Who is this for?

Hosts comparing sugar on the label

If you are putting shortbread out during the match, sugars per 100g help you compare recipes, while the number of fingers served determines the portion.

No-added-sugar shoppers

If added sugar is the deciding factor, check the claim and ingredients on the exact biscuit. Read its nutrition declaration separately for total sugars, carbohydrate and energy.

Hosts serving guests with allergies

Check each pack’s ingredients and precautionary allergen wording before sharing. A sugar-related claim does not tell you whether a biscuit is suitable for a guest with an allergy.

What should you check?

Start with the distinction that matters to you: less sugar in a conventional shortbread, or a biscuit described as having no added sugar. Then plan the serving and check ingredients for everyone eating it.

Priority What to check Your needs
Sugars per 100g Compare the same measure on exact packs. Tesco lists 13.1g per 100g for its 210g all-butter fingers; Waitrose lists 14.9g for its 200g fingers, and Walker’s lists 16.2g for its 125g mini fingers. These figures do not establish a formal reduced-sugars claim. I want to compare conventional shortbread recipes without mistaking a smaller biscuit for a lower-sugar recipe.
Serving size Check the finger weight and sugars per finger, then count what you serve. Tesco lists 2.4g sugars per 18g finger; Waitrose lists 3.0g per 20g finger. Walker’s says its 125g mini-finger bag contains 24 pieces. For a shared packet during the match, I would rather decide how many pieces to put out than judge the serving by the packet size.
No added sugar Read the exact claim, ingredients and nutrition declaration. The UK seller of Doemi wholegrain biscuits describes them as no added sugar and lists maltitol; that description alone does not establish their total sugars, carbohydrate or energy relative to the shortbreads above. Avoiding added sugar is my priority, even if it means choosing a different biscuit recipe.
Allergens Read the pack’s ingredient and precautionary allergen information. Tesco’s and Waitrose’s checked shortbreads list wheat and milk; Waitrose also gives a nut precaution. The Doemi seller lists wheat and egg. Someone sharing the biscuits has an allergy, so I need to check the particular pack before serving it.

Common mix-ups

  • Treating no added sugar and reduced sugars as the same claim

    A no-added-sugar description concerns the recipe, not a comparison of the finished biscuit’s total sugars with another pack. A sweetened alternative still needs its own nutrition-label check.

    Decide whether you are avoiding added sugar or comparing grams of sugar, then read the corresponding claim and nutrition figures on the exact pack.

  • Comparing fingers without checking their weight

    Tesco’s checked finger weighs 18g and Waitrose’s weighs 20g, so their per-finger sugar figures describe different-sized servings.

    Compare sugars per 100g for the recipe, then use the per-finger figures to account for the pieces you plan to serve.

  • Assuming Free From or mini means less sugar

    Sainsbury’s checked Free From shortbread lists 23.5g sugars per 100g, while Walker’s mini fingers list 16.2g per 100g. Allergen positioning and biscuit size answer different questions from sugars per 100g.

    Use allergen wording to check suitability, piece size to plan servings and the nutrition declaration to compare sugars.

Brand and range references

These details apply to the named products or listings, not to every biscuit made by each brand.

Tesco

The checked All Butter Shortbread Fingers 210g pack provides both per-100g and per-finger nutrition figures.

  • Tesco lists 13.1g sugars per 100g and 2.4g per 18g finger.
  • The recipe contains added sugar, wheat and milk; a lower figure in this pack comparison is not a reduced-sugars claim.

Waitrose

The checked 200g shortbread-finger pack also gives per-100g and per-finger figures.

  • Waitrose lists 14.9g sugars per 100g and 3.0g per 20g finger.
  • The fingers differ in weight from Tesco’s checked fingers; this pack lists wheat and milk and carries a nut precaution.

Walker’s

Walker’s describes its checked 125g mini-finger bag as containing 24 pieces, which can be counted out for sharing.

  • The bag lists 16.2g sugars per 100g.
  • A smaller finger is a portion-size distinction, not a reduced-sugar formulation.

Dean’s

Traditional Shortbread Fingers 125g offer another named recipe for a per-100g label comparison.

  • Dean’s lists 17.1g sugars and 12.4g saturates per 100g for this pack.
  • Those figures describe the traditional fingers, not every Dean’s shortbread.

Boots

Boots has described its no-added-sugar shortbread fingers as all-butter biscuits made with maltitol.

  • The displayed product information is dated 1 February 2017. Check a current listing and pack label before considering this recipe.

Doemi

A UK seller describes Doemi wholegrain biscuits as having no added sugar and lists maltitol among the ingredients.

  • The listing gives shoppers an ingredients-based alternative to compare with conventional shortbread.
  • The seller’s description does not establish a like-for-like total-sugars or energy comparison; its listed ingredients include wheat and egg.

Sainsbury’s

The checked Free From Shortbread 160g is positioned for shoppers avoiding milk and gluten.

  • Its label lists 23.5g sugars per 100g for comparison with other exact packs.
  • The listing warns that the product is unsuitable for customers with a nut allergy due to manufacturing methods. Free From does not mean reduced sugar.

M&S

The M&S range includes conventional and Made Without shortbread varieties.

  • Shoppers can distinguish recipe types before comparing individual packs.
  • Check the nutrition and ingredients of the particular variety; a range description does not give every variant the same sugar figure.

A Joybuy biscuit option

This no-added-sugar cookies-and-cream biscuit is an alternative to traditional shortbread for the match. Compare its pack label with any shortbread you are considering rather than treating it as the same recipe.

Gullon Zero No Added Sugar Cookies and Cream 210g biscuits

Gullon Zero No Added Sugar Cookies and Cream 210g

If avoiding added sugar matters more than serving all-butter shortbread, this cookies-and-cream biscuit is a different option to consider. The pack is 210g; check its nutrition declaration and allergen information before sharing.

View on Joybuy

Questions about serving shortbread

Does no added sugar mean little sugar or carbohydrate?

No. The wording does not give you the finished biscuit’s total sugars, carbohydrate or energy. Read those figures on the exact pack if you want to compare it with conventional shortbread.

What does a reduced-sugars claim mean?

NHS Scotland’s food-label guide describes a reduced-sugar product as containing 30% less sugar than a standard equivalent, and cautions that this need not mean low sugar. Do not apply that claim to a conventional shortbread simply because its per-100g figure is lower than another pack’s.

What should I check before offering biscuits to guests with allergies?

Read the exact pack’s ingredients and precautionary allergen wording before serving it. The checked Tesco and Waitrose shortbreads list wheat and milk, while the Doemi seller lists wheat and egg; a sugar-related claim does not replace an allergen check.

Does shortbread need preparing for the match?

The checked shortbread is ready to serve. For storage, Tesco says to keep its All Butter Shortbread Fingers in a cool, dry place and in an airtight container once opened; follow the instructions on the pack you buy.