Do not assume an ordinary bourbon cream is a reduced-sugar biscuit: listings from Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Waitrose put five standard products, including McVitie's, at 25.2g–30.3g sugars per 100g. British Cycling says rides up to about 90 minutes generally do not need additional fuel; for longer rides, choose food by its declared carbohydrate, how you will carry it and whether you have tolerated it in training—not by a lower-sugar-sounding name alone.
A smaller biscuit is not necessarily a lower-sugar recipe. If you want to compare bourbon creams, start with sugars per 100g, then look at the amount in the portion you expect to eat. Listings from Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Waitrose put the five standard products discussed here at 25.2g–30.3g sugars per 100g.
For a ride beyond about 90 minutes, the question is whether a snack contributes a useful amount of carbohydrate to your plan and is practical to eat. British Cycling advises considering carbohydrate intake on longer rides and trying unfamiliar food in training rather than on event day.
The bourbon creams listed by Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Waitrose identify wheat, while other allergen or cross-contact statements differ between products. Check the exact current pack rather than relying on the appearance of a similar biscuit.
Decide whether you are comparing everyday biscuits or planning food for a particular ride, then read the label using the same measure across packs.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar comparison | Compare sugars per 100g across packs, then sugars per biscuit for the portion you might eat. A per-biscuit figure alone does not establish that a recipe is reduced sugar. | I want to distinguish a genuinely different product from a standard bourbon cream sold in a smaller serving. The five standard products listed by Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Waitrose declare 25.2g–30.3g sugars per 100g. |
| Ride fuelling | Check ride duration and declared carbohydrate per biscuit. British Cycling advises 30–60g carbohydrate per hour for rides over 90 minutes; it says rides up to about 90 minutes generally need no additional fuel. | On a longer ride, I need to count food and drink together rather than choose a biscuit solely because its name mentions less sugar. |
| Eating on the bike | Try the portion and packaging in training. Consider whether a solid biscuit can be carried and eaten at your planned intensity; British Cycling notes that drinks or gels may suit a long, high-intensity session better. | If the pace makes solid food awkward, I want a format I have already practised using—not an unfamiliar snack on event day. |
| Ingredients | Read the current pack's ingredient and allergen statements, including any may-contain wording. Check again when switching brands or pack variants. | I need to know whether this particular biscuit meets my ingredient requirements; the wheat and cross-contact statements on the reviewed retailer listings are not identical. |
A small per-biscuit sugar figure can reflect the size of the biscuit, not a different recipe. The five standard products listed by Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Waitrose declare between 25.2g and 30.3g sugars per 100g.
Compare current packs per 100g and check the exact product's wording before choosing it for a sugar-reduction goal.
For rides over 90 minutes, British Cycling's guidance focuses on carbohydrate intake and food that the rider can tolerate. For shorter rides, its general guidance says additional fuel is usually unnecessary.
Plan food around the ride's duration and intensity. On a longer ride, count the biscuit's declared carbohydrate alongside other food and drink, and practise eating it in training.
Retailer listings for the standard bourbon creams identify wheat, but their milk, sesame and other cross-contact statements vary. A different retailer's biscuit should not be treated as interchangeable for allergy purposes.
Read the ingredient and allergen information on the exact current pack before eating it.
A cream sandwich biscuit may crumble in a pocket or be awkward to eat while riding. British Cycling also advises against trying new food on event day.
Test the biscuit, portion and way you carry it during a training ride before relying on it.
These are references for comparing particular standard bourbon creams, not a list of reduced-sugar products.
Tesco Bourbon Creams Biscuits 296G is a standard own-label bourbon cream.
Sainsbury's Bourbon 200g is a standard own-label bourbon cream in a 200g pack.
Asda Bourbon Biscuits 300g is a standard own-label bourbon cream.
McVitie's Tasties Bourbon Cream Biscuits 300g is a branded standard bourbon cream listed by Asda.
Waitrose Essential Bourbon Creams Biscuits is a standard own-label product in a 400g pack.
M&S Extra Cream Bourbon Creams has an extra-thick chocolate cream layer, according to Marks & Spencer's product description.
These are sugar-labelled sandwich biscuits to compare with bourbon creams, not bourbon biscuits themselves. Check each current pack's nutrition, ingredients and portion size before deciding whether it suits an everyday snack or a planned longer-ride snack.
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This cookies-and-cream sandwich biscuit is an alternative to compare if you want to look beyond standard bourbon creams; “no added sugar” should not be read as a per-100g sugar value or a fuelling plan. The listed product information flags maltitol and warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect. Check the current pack for nutrition and allergen statements, and try the portion in training before taking it on a ride.
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This is a sandwich cookie rather than a bourbon cream. Compare its current per-100g and per-serving nutrition with the biscuit you would otherwise choose; the “Zero Sugar” name alone does not tell you how much carbohydrate a ride portion provides. The listed product information flags maltitol and a warning about a laxative effect from excessive consumption. Check the current pack's allergen statement and test the portion before using it on a ride.
Do not treat them as reduced-sugar products. Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Waitrose list five standard bourbons, including McVitie's Tasties, at 25.2g–30.3g sugars per 100g. Compare any alternative's current label per 100g rather than relying on a smaller biscuit or pack.
Usually not as on-bike fuel: British Cycling says rides up to about 90 minutes generally do not need additional food. A biscuit can still be an ordinary snack, but the ride length alone does not make buying one necessary.
It could contribute carbohydrate if you can carry and eat it, have tolerated it in training and count its declared carbohydrate alongside other food and drink. British Cycling advises 30–60g carbohydrate per hour for rides over 90 minutes and recommends against trying new food on event day.
Compare sugars and carbohydrate per 100g first, then use the per-biscuit figures to assess the portion you expect to eat. GOV.UK's food-label guidance explains that nutrition information appears on the back of pre-packed food and that traffic-light labels, where shown, can help compare sugar, fat, salt and calories.
Check the current physical pack before eating. The Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Waitrose listings for these standard bourbons identify wheat, while other allergen and cross-contact statements differ by product; an older listing or another brand's pack is not a substitute for the one you have.