Office snack buyers comparing sugar
Compare sugars per 100g and per biscuit, then check energy and saturated fat separately. A no-added-sugar label does not answer all of those questions.
Who is choosing the biscuits?
Colleagues sharing traditional shortbread
If an all-butter recipe matters more than switching to a sweetener-based biscuit, use the pack’s biscuit count and nutrition declaration to plan the serving.
Organisers checking allergens
Keep the exact pack available so colleagues can read its ingredients and allergen statements. For example, Boots lists wheat flour and butter in its No Added Sugar Shortbread Fingers.
What should you compare?
No-added-sugar biscuits
Consider when: Avoiding added sugar matters more to you than keeping a conventional shortbread recipe.
Trade-off: A sweetener-based recipe still needs its own nutrition and ingredient checks; the claim does not establish fewer calories.
Traditional shortbread in smaller servings
Consider when: You want to offer all-butter shortbread and can decide how many biscuits to put out.
Trade-off: Smaller pieces do not make the recipe reduced sugar; compare the pack’s sugars per 100g as well as the serving.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars | Compare total sugars in g per 100g on the exact packs, then look at g per biscuit and how many you plan to serve. Read the ingredients behind any no-added-sugar wording. | I want to know how the biscuits compare as recipes, not just whether one biscuit is smaller. For context, the NHS uses 5g or less of total sugars per 100g as its low-sugars label threshold for foods. |
| Energy and saturates | Check energy on the same per-100g or per-biscuit basis, and compare saturated fat independently of sugars. | A sugar-related label alone will not tell me the biscuit’s energy or saturated fat. Waitrose lists 24.0g sugars and 15.8g saturates per 100g for Duchy Organic Highland All Butter Shortbread. |
| Serving size | Check the biscuit count, pack size and stated portion before deciding how much to put out. | For a shared desk snack, I want to plan the number of biscuits rather than treat a whole bag as one serving. Walker’s Shortbread lists 24 mini fingers in its 125g bag. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the exact pack’s ingredient list and allergen statements, including any precautionary wording. Leave the labelled packaging accessible when serving. | Colleagues need to be able to check what they are taking; a no-added-sugar name tells me nothing about whether a biscuit contains wheat or milk. |
Common label and serving mistakes
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Calling a mini biscuit reduced sugar
A smaller biscuit can contain less sugar per piece without having a different recipe.
Compare sugars per 100g first, then use the per-biscuit figure and the number you intend to serve.
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Reading no added sugar as lower calorie
A no-added-sugar biscuit can use a sweetener; its name does not establish its energy value.
Read the exact pack’s nutrition declaration and ingredients rather than drawing a conclusion from the front-of-pack wording.
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Separating shared biscuits from their label
Without the packaging, colleagues cannot readily check the ingredients and allergen statements for themselves.
Keep the original labelled pack beside the biscuits when you put them out.
Brand and product-line references
Walker’s Shortbread
Its Mini Bag Shortbread Fingers offer a conventional shortbread in smaller pieces, not a stated reduced-sugar recipe.
- Walker’s lists 24 mini fingers in a 125g bag.
- Use the nutrition declaration to assess sugars rather than assuming the mini format changes the recipe.
Boots
Boots lists No Added Sugar Shortbread Fingers made with butter and maltitol.
- The listed ingredients identify the sweetener used in this particular product.
- Boots dates its published ingredient information to 2017, so read the current pack before relying on those details.
Waitrose
Waitrose lists both sweet Duchy Organic Highland All Butter Shortbread and a separate savoury cheddar shortbread.
- The Duchy Organic listing gives nutrition per shortbread and per 100g.
- The cheddar product is a cheese biscuit, not a reduced-sugar version of the sweet one; assess its saturated fat separately.
Gullón
Gullón describes its Zero biscuit range as having no added sugar.
- The range offers a starting point for checking sweetener-based biscuits.
- Check the exact product’s ingredients and nutrition rather than applying a range description to every biscuit.
M&S
M&S lists shortbread within its biscuit selection.
- A conventional shortbread option can provide a comparison for the biscuit you are considering.
- Check an individual product’s label before drawing conclusions about its sugars or serving size.
Joybuy biscuit option
The Joybuy option here is a Gullon Zero Sugar Free digestive biscuit, not shortbread. It is an option to consider only if a different type of biscuit suits the office snack.
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Gullon Zero Sugar Free Original Digestives 400g
This 400g pack contains digestive biscuits rather than shortbread. If you are considering it for colleagues, compare the exact pack’s nutrition, ingredients and allergen statements with the shortbread you would otherwise serve.
Questions about office biscuits
Does no added sugar mean a biscuit is low in sugar or calories?
No. Added sugar, total sugars and energy are different things to check. Read the exact biscuit’s nutrition declaration; a no-added-sugar recipe may also use a sweetener.
How should I put out biscuits from a shared pack?
Keep the labelled packaging beside them so colleagues can check the ingredients and allergens. Use the pack’s biscuit count and nutrition declaration to decide how many to serve.
What if a colleague needs to check for food allergens?
Read the exact pack’s ingredients and precautionary allergen statements before serving it, and leave that information accessible. No-added-sugar wording does not mean a biscuit is free from wheat, milk or other allergens.
What should I check before ordering biscuits for the office?
Match the pack quantity to the servings you intend to offer, then check the current product details and delivery or collection options before placing an order.