals, compare the full nutrition and ingredient panels before deciding.
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Assuming an inner wrapper means a small purchase
Walker’s lists its individually wrapped shortbread fingers as a box of 24 twin packs, each weighing 40g. The box quantity and the amount taken on one journey are separate decisions.
Check both the outer box and inner-pack sizes before choosing how much to pack.
A bulk box leaves more packs to store if you only need food for one journey.
Brand references for shortbread
Tesco
Its everyday All Butter Shortbread Fingers and Finest Scottish Shortbread Fingers are distinct sweet products.
- Tesco lists 13.1g sugars per 100g for the 210g everyday pack and 16.1g per 100g for the 165g Finest pack.
- Check the exact variant rather than carrying one pack’s figures over to the other.
Waitrose
Its sweet shortbread fingers and savoury cheese shortbread serve different taste preferences.
- Waitrose lists 14.9g sugars per 100g for its sweet fingers and 2.3g per 100g for No.1 Cornish Quartz Cheddar Shortbread.
- The cheese product is not a sweet-biscuit substitute on taste; its listing also gives 27.8g saturates and 1.38g salt per 100g.
Walker’s Shortbread
Its shortbread fingers are listed in a box of separate twin packs.
- Walker’s specifies 24 packs of 40g, each containing two fingers.
- The same listing gives 16.2g sugars per 100g; portion packaging does not establish a reduced-sugars claim.
M&S
Its Scottish All Butter Shortbread Fingers are another traditional sweet option to compare by label.
- M&S lists 17.0g sugars per 100g for this product.
- Its listing says the product is unsuitable for people with nut or peanut allergies; check the physical pack before eating.
Dean’s
Its 130g Shortbread Rounds offer a different shape from fingers.
- Dean’s lists 17.10g sugars per 100g for these rounds.
- The listed ingredients include wheat and milk; the figure describes these rounds, not every Dean’s product.
Savoury biscuits on Joybuy
These are savoury cheese biscuits and crackers to consider if you would rather pack a savoury snack. They are not sweet shortbreads, so compare their own labels instead of treating them as reduced-sugars versions of shortbread.
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Jacob's Mini Cheddar's Original 6 x 23g
The six 23g packs give you a pack size to plan around for the journey. These are savoury cheese biscuits, not sweet shortbread; check the physical pack’s sugars, saturated fat and ingredients before choosing them.
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Jacob's Bites Mature Cheddar & Onion Crackers 125g
This 125g box is a savoury cracker choice rather than a sweet shortbread. Check the nutrition panel and decide how much of the box you want to take on the train.
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Jacobs Baked Cheddars Cheese Biscuits 150g
These 150g cheese biscuits are a savoury option, not a sweet shortbread. Compare sugars and saturated fat per 100g on the pack, and set aside the amount you intend to eat during the journey.
Questions about choosing shortbread
Does the lowest sugar figure here mean a shortbread is ‘reduced sugars’?
No. Being lower than a few other packs does not establish a product nutrition claim. UK Department of Health and Social Care guidance treats nutrition claims as regulated; use the exact pack’s labelling rather than relabelling it from this comparison.
Should I compare sugars per 100g or per biscuit?
Use per 100g to compare the exact products on the same basis, then per-biscuit information to work out the amount you plan to eat. The NHS notes that a manufacturer’s suggested portion can differ from your own.
Do twin packs make it easier to pack one train snack?
They can help you separate the amount you intend to take, but check the outer quantity too. Walker’s lists its shortbread fingers in a box of 24 separate 40g twin packs, not as a single journey pack.
Can I choose cheese shortbread instead of sweet shortbread?
Yes, if you want a savoury biscuit rather than a sweet one. Waitrose lists 2.3g sugars per 100g for its No.1 Cornish Quartz Cheddar Shortbread, alongside 27.8g saturates and 1.38g salt per 100g, so read the full panel and ingredients before deciding.