Who is choosing custard?

Hosts setting a small afternoon-tea table

A 400g ready-to-serve tin is worth considering if you want custard to pour over cake or fruit without making it from powder. Check the labelled portions and what to do with any custard left after opening.

Consumers comparing nutrition labels

If fat content drives your choice, compare total fat and saturates per 100g, then look separately at sugars and the portion you plan to serve. A lighter-fat label does not tell you the sugars figure.

Hosts serving several guests

A larger carton may fit a group tea, provided you can refrigerate it after opening and use any remainder within the period stated on its pack. Check servings as well as pack weight.

What matters when buying?

Decide whether you need custard ready to serve, then compare the nutrition panel, pack size and instructions for use after opening.

Concern What to check Who this matters to
Fat content Compare total fat and saturates per 100g; check sugars separately. If I am choosing mainly by fat content, I need figures I can compare across packs without assuming sugars follow the same pattern. About 33% of consumers put fat figures first.
Ready-to-serve convenience Check whether the custard is ready to serve or needs mixing, and follow the pack directions if serving it warm. For a tea spread with little preparation time, I want custard I can serve without boiling water or whisking. About 27% of consumers make ready-to-serve convenience their main concern.
Servings and leftovers Compare pack weight and labelled servings; read the storage directions for an opened pack. When several guests are coming, I need enough custard but do not want an opened pack I cannot finish as directed. About 20% of consumers prioritise portions and leftover management.
Ingredients and allergens Read the current pack for ingredients, milk-allergen information and storage instructions. If I am serving someone who needs ingredient information, I want to check the physical pack before putting custard on the table. About 20% of consumers make current label information their primary concern.

What should you watch for?

  • Assuming low fat also means low sugar

    These are separate nutrition figures. Tesco Groceries lists 7.4g sugars per 100g for Ambrosia Low Fat Custard, while Sainsbury's lists 11.8g per 100g for its Ready To Eat Lighter Custard.

    Compare fat, saturates and sugars on the same per-100g basis, then check the portion you intend to serve.

  • Choosing a large pack without a plan for the rest

    A larger format may suit several guests but leave more custard after a small tea. Sainsbury's states that its 500g lighter carton contains four servings and should be refrigerated after opening and consumed within three days.

    Match the pack to the number of portions you expect to serve and follow its own opened-pack instructions.

    Custard left beyond the stated storage period may have to be discarded.

  • Treating instant powder like a ready-to-serve tin

    Bird's Low Fat Instant Custard needs boiling water and mixing, so it adds a preparation step just before serving.

    Choose instant custard when making it at tea time suits you; otherwise, look for a ready-to-serve tin or carton.

  • Relying only on an online ingredient listing

    ASDA Groceries advises that product ingredients, nutrition information and allergy advice can change. This matters particularly when milk or another ingredient affects what you can serve.

    Read the label on the pack you buy, including its ingredients, allergen information, dates and storage directions.

Brands and formats to consider

Ambrosia

Ambrosia has a 400g Low Fat Custard tin for ready-to-serve use and a separate Light carton format for those considering a larger pack.

  • Tesco Groceries lists 2.0g fat and 7.4g sugars per 100g for the 400g Low Fat Custard and describes it as suitable for serving hot or cold.
  • The Light carton is not a tin. Check the exact variant and pack label before using its nutrition figures to compare products.

ASDA

ASDA lists a 400g Light Custard tin and a separate 500g 30% Less Fat Custard as ready-to-serve options.

  • ASDA Groceries lists 1.6g fat per 100g for its 400g Light Custard and 1.4g per 100g for its 500g 30% Less Fat Custard.
  • The 500g product also lists 12g sugars per 100g. Check its pack format if a tin is essential.

Sainsbury's

Sainsbury's Ready To Eat Lighter Custard is a 500g carton to consider for a group rather than for a specifically tinned purchase.

  • Sainsbury's lists four servings, with 1.5g fat and 11.8g sugars per 100g.
  • The carton must be refrigerated after opening and consumed within three days; its listing also identifies milk as an allergen.

Bird's

Bird's Low Fat Instant Custard is a make-when-needed alternative, not tinned ready-to-serve custard.

  • Bird's says one sachet makes three servings and lists 1.1g fat per 100g as prepared.
  • It requires boiling water and contains milk-derived ingredients; check the current pack before serving.

Joybuy custard options

These options cover a ready-to-serve 400g low-fat tin for a smaller tea and a 1kg lighter carton to consider when serving a group. The carton is an alternative format, not tinned custard.

Ambrosia Low Fat Custard 400g tin

Ambrosia Low Fat Custard 400g

Consider this ready-to-serve tin when you want custard for a small afternoon tea without mixing powder. Tesco Groceries lists 2.0g fat and 7.4g sugars per 100g for Ambrosia Low Fat Custard; check the current pack for ingredients and allergen information. After opening, remove any remaining custard from the tin, refrigerate it and consume it within three days, as directed in the Joybuy listing.

View on Joybuy
Ambrosia Light Devon Custard 1kg carton

Ambrosia Light Devon Custard 1kg

Consider this larger ready-to-serve carton when several guests will be having custard. It is not a tin: check its own nutrition panel before comparing fat, saturates or sugars with the 400g product. Check the current pack for milk-allergen information, and follow its directions for refrigerating and using custard after opening.

View on Joybuy

Common questions

Does low-fat custard also have less sugar?

Not necessarily. Tesco Groceries lists 2.0g fat and 7.4g sugars per 100g for Ambrosia Low Fat Custard; Sainsbury's lists 1.5g fat and 11.8g sugars per 100g for its Ready To Eat Lighter Custard. Compare both lines on each pack rather than treating a fat claim as a sugar claim.

Can I serve ready-to-serve low-fat custard cold?

Yes, if the particular product's directions allow it. Tesco Groceries describes Ambrosia Low Fat Custard as suitable hot or cold; if you prefer it warm, follow the heating instructions on the pack you buy.

What should I do with custard left after opening?

Follow that pack's storage directions rather than its instructions for an unopened container. ASDA Groceries directs buyers to transfer unused ASDA Light Custard from its tin to a suitable non-metallic container, cover and refrigerate it, and use it within three days. Sainsbury's gives a three-day refrigerated period after opening for its lighter carton.

Is low-fat custard suitable for someone with a milk allergy?

Do not assume so: the Ambrosia Low Fat, ASDA Light and Bird's Low Fat Instant products described here contain milk or milk-derived ingredients. Check the current pack's ingredients and allergen statements before buying or serving a particular product.