Hosts looking for reduced-sugar custard creams
Compare sugars per 100g, but check the product’s claim separately. Being lower in sugar than another conventional biscuit does not make a custard cream a reduced-sugar product.
Who is this for?
The first decision is whether your festival table needs a biscuit with a reduced-sugar claim, a conventional custard cream, or an option for particular dietary requirements.
Guests comparing sugar information
Per-100g figures help you compare biscuits on the same basis; the per-biscuit figure helps you read the information for a serving. Do not assume a product described informally as suitable for diabetes has a special benefit.
Hosts serving guests with dietary restrictions
Check sugar and allergen suitability separately. The standard Asda, Tesco and Sainsbury’s products checked contain wheat and milk or whey-containing ingredients; the Schär listing describes its custard creams as wheat-free, lactose-free and vegan.
What should you check?
Start with the reason for choosing a different biscuit, then compare the relevant label information on the exact product you plan to serve.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Reduced-sugar claim | Look for an explicit reduced-sugar claim on the product. Read the sugars figure per 100g and the serving information; do not substitute a free-from claim for a sugar claim. | I’m choosing biscuits specifically for a sugar-reduction requirement, so a lower number than another standard biscuit is not enough. |
| Conventional biscuits | Sainsbury’s lists 26.5g sugars per 100g, Tesco 28.3g and Asda 29g. Their retailer listings each mark sugars per biscuit as high; none of these three listings presents the product as reduced sugar. | If I’m serving conventional custard creams, I can compare these three on a per-100g basis without treating the lowest figure as a reduced-sugar claim. |
| Serving information | Check both the per-100g and per-biscuit figures. Sainsbury’s lists 3.3g sugars per biscuit, while Tesco and Asda each list 3.4g. | I want to know what the label says for a biscuit as well as how the products compare by weight. |
| Dietary suitability | Read the exact pack’s ingredients and allergen declaration. The Schär custard creams listing says wheat-free, lactose-free and suitable for vegans, and gives 23g sugars per 100g; it does not make a reduced-sugar claim. | For a shared table, I need to check each guest’s dietary requirements without assuming that free-from also means reduced sugar. |
Common buying mistakes
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Calling the lowest-sugar standard biscuit “reduced sugar”
Sainsbury’s has the lowest sugars per 100g of the three standard own-label listings compared here, but its listing still marks sugars per biscuit as high. A relative comparison is not a reduced-sugar claim.
If that claim matters to your choice, check for it explicitly on the product and read the current nutrition panel.
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Using “free-from” as a shortcut for sugar information
Schär’s wheat-free, lactose-free and vegan labelling addresses different requirements from sugar reduction. Its listing gives 23g sugars per 100g but does not present the biscuits as reduced sugar.
Choose a free-from biscuit for the relevant dietary requirement, then assess its sugar information separately.
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Checking an old listing instead of the pack being served
An online listing may not be the label on the exact pack placed on a shared table. That distinction matters when guests need to avoid particular ingredients.
Before serving, read that pack’s ingredients, allergen declaration, best-before date and storage instructions.
Brand and product references
These references describe the particular custard-cream products or ranges in the cited listings, not every biscuit made by each brand.
Sainsbury’s
The Sainsbury’s 200g listing is for standard own-label custard creams.
- Sainsbury’s lists 26.5g sugars per 100g and 3.3g per biscuit, the lowest figures among the three standard own-label products compared here on those respective measures.
- Its listing marks sugars per biscuit as high and does not present the biscuits as reduced sugar. The product contains wheat and milk-derived whey powder.
Tesco
The Tesco listing is for a 400g pack of standard custard cream biscuits.
- Tesco lists 28.3g sugars per 100g and 3.4g per biscuit.
- The listing marks sugars per biscuit as high, does not present the product as reduced sugar, and lists wheat and milk.
Asda
The Asda listing is for a 400g pack of standard custard creams.
- Asda lists 29g sugars per 100g and 3.4g per biscuit; the product is labelled suitable for vegetarians.
- The listing marks sugars per biscuit as high, does not present the product as reduced sugar, and lists wheat and milk.
Schär
The Schär Gluten-Free Custard Creams listing describes a 125g free-from biscuit.
- The Asda listing describes this product as wheat-free, lactose-free and suitable for vegans, with 23g sugars per 100g.
- Those dietary statements are not a reduced-sugar claim. Check the exact pack for the requirements of the guests you are serving.
M&S
The Marks & Spencer biscuit catalogue includes custard creams and chocolate-coated custard creams.
- For a sugar comparison or dietary requirement, check the nutrition information and ingredients on the particular product and pack.
Joybuy product options
This custard-cream option is relevant when a festival guest needs a gluten-free or vegan biscuit. Its free-from positioning should not be mistaken for a reduced-sugar claim.
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Schär Gluten-Free Custard Creams 125g
For a shared table where gluten-free or vegan biscuits are needed, the listing describes these custard creams as wheat-free, lactose-free and suitable for vegans. It gives 23g sugars per 100g, but does not make a reduced-sugar claim. Check the exact pack’s allergen declaration before serving.
Frequently asked questions
Is a custard cream reduced sugar if it has less sugar than another brand?
Not on that basis alone. A lower per-100g figure in a comparison of standard products does not establish a reduced-sugar claim. Check the current product label for an explicit claim and compare its nutrition information; the Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s listings considered here do not present their custard creams as reduced sugar.
Which of the standard custard creams compared has the lowest listed sugar figure?
Sainsbury’s lists 26.5g sugars per 100g, against Tesco’s 28.3g and Asda’s 29g for the three standard own-label products compared. Sainsbury’s still marks sugars per biscuit as high and does not present the product as reduced sugar.
Are gluten-free custard creams also reduced sugar?
Not necessarily. The Schär Gluten-Free Custard Creams listing describes them as wheat-free, lactose-free and vegan and gives 23g sugars per 100g, but does not make a reduced-sugar claim. Check dietary suitability and sugar information as separate questions.
How can I present custard creams for guests comparing sugar information?
Keep the pack available so guests can read the per-biscuit and per-100g figures, and make portion sizes clear. Diabetes UK advises against relying on snacks labelled “diabetic” as offering a special benefit.
What should I check before serving custard creams to guests with allergies?
Read the allergen declaration on the exact pack you will serve. The standard Asda, Tesco and Sainsbury’s custard creams checked list wheat and milk or whey-containing ingredients; a different product’s free-from label should not be assumed to describe them.