Tea drinkers comparing sugar
If you want shortbread with tea while paying attention to sugar, compare like-for-like figures per 100g, then check the amount in the biscuit or portion you plan to eat.
Who is this comparison for?
Households sharing biscuits
Different serving sizes and recipes make the current pack's ingredients, portion information and allergen advice worth checking before you serve biscuits to others.
What should you compare?
Start with sugars per 100g for a like-for-like comparison, then look at the portion you would serve and the rest of the pack information.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar comparison | Compare sugars in g per 100g on the exact packs. Tesco lists 13.1g for its All Butter Shortbread Fingers; Dean's lists 17.1g for its Traditional Fingers. A difference between packs alone does not establish a 'reduced sugars' claim. | I want to compare shortbread recipes on the same weight basis, rather than assume that 'all butter' or another description tells me their sugar content. |
| Serving size | Check the stated biscuit weight and sugars per biscuit where given. Tesco lists 2.4g sugars for an 18g finger; Sainsbury's lists 3.0g per Highland finger. Compare those figures with the number you intend to serve. | With a cup of tea, the amount I put on the plate matters as well as the figure per 100g. |
| Other pack details | Read energy and saturates alongside sugars. Check the current ingredients and allergen advice, particularly when choosing for someone else or considering a no-added-sugar biscuit. | I need the biscuit to meet the people I'm serving it to; a lower sugar figure cannot answer an ingredient or allergy question. |
Common shortbread mix-ups
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Calling the lowest figure 'reduced sugars'
Being lowest among a few selected packs is a numerical comparison, not proof that a particular product meets the conditions for that nutrition claim.
Use the exact sugars-per-100g figures to compare packs, and assess any claim made on a product against the applicable conditions.
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Assuming a mini biscuit has a lower-sugar recipe
Walker's says its Wee Shorties use its regular recipe and lists 21.1g sugars per 100g. Smaller packaging changes the amount in a pack, not that per-100g figure.
Check both sugars per 100g and the weight you expect to eat with tea.
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Judging the whole biscuit by its sugar figure
Shortbread packs also carry energy, saturates, ingredient and allergen information that can affect a buying or serving decision.
Read those details on the current pack alongside its sugar figures, especially when serving someone with an allergy.
Brand and product-line references
These figures describe the named packs, not every shortbread made by each brand.
Tesco
Tesco All Butter Shortbread Fingers are a conventional shortbread option for comparing labelled sugars.
- Tesco lists 13.1g sugars and 15.5g saturates per 100g for the 210g pack.
- That sugar figure does not establish a 'reduced sugars' claim or describe other Tesco shortbread.
M&S
M&S All Butter Scottish Shortbread Assortment offers a mixture of shortbread pieces for sharing.
- M&S lists 14.7g sugars and 16.0g saturates per 100g for this assortment.
- M&S says recipes may change, so check the pack you buy.
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's Highland All Butter Shortbread Fingers provide both per-100g and per-biscuit figures.
- Sainsbury's lists 14.8g sugars per 100g and 3.0g per biscuit for the checked pack.
- Read the current allergen advice before sharing; it includes a warning concerning nuts and oats due to manufacturing methods.
Waitrose
Waitrose Shortbread Fingers include a per-biscuit breakdown that can help with serving comparisons.
- Waitrose lists 14.9g sugars per 100g and 3.0g per biscuit for the checked pack.
- Waitrose warns that recipes change; use the current pack label when deciding.
Dean's
Dean's Traditional Fingers and its separate All Butter Fingers have different recipes and nutrition figures.
- Dean's lists 17.1g sugars per 100g for Traditional Fingers and 17.7g for All Butter Fingers.
- Check which pack you have: the figures for one recipe do not describe the other.
Walker's
Walker's Wee Shorties come in six 25g bags for a defined pack portion.
- The individually bagged format makes the pack amount clear.
- Walker's says the biscuits use its regular recipe and lists 21.1g sugars per 100g; the mini format is not evidence of a reduced-sugar recipe.
Joybuy biscuit options
These options cover a 25g shortbread and a no-added-sugar cookies-and-cream biscuit. The latter is an alternative type of biscuit, not a shortbread sugar comparison.
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Island Bakery Organic Shortbread 25g
If you want a defined amount of shortbread with tea, this option is labelled 25g. Check its current sugars-per-100g and ingredient information before comparing it with other packs.
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Gullon Zero No Added Sugar Cookies and Cream 210g
If a no-added-sugar biscuit interests you more than shortbread specifically, this is a 210g cookies-and-cream option, not shortbread. Its product information names maltitol, warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect and says it may contain milk; check the current pack before serving.
Questions about choosing shortbread
Does 'no added sugar' mean sugar-free or low-calorie?
No. A no-added-sugar description alone establishes neither of those things. Check the product's total sugars and energy figures separately; as the NHS explains, total sugars on a nutrition label are not the same measure as free sugars in dietary guidance.
How do I compare shortbread biscuits of different sizes?
Use sugars per 100g to compare the named products on the same weight basis, then check the per-biscuit figure or the weight you will eat. The NHS notes that a manufacturer's stated portion may differ from yours.
What should I check before serving shortbread to someone with an allergy?
Read the current pack's ingredients and precautionary allergen advice, rather than relying solely on an online description. The checked shortbreads include wheat and milk ingredients, and some packs carry additional cross-contact warnings.
How should I store packaged shortbread after opening it?
Follow the instructions on the pack you buy. Tesco and Sainsbury's advise keeping the checked biscuits cool and dry and storing them in an airtight container once opened.